Famous Forts of Pakistan (Part 2)

This is a part of Peaceful Pakistan Project in which we look at the famous forts of Pakistan and in this part at the forts of Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Forts of Sindh.

Kot Diji Fort.

The Kot Diji Fort, 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.

Rani Kot Fort. 

Ranikot Fort is a historical fort in Sindh province of Pakistan. It is also known as the great wall of Sindh and It is the world's largest fort with a circumference of approximately 26 km or 16 miles. Since 1993, it has been on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Naukot Fort.

Naukot Fort is also known as the gateway of Thar Desert. It is 98 Km from Mirpur Khas. The Naukot town has a Fort of Talpur period which is still existing but in very deteriorating condition.

Qasim Fort.

The Qasim Fort is a small fort constructed in the 18th century by the Talpur dynasty when the port of Karachi traded with Oman and Bahrain. Although the fort is now buried beneath the naval base, the lighthouse is a visible reminder of the British presence.

 Pacco Qillo Fort.

The Pacco Qillo built by Ghulam Shah still remains today but in a desolate state and a dire need of repair. The Muhajirs migrating from across the border in 1947 encroached on the premises to make room for their residences.

Umerkot Fort.

Umarkot is a fort located in Umerkot, sindh, also called Amarkot. Emperor Akber was born in Umarkot Fort when his father Humayun fled from the military defeats at the hands of Sher Shah Suri on 15 October 1542.

Forts of Balochistan.

Quetta Fort.

Quetta, derived from Kuatta, means fort in the Pashto language. The city is a natural fort, surrounded by imposing hills on all sides. The hills are called Chiltan, Takatu, and Mehrdar and Zarghoon.

Kalat Fort.

Kalat fort is one of the oldest forts of Pakistan, with its history going back as early as 16th century, british attacked this fort in the 18th century to take control of balochistan but failed.

Punnu Fort.

The ruins of Punnu Fort (also called Punnu’s Fort) are sited about 15km from Turbat, a city in southern part of Balochistan. According to archaeologists Punnu Fort could date back to 6000-8000 BC.

Mir Chakar Fort.

Mir Chakar’s fort is one of famous 15th century forts situated at outskirt in Sibi. You will find a very old traditional caravanserai, the Sohbat Serai, constructed by the tribal chief Sardar of that area Sohbat Khan here too.

Forts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Bala Hissar Fort.

Bala Hissar is one of the most historic places of Peshawar. The word Bala Hissar is from Dari Persian, meaning, “elevated or high fort”. The name was given by the Pashtun King Timur Shah Durrani (1773–1793). The Fort has been the headquarters of the Frontier Corps since 1949.

Chakdara Fort

Chakdara has been an important center for the last 3500 years and is littered with remains of the Gandhara grave culture, Buddhist sites, and Hindu Shahi forts. The Mughals built a fort here in 1586, occupied in 1895 by the British.

Chitral Fort.

Chitral Fort has a commanding position on the river. It remains the seat of the mehtar. The forts of Chitral were similar to medieval castles. They were both fortified residences and the seat of power in the area.

 Drosh Fort

Drosh fort in Chitral is perched on a cliff above the chitral river. Drosh is the most important town in lower chitral.

Jamrud Fort.

The Jamrud Fort is located at the entrance to the Khyber Pass in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. In 1837, the fort was captured from Afghan ruler Dost Mohammad Khan by the invading Sikhs of Punjab led by Ranjit Singh.

Kohat Fort.

This fort was costructed by British government for military use as Kohat was strategically loacted and military operations were conducted agaist surrounding tribal areas like Dara Adam Khel and Orakzai.

Malakand Fort.

The Malakand Pass is a mountain pass in Malakand District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The pass road begins at Dargai. The road across the pass is in good condition, but is always crowded with a continuous stream of trucks.

Miranshah Fort.

Miranshah was named after the Timurid ruler, Miran Shah, the son of Timur. In 1905, the British constructed Miranshah Fort to control North Waziristan.