The historic value and significance of Shikarpoor is explicitly defined; first as an important historic town within the regional context of Sindh, and secondly as an important trade town on the ancient caravan routes linking Central Asia, Persia and Afghanistan with India. On the regional level, Shikarpoor has an unmatched quality as a city that was created and grew under unique circumstances. Established by the Daudpotas – a tribe of Abbasid origins – and ruled for more than 80 years by Afghans, and embellished by a community of merchants and landlords for over two centuries, Shikarpoor is a representation of religious, political, social and cultural dialogue given expression through the media of built form. Reflecting upon these aspects of the city's history, the surviving traditional fabric has a unique character and rare qualities that need to be recognized and appreciated. From a morphological analysis of the existing built fabric, it is deduced that the historic core, within walled city limits, is well preserved, retaining original layout of streets, overall proportions of scale and characterized by narrow, winding and dead-end alleys that are completely pedestrianized. Early extensions to the east of the city have similar characteristics; however, the late nineteenth-century colonial period developments introduced a distinct grid iron pattern in contrast to earlier morphological forms of the historic core. The growth and expansion of the city has not extended much beyond its colonial extensions.

Shikarpoor's built fabric, including buildings and urban elements, has unique architectural qualities indicative of traditional practices and values. The open spaces are an integral part of the urban environment enriched by their variety of uses, enhancing the quality of built environment. The historic buildings of Shikarpoor represent a variety of styles, high in quality of workmanship and artistic expression that seem to have been trendsetters in their day. The diversity observed in the variety of architectural styles indicates an evolution through centuries of external influences and a high degree of patronage to arts and building crafts, combined with experimentation using different materials and forms of expression that changed over time. These expressions often reflected the patrons’ social status, religious bindings, and political inclinations. Surviving examples of traditional building forms and crafts are now rare and unique; thus, they need to be acknowledged as important national assets.