Conservation commenced in late 1971 and was completed in six years. Because of the monument's dilapidated condition the repair work required was extensive.  This project required the establishment of a training programme for Pakistani craftsmen in the traditional crafts of glazed Multan tile work, wood carving and terra cotta. Indigenous craftsmen who had inherited the knowledge of these crafts trained a total of 33 novices, now active in other conservation efforts as well as in new building.

Site and Ground Plans
Site and Ground Plans: (top) Contour plan of the area lying between the shrines of Hazrai Shah Rukn-E-Alam and Hazrai Sha Bahawal Haque Zakariya and their surroundings at Multan

The way of conserving this fourteenth-century monument was to restore all the damaged parts of the building as nearly as possible to their original appearance. Those parts of the tomb only slightly damaged, however, were left untouched in order to convey a sense of age. 

First and Second Storey plans
First and Second Storey plans
The mihrab (centre) surrounded by the component parts of the mihrab after dismantlement, indicating the amount of work needed to separate wood
The mihrab (centre) surrounded by the component parts of the mihrab after dismantlement, indicating the amount of work needed to separate wood
  1. The Architect's Approach to the problem: The decision was made to restore all damaged parts of the building as nearly as possible to their original condition where parts of the building were only damaged in a minor way. More controversially, the tombs which were in the porch and on the platform were all removed (with the exception of one or two over which legal court cases were still pending) and an outer vestibule which had been added after the original entrance vestibule was removed. the entrance portico to the platform was demolished and rebuilt in a style imitating1 that of the period of the mausoleum.
  2. Structure, Materials and Technology: The original construction, in 1971 the architect set about reemployment of traditional craftsmen who had inherited through their family some knowledge of the 14 of the building crafts used in this building which had largely fallen into disuse or had become seriously altered with time. Under the direction of the site supervisor and sub-engineer, an outstanding mason, a woodcarver and a tiler were found and together they trained a total of 33 craftsmen in the revived techniques which were perfected by trial and error over a long period.
  • 1. A new construction designed by the architect
  • Client: Government of Punjab, Lahore.
  • Architect: Muhammad Wali Ullah Khan, di­rector, Awqaf Department, Lahore.
  • Restoration: Awqaf De­partment, Lahore.
  • Master craftsmen: Talib Hussain, Bushir Ahmed, Haji Rahim Bukhsh, Abdul Wahid, K. Allah Divaya, Kashigai Nazar Hussain, lmtiaz Ahmed.

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