important forts

8/9/2019 Important Forts

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ROYAL FORT- LAHORE

Although most parts of the Royal Fort were constructed around 1566 A.D. by the Mughal

Emperor, Abar the !reat, there "s e#"dence that a mud fort was "n e$"stence here "n 1%&1 A.D.

as well, when Mahmood of !ha'na "n#aded th"s area. Abar demol"shed the old mud fort and

constructed most of the modern Fort, as we see "t today, on the

old foundat"ons.

(he Royal Fort "s rectangular. (he ma"n gates are located

alongs"de the centre of the western and eastern walls. E#ery

succeed"ng Mughal Emperor as well as the )"hs, and the *r"t"sh

"n the"r turn, added a pa#"l"on, palace or wall to the Fort. Emperor

+ehang"r e$tended the gardens and constructed the palaces that we see today "n the +ehang"rs

-uadrangle, wh"le )hah+ehan added D"wane/has, Mot" Mas0"d 2earl Mos3ue4 and h"s own

)leep"ng hambers. Aurang'eb bu"lt the "mpress"#e ma"n gate wh"ch faces the a'oor" *agh

ly"ng "n between the *adshah" Mos3ue and the Fort. (he Famous )heesh Mahal or 2alace of

M"rrors "s "n the northeast corner of the Fort. (h"s "s the most beaut"ful palace "n the Fort and "s

decorated w"th small m"rrors of d"fferent colours set.

(he part of the wall of the Elephant )teps towards the Forts "nner gate are

scarred by bullet mars, bear"ng test"mony to the )"h "#"l 7ar of 189: A.D.

(he )leep"ng hamber of Ma" +"ndan houses a #ery "nterest"ng museum w"th

rel"cs from Mughal and the )"h per"ods.

Rawat Fort

Rawat Fort "s located 1: m east of Rawalp"nd", on the !rand (run !.(4 Road lead"ng to

;ahore. !ahars, a f"ercely "ndependent tr"be of the 2otohar 2lateau bu"lt the fort, "n early 16th

century. (he gra#e of a !ahar h"ef, )ultan )arang /han "s located "ns"de the fort. e d"ed "n

1596 AD f"ght"ng aga"nst the forces of )her )hah )ur".


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the fort "s "n a crumbl"ng state, "t "s st"ll an attract"on for castle lo#ers. (he fort, be"ng s"tuated "n

proh"b"ted area, "s only open for 2a"stan" #"s"tors.

Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort "s 1%= m from Rawalp"nd".


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for pol"t"cal and m"l"tary operat"ons. (owards the end of 1=9: the Dogra forces f"led away

lea#"ng the fort w"de open to anybody.

(he arch"tecton"cs of the fort show that great e$perts "n des"gn and structure part"c"pated "n "ts

construct"on.


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Fort o! Mun" #hahi"

(he old fort of Munde )hah"d, 5% /m from *ahawalpur

and Marot Fort are cons"dered to be ant"3u"t"es. A place

outs"de the Marot Fort "s nown as C*a"tha Maula Al"C.

(he tomb of @auga'a "s located "n the Munde )har"f Fort.

Baltit Fort$ Hun%a &all'

(he fa"rytale l"e castle of *alt"t, abo#e /ar"mabad, "s a

un'a landmar bu"lt abut 6%% years ago. )t"lted on mass"#e legs, "ts wooden bay w"ndows loo

out o#er the #alley. Br"g"nally, "t was used as the res"dence of the M"rs the t"tle of the former

rulers of un'a4.

Mu(hal Fort

Bn the top of the h"ll, there "s the famous Mughal fort, o#erloo"ng

the lae. R"s"ng four stor"es h"gh, th"s mass"#e structure of gran"te "s a feet of Moghul

eng"neer"ng that has stood the ra#ages of t"me.


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!ett"ng (here

;ahore Fort "s located "n the c"ty of ;ahore.


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Although bu"lt for purely m"l"tary purposes, yet a few of "ts twel#e gates were e$cept"onally f"ne

e$amples of the arch"tecture of that per"od. (he )ohal !ate, guard"ng the south west wall, "s "nfa"r cond"t"on e#en today and "t "s be"ng used as a rest house. (h"s gate "s an e$ample "llustrat"ng

that how a feature bu"lt for strength could also be made arch"tecturally graceful. As "t "s more

than e"ghty feet "n he"ght so "t pro#"des a grand entrance to the magn"f"cent fort comple$. E#erypart of "ts structure has been carr"ed out "n broad and s"mple manner, each l"ne and plane has a

sober and mass"#e elegance, wh"le the whole "s aesthet"cally competent. 7"th"n the fort a small

town has de#eloped and se#eral thousand people l"#e here.

Rohtas Fort "s one of the most "mpos"ng h"stor"cal monuments wh"ch represents the 2athan

per"od of arch"tecture style "n 2a"stan. (he Rohtas fort l"es sprawl"ng upon a low rocy h"ll to

the north of +helum "n a bend of the r"#er !han mostly spelled as /ahan4. (he g"gant"c fort "sfounded on steep rocs 0utt"ng "nto the r"#er /ahan, "ts ramparts protected on the west and north

s"des by the r"#er and by h"gh h"lls on "ts east and south.


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RB(A) FBR( redes"gnated as a 7orld er"tage )"te *y @E)B "n 1==:.

GG More Bn 7""ped"a

GG !o (o 2age Manu

Derawar Fort

Derawar Fort

Bn the edge of the desert, 1%9 m from *ahawalpur stands the ma0est"c Derawar Fort.


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feet th"c.

M"rgarh Fort

M"rgarh Fort was founded by @oor Muhammad /han, "n l:== AD, was completed "n ? years. A2ers"an "nscr"pt"on seen at the gates of the fort "n 18:& recorded that he was a d"sc"ple of the

!"llan" Mahdooms of ch. (he fort "s bu"lt of burnt br"cs, "s s3uare, measur"ng =& feet on

each s"de, and possess : bast"ons, stand"ng ?= feet "n he"ght. (he d"stance between M"r!arh Fortand Fort Abbas c"ty "s &1 m.

+amgarh Fort

(h"s beaut"ful burntbr"c fort stands "n the desert w"th much of "ts or"g"nal appearance, = maway from M"r!arh Fort.


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GG !o (o 2age Manu

Multan Fort

Multan Fort

Multan Fort was bu"lt on a mound separat"ng "t form the c"ty by the old bed of r"#er Ra#". (here

"s no Fort now as "t was destroyed by the *r"t"sh !arr"son wh"ch was stat"oned ,there for a long

t"me, but the ent"re s"te "s nown as the Fort .(he walls of the fort were bu"lt by Murad *ash,the son of the )hah +ahan, when he was the #"ceroy of Multan "n the early 1:th, century. (he Fort

s"te now loos as a part of the c"ty, because "nstead of the r"#er "t "s now separated by a road

wh"ch loos more l"e a ba'aar and rema"ns crowded throughout the day.

(he Fort stands on the h"ghest part of the mound on wh"ch the town "s bu"lt,


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GG !o (o 2age Manu

Rawat Fort

Rawat Fort

Rawat Fort "s located 1: m east of Rawalp"nd", on the !rand (run !.(4 Road lead"ng to

;ahore. (he fort was bu"lt by !ahars, a f"ercely "ndependent tr"be of the 2otohar 2lateau, "nearly 16th century. (he gra#e of a !ahar h"ef, )ultan )arang /han "s located "ns"de the fort.

e d"ed "n 1596 AD f"ght"ng aga"nst the forces of )her )hah )ur". Rawat "s a corrupt"on of the

Arab"c word KRabatL mean"ng )era".

(he Fort "s oblong "n plan, measur"ng ?%6 feet = "nches eastwest and ?98 feet = "nches northsouth w"th sem" c"rcular bast"ons on the four corners and also on e"ther s"de of the two gateslocated on east and north. Bn the western s"de of the fort, "s located a mos3ue. (he ma"n gate "s

on the east. Flan"ng the gates and the mos3ue along the fort"f"cat"on are small cells each

measur"ng 6 feet = "nches. Br"g"nally, there were as many as :6 cells.


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Emperor Abar. (he Mughal cara#an sara" outs"de the fort, wh"ch "s almost on the !.(. Road,

was also bu"lt dur"ng th"s per"od. 2lease note that no #"s"tors are allowed "ns"de the Fort.

!ett"ng (here

Attoc Fort can be reached from the !.( Road.


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)he "haplu Fort means )he Fort on roof is an old !eautiful fort of Baltistan located in "haplu acoordingto !alti version it is *'' years old !ut to some non !alti people it as !uilt in +*'!y the a!go a/a of

"haplu.

Skardu Fort.

%kardu Fort,)he king of Forts is a fort in %kardu city that dates from the +0th century 12. #n ancient

mos3ue is also present inside the fort. )he fort and its mos3ue are located on the eastern face of the

"hardong hill *' ft a!ove %kardu city.

Shigar Fort


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)he %higar Fort means )he Fort on ock is an old fort of Baltistan and Pakistan located in %higar 4alleyIt as !uilt in +5th century !y the a/a of #macha 6ynasty of %higar. )he fort has restored !y #ga

"han 1ultural %ervice Pakistan 7#"1%P-P8.

Forts of Punjab.

Lahore Fort

9rigins of :ahore fort go as far !ack as anti3uity, hoever, the e;isting !ase structure as !uilt during

the reign of $ughal 2mperor #k!ar !eteen +


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)he $ultan Fort, a Pakistani military installation, as a landmark of Indian defence and architecture. It

as !uilt near the city of $ultan, in Pun/a! province, on a hillock separated from the city !y the avi

iver. )he fort as destroyed !y British forces during the British occupation of India.

Pharwala Fort

Pharala is a historic fort located aalpindi in Pun/a!, Pakistan. It is naturally defended !y one side

!y a small Himalayan range and the other !y the %aan iver. It as !uilt in the +


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ohtas Fort is a historical garrison fort !uilt !y king Farid "han, located near the city of =helum in

Pakistan. )his fort is a!out * km in circumference and the >rst e;ample of the successful

amalgamation of Pashtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian %u!continent.

erawar Fort

6eraar Fort is a large s3uare fortress in Pakistan near Bahaalpur. )he >rst fort on the site as !uilt

!y Hindu a/put, ai =a//a Bhati of =aisalmer. It remained in the hands of the royal family of =aisalmer

until captured and completely re!uilt !y the naa!s of Bahaalpur in +5??.

Atto!k Fort

#ttock fort as !uilt at #ttock "hurd during the reign of #k!ar the Great from +


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Fort #!!as is a historical city and has strategic importance during the @aa! of BahaalpurAs rule. It

as knon as Pholra until it as renamed in +&5 !y @aa! %ir %adi3, ho named it on his eldest son,

$uhammad #!!as.

Sheikhupura Fort

%heikhupura Fort, %heikhupura. Built at the centre of a dense forest in +0'5 on the orders of =ahangir,

the $ughal emperor of India, father of %hah =ehan ho !uilt the )a/ $ahal. %heikhupura, initially called

=ahangirpura.

Forts of A"ad Kash#ir.

Baghsar Fort.


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Baghsar Fort is an ancient fort !uilt in %amahni 4alley near Bhim!er close to a place knon as Baghsar.

Ra#kot Fort.

amkot Fort is an ancient fort situated in #zad "ashmir, Pakistan !eside the $angla 6am. It is

accessi!le through !oat and +? kilometers aay from 6ina.

Skardu Fort.

%kardu Fort means )he king of Forts is a fort in %kardu city in Gilgit-Baltistan of the "ashmir region that

dates from the +0th century 12. #n ancient mos3ue is also present inside the fort.


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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.


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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 worlds 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.


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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 tomake 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 Balo!histan.


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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.


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The ruins of Punnu Fort (also called Punnus 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 Chakars 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.


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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 (17731793). 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 herein 1586, occupied in 1895 by the British.

Chitral Fort.


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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 ofpower 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.


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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.


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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.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 Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Punjab.

Part 1.


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Forts of Gilgit Baltistan.

Baltit Fort.

Baltit Fort or Balti Fort is an ancient fort in the Hunza valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. In the

past, the survival of the feudal regime of Hunza was ensured by the impressive Baltit fort, which

overlooks Karimabad.

Altit Fort.

Altit Fort is an ancient fort above Karimabad in the Hunza valley in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. It

was originally home to the hereditary rulers of the Hunza state who carried the title Mir. Shikari

tower is around 900 years old which makes it the oldest monument in the GilgitBaltistan.

Khaplu Fort.


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The Khaplu Fort means The Fort on roof is an old beautiful fort of Baltistan located in Khaplu

acoording to balti version it is 400 years old but to some non balti people it was built in 1840by

the Yabgo Raja of Khaplu.

Skardu Fort.

Skardu Fort,The king of Forts is a fort in Skardu city that dates from the 16th century CE. Anancient 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.

Shigar Fort


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The Shigar Fort means The Fort on Rock is an old fort of Baltistan and Pakistan located in

Shigar Valley It was built in 17th century by the Raja of Amacha Dynasty of Shigar. The fort has

restored by Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (AKCSP-P).

Forts of Punjab.Lahore Fort

Origins of Lahore fort go as far back as antiquity, however, the existing base structure was built

during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar between 15561605 and was regularly upgraded by

subsequent Mughal, Sikh and British rulers.

Multan Fort


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The Multan Fort, a Pakistani military installation, was a landmark of Indian defence and

architecture. It was built near the city of Multan, in Punjab province, on a hillock separated from

the city by the Ravi River. The fort was destroyed by British forces during the British occupation

of India.

Pharwala Fort

Pharwala is a historic fort located Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan. It is naturally defended by one

side by a small Himalayan range and the other by the Swaan River. It was built in the 15th

century on the ruins of a 10th century Hindu Shahi Fort.

Rohtas Fort


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Rohtas Fort is a historical garrison fort built by king Farid Khan, located near the city of Jhelum

in Pakistan. This fort is about 4 km in circumference and the first example of the successful

amalgamation of Pashtun and Hindu architecture in the Indian Subcontinent.

Derawar Fort

Derawar Fort is a large square fortress in Pakistan near Bahawalpur. The first fort on the site

was built by Hindu Rajput, Rai Jajja Bhati 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.

Attock Fort


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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.

Fort Abbas

Fort Abbas is a historical city and has strategic importance during the Nawab of Bahawalpurs

rule. It was known as Pholra until it was renamed in 1927 by Nawab Sir Sadiq, who named it on

his eldest son, Muhammad Abbas.

Sheikhupura Fort

Sheikhupura Fort, Sheikhupura. Built at the centre of a dense forest in 1607 on the orders of

Jahangir, the Mughal emperor of India, father of Shah Jehan who built the Taj Mahal.

Sheikhupura, initially called Jahangirpura.

Forts of Azad Kashmir.

Baghsar Fort.


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Baghsar Fort is an ancient fort built in Samahni Valley near Bhimber close to a place known as

Baghsar.

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.

Skardu Fort.


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Skardu Fort means The king of Forts is a fort in Skardu city in Gilgit-Baltistan of the Kashmir

region that dates from the 16th century CE. An ancient mosque is also present inside the fort.

important forts

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