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Forts of Pakistan

"Rohtas Fort"
Rohtas Fort (Urdu: Qila Rohtas) is a garrison fort
built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri. This fort is about 4
km in circumference and the first example of the successful
amalgamation of Pukhtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian
Subcontinent.
The work on this fort was started in 1541 with Todar Mal Khatri,
the revenue minister in charge of the project. The Gakhars whose
area the fort was built on refused to provide labour for this
project.Todar Mal faced with such problems informed Sher Shah about these difficulties who wrote in reply, I know you
for a man of business, understanding and intelligence. I see no work can be expected from you, because you consider
money as your friend. When I have commanded you to do a thing you ought not to have cared for money in fixing the rate.
Whatever be the expenses, shall be borne by my government.
(According to Tarikh-i-Daudi, its cost is 80,505,002 Dams)

"Rawat Fort"
Rawat Fort is located in Pothohar Pakistan. The fort was built in early 16th
century by Gakhars, a tribe of the Pothohar plateau. It is 17 km east of Rawalpindi
on Grand Trunk Road.
The fort was the scene of a battle between the Gakhar chief Sultan Sarang Khan
and Sher Shah Suri in 1546 AD.
The fort is almost in square form and has two gates.
It contains a mosque made up of three big dome shaped rooms. There is also a
quadrangular building with a dome. Along the wall there are additional small
rooms.In the center of the fort there are many graves. Among them is the tomb of
Sultan Sarang Khan. His 16 sons, who died there fighting, are also buried inside
the fort.
Mankiala stupa can be seen from the roof of the mosque as it is few kilometers
from here.



"Ramkot Fort"
Ramkot Fort is an ancient fort situated in Azad Kashmir Pakistan
beside the Mangla Dam. It is accessible through boat and 13
kilometers away from Dina.Located on the summit of a hill,
Ramkot Fort is built over the site of an old Hindu Shiva temple. 3
sides of this hill top are surrounded by the River Jhelum (ancient
Vitasta). During excavations relics of the 5th - 9th century AD
have been discovered near one of the temples. In the 16th - 17th
century AD the Muslim rulers of Kashmir in safe guarding their boundaries built numerous forts. Ramkot, sitting atop at
the confluence of the river Jhelum Poonch is one of them. The Sikh Maharaja of Kashmir further fortified Ramkot.


"Attock Fort"
Attock fort was built at Attock Khurd during the reign of Akbar the Great
from 1581 to 1583 under the supervision of Khawaja Shamsuddin Khawafi
to protect the passage of the Indus. It featured a prominent role in Afghan-
Sikh Wars during the Battle of Attock. Today it is sandwiched between
Peshawar Road on one side and the River Indus on the other.


"Kot Diji Fort"
The Kot Diji Fort, formally known as Fort Ahmadabad,
dominates the town of Kot Diji in Khairpur District, Pakistan
about 25 miles east of the Indus River at the edge of the Nara-
Rajisthan Desert. The fort was built between 1785 to 1795 by Mir
Sohrab Khan Talpur, founder of the Kingdom of Upper Sindh in
1783. In addition to the fort, a 5 kilometer, 12 feet wide mud wall
was built around the city. This defensive wall had bastions
throughout its length and a huge iron gate served as the city's
only entrance.
The fort was considered invincible and served as the residence of the Ameers of Khairpur in times of peace. It is, therefore,
the ancestral home of royal house. During war time the zenana (female members of the royal family), would be shifted to
Shahgarh Fort, formerly within the realm but since 1843, after the conquest of the rest of Sindh, it is in the Jaisalmer
desert, now in India. When the Zenana moved into the comfort of palaces, it stood mainly as a decorated reminder of more
violent times. Throughout its whole history, however, Fort Kot Diji was never attacked.


"Sialkot Fort"
Sialkot Fort is one of the oldest forts in Pakistan. The city of
Sialkot, which is one of the oldest cities of Pakistan (more than
5000 years old), has historical significance due to the Fort, The
well-known historian, Diayas Jee, has stated that Raja Slbn re-
established Sialkot city around the 2nd century CE. and ruled
over the area between the rivers Ravi and Chenab. Slbn built
the Sialkot Fort (which, at the time, had double walls) for the
defence of the city. Raja Slbn, supposedly, used more than
10,000 laborers and masons for the repair and extension of the Fort with huge stone slabs and rocks which were brought
to the location from Pathankot. This work was completed in a stipulated period of two years, at which point, the fort had
two huge walls and 12 bastions. Raja Salbahan had a great respect for his wife, Rani Achchran, and loved her very much,
so he built a very attractive palace for her which was (approximately) 9 square miles (20 km2) in area near Roras (Ugoki)
and was designed and constructed by the architects and engineers from Greece. A wonderful road was built from the Fort
to Rani Achchran's palace (present-day Sahabpura Road in Sialkot). From 1179 to 1186, Shahab ud-Din Ghori occupied
Lahore and Sindh. With the help of the Raja of Jammu, he occupied the Sialkot Fort. The Sialkot Fort was given to the
Janjua tribes by Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq who accepted their suzerainty in that region around late 14th century CE.

"Malot Fort"
The location of the Malot fort is about 15 kilometers westward form Katas. Here, on a
hilltop is the ancient fort, which was built around 980AD. It is said that over here the last
Hindu Shahi Raja Mal embraced Islam. In days gone-by the town and fort of Malot
covered and area of over 5square kilometers. Two Hindu temples, which are located here,
are beautiful specimens of ancient Kashmir architecture.
The Malot temples, built of local red sand stones of salt range mountains, are located on
the road leading to Malot village near Choi village. The road is linked with main Kallar
Kahar road from where it turns from Karuli Chowk towards Malot via Pakistan cement
factory and Choi village along with coalmines. It is 12 kilometers away from Kallar Kahar
in the east. The Malot was also called Namrod and Ramrod. The name is after the King of MalDev or Malu. The Rajput
history claims its name Malot from the word Malik-Kot, as they believed that the title of Malik was given to the one who
accepted annexation to the Muslim King of Delhi although in reward the Malik enjoyed the autonomous status with full
sovereignty in the assigned area. The Mughal King Babers travelogue Tuzk-e-Babri attests to the corollary of Malik-Kot,
Mal-Kot and then Malot.

"Nandana Fort"
Chakwal (Punjabi, Urdu: ) is the capital of Chakwal District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is located 90 km south-east of the
federal capital, Islamabad and is named after Chaudhry Chaku Khan,chief of the Mair Minhas Rajput tribe from Jammu,
who founded it in 1525 CE during the era of the Mughal Emperor,
Zaheerudun Babur. It remained a small but central town of the Dhan
Chaurasi Taluka for many centuries. In 1881, during the British era, it was
declared the Tehsil Headquarters. It was finally upgraded to district status
in 1985.
For much of its early history, Dhanni was an uninhabited part of the
Jammu state of the Dogra Rajputs, held as a hunting ground for the Rajas
of Jammu.In the year 1190 CE, Raja Bhagir Dev, a Jamwal prince, while on
a hunting expedition fell in love with a Muslim woman belonging to a tribe of wandering Gujjar grazers. In order to marry
her, he converted to Islam and consequently was asked by his father to stay away from Jammu and settle in this tract
along with his men. Raja Bhagir Dev was named Muhammed Mair after conversion to Islam.


"Pacco Qillo Fort"
Pacco Qillo Fort (Urdu: , Sindhi: , Strong Fort),
formally known as Pacca Qilla, is an early modern fortification in
Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Hyderabad (helpinfo) (Sindhi: , Urdu:
Haidarbd) is the second largest city in the Sindh province of
Pakistan. It is the sixth largest city in the country. The city was
founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of
a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as
Neroon Kot (Sindhi: ). Formerly the capital of Sindh, it serves as the headquarters of the district of Hyderabad.
Before the creation of Pakistan, it was known as the Paris of India, for its roads used to be washed with river water.

"Bala Hisar Fort"
Bala Hisar Fort is one of the most historic places of Peshawar.
The word Bala Hisar is from Persian, meaning, elevated or high
fort. According to Dr. Hussain Khan, the name was given by the
Afghan King Timur Shah Durrani (17731793). The Sikhs who
conquered Peshawar in the early 19th century named it Samir
Garh in 1834 but the name did not become popular.
The Fort has been the headquarters of the Frontier Corps since 1949.
Renowned historian, Dr A.H. Dani in his book "Peshawar-Historic City of Frontier" writes that when Hiuen Tsang, a
Chinese traveller, visited Peshawar in 630 AD, he spoke of a "royal residence".He says that Chinese word "Kung Shing"
used for its significance and is explained as fortified or walled portion of the town in which the royal palace stood.Hiuen
Tsang then makes a separate mention of the city, which was not fortified. This shows that the royal residence formed the
nucleus of a Citadel, which must have been further protected by a moat.

"Kharpuche Fort"
Skardu Fort or Karpachu Fort is a fort in Skardu city
in Gilgit-Baltistan of the disputed Kashmir region
that dates from the 16th century CE. An ancient
mosque is also present inside the fort. The fort and
its mosque are located on the eastern face of the
Khardong hill 40 ft above Skardu city. A view from
these monuments brings into vision the entire valley,
the Indus River and the settlement below.

"Pharwala Fort"
Pharwala is a historic fort located about 40 km from Rawalpindi in
Punjab, Pakistan. It is naturally defended by one side by a small
Himalayan range and the other by the Swaan River. It is a Gakhar
fort built in the 15th century on the ruins of a 10th century Hindu
Shahi Fort. The Mughal Emperor Babur conquered the fort in
1519, however after the Mughals reconciled with the Gakhars the
fort
was returned to them. Later, in 1825, Sikhs expelled Gakhars from
this fort.
The fort is in a bad shape, being situated in the Kahuta area, is only open for Pakistani visitors.

"Baltit Fort"
Baltit Fort or Balti Fort is an ancient fort in the Hunza valley in the
Northern Areas of Pakistan.
In former times survival of the feudal regimes of Hunza was
ensured by the impressive Baltit fort, that sit on top of Karimabad.
The foundations of the fort are said to date back around 700 years,
but there have been rebuilds and alterations over the centuries. In
the 16th century the Thum married a princess from Baltistan who
brought master Balti craftsmen to renovate the building as part of her dowry. The architectural style is a clear indication of
Tibetan influence in Baltistan at the time.
In olden times a number of small independent states existed in the history of Northern Areas of Pakistan. Among them
Hunza and Nager were the traditional rival states, situated on opposite sides of the Hunza (kanjut) river. The rulers of
these two states, known as Thmo / Mirs (Thm=S), built various strongholds to express their power. According to
historical sources (Ref: Tarikh-e-Ehd Atiiq Riyasat Hunza by Haji Qudrarullah Baig, Pub: S.T.Printers Rawalpindi 1980
Pakistan), the Hunza rulers initially resided in the Altit Fort, but later as a result of a conflict between the two sons of the
ruler Sultan, Shah Abbas (Shboos) and Ali Khan (Aliqhn), Shaboos shifted to the Baltit Fort, making it the capital seat
of Hunza. The power struggle between the two brothers eventually resulted in the death of younger one, and so Baltit Fort
further established itself as the prime seat of power in the Hunza state.

"Qila Sheikhupura"
Sheikhupura or Shekhupur (Urdu: ), formerly Kot Dayal Das
( ) orSinghpuria ( ), is an industrial city in the
province of Punjab slightly northwest toLahore in Pakistan.It is known
for its historical places, and is commonly known locally asQila
Shaikhupura, because of the fort in the city, constructed by the Mughal
EmperorJahangir. The name Sheikhupura is derived from a nickname of
Jahangir, who was known as Sheikhu by his father Akbar the Great.The
city is the headquarters of Sheikhupura Districtand is approximately 35
km from Lahore. The original name of Virkgarh was renamed by
Jahangir. The history of Sheikhupura goes back to 100 BC. Historical
research has established the fact that Sangla or Sakala was the capital of
Punjab once, and it was here that Alexander the Great of Macedonia
(known locally as Sikandar e Azam) fought one of his most serious battles of his career. Its name is spoken of, firstly in the
pages of Tuzk-e-Jahangiri as Jahangirpura, after the name of Prince Salim Nur u Din Muhammad Jahangir. The fourth
Mughal emperor of India named Jahangir changed the name of the city from Virkgarh to Sheikhupura after converting the
majority of the population to Islam.
"Ranikot Fort"
Ranikot Fort is the world's largest fort with a circumference of
about 26 km or 16 miles.Since 1993, it has been on the list of
tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
It is located in the Kirthar Range, about 30 km southwest of
Sann, in Jamshoro District, Sindh, Pakistan. It is approximately
90 km north of Hyderabad.
Ranikot is the most talismanic wonder of Sindh. Visible from
five kilometers away its massive undulating walls twist and dip
over the hills.
The original purpose and architects of Ranikot Fort are unknown. Some archaeologists attribute it to Arabs, or possibly
built by a Persian noble under the Abbasids by Imran Bin Musa Barmaki who was the Governor of Sindh in 836 CE.
Others have suggested a much earlier period of construction attributing to at times the Sassanians Persians and at times to
the Greeks. Despite the fact that a prehistoric site of Amri is nearby, there is no trace of any old city inside the fort and the
present structure has little evidence of prehistoric origins.

"Derawar Fort"
Derawar Fort is a large square fortress in Pakistan near
Bahawalpur. The forty bastions of Delawar are visible for many
miles in Cholistan Desert. The walls have a circumference of 1500
meters and stand up to thirty meters high.
The first fort on the site was built by
"Rai Jajja Bhati", whose sister was married to Deoraj, a prince of
Jaisalmer. It remained in the hands of the royal family of
Jaisalmer until captured and completely rebuilt by the nawabs of Bahawalpur in 1733. In 1747, the fort slipped from the
hands of the Abbasis owing to Bahawal Khan's preoccupations at Shikarpur. Nawab Mubarak Khan took the stronghold
back in 1804.

"Shahi Qila"
The Lahore Fort, locally referred to as Shahi Qila (Urdu:
) is citadel of the city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is
located in the northwestern corner of theWalled City of Lahore.
The trapezoidal composition is spread over 20 hectares.
Origins of the fort go as far back as antiquity, however, the
existing base structure was built during the reign of Mughal
emperor Akbar (1556-1605), and was regularly upgraded by
subsequent rulers, having thirteen gates in all.Thus the fort
manifests the rich traditions of Mughal architecture.Some of the
famous sites inside the fort include: Sheesh Mahal, Alamgiri Gate, Naulakha pavilion, and Moti Masjid.