CASTLES & FORTS IN PAKISTAN BY MOHAMMAD YOUSIF

WHY FORTS AND CASTLES WERE MADE A Castle or Fort, is a stronghold built by kings and the nobles for protection of their respective cities. Whenever a city is expected to come under attack, all the people from the city, take refuge inside the castle, along with useful things like cattle, and food, in case there is a prolonged siege. So, even if the army chooses to plunder the city, there wont be much left to plunder. In most cases, the castle is situated on a high ground, and the approach to the castle will be hard and difficult. A safe palace for king and his family to stay in and do their daily life activities and also to together the artilery and to protect treasure of king.

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Pakistan is a country with a very rich history,There are a lot of ancient and historic castles and forts in Pakistan which are preserved throughout years and carry a great story behind them. These ancient structures also include some castles. The castles and forts in Pakistan are thought to be the belongings of Afghan, local emperors, budhists, mughal emperoros , hindu rulers from sub continent, sikh rulers and kings of ancient times which have left their remnants on the land of Pakistan.

ROHTAS FORT

The Rohtas Fort is one of the most ancient forts in Pakistan The Rohtas Fort is one of the most ancient forts in Pakistan. It is located in Dina, which is a town near Jehlum. It was built by Sher Shah Suri between 1540AD and 1547AD. This fort was built to dominate the Ghakar tribe of Potohar, because Sher Shah was afraid of them. So he made the castle to save himself from them.

Royal Fort Lahore

The royal castle or fort of Lahore is also known as Shahi Qila The royal castle or fort of Lahore is also known as Shahi Qila. This fort is located in the North West corner of old Lahore. The actual origin of this fort is not known however, its structure is said to be built up by the Mughal King Akbar. Its area is spread around 20 acres. It is used by Mughals, Sikhs and British ruleers. This fort is so huge and it has two gates named Alamgiri and Masjidi Gate. The Alamgiri gate was built by King Aurangzeb and it opens towards the Badshahi Mosque. However, the Masjidi gate opens towards the city. This is a must place to visit in case you happen to visit Lahore, as it gives the idea about diverse and ancient history of Mughal Emperors and the land of Pakistan.

RANIKOT FORT

The Ranikot Fort is popular by the name of great wall of Sindh The Ranikot Fort is popular by the name of great wall of Sindh. It is located in the mountains of Kirthar range in the region of Jamshoro, Sindh. This fort was built by Imran bin Musa in the year 836 but was renovated by Mir Karam Ali in 1812. It is considered to be the largest fort because of It is spread around vast areas of about 26 kilometers.

KHAPLU FORT

This fort is located in Khaplu region of district Baltistan and is considered to be the most beautifully built castle in Pakistan. It was built in the 1840 by Yabgo Raja Daulat Ali Khan of Khaplu with the help of Baltit and Kashmiri workers. He and his descendents lived there for a long period of time. In 1983 when his last descendent died the fort was abandoned. It has a beautiful building apart from being located at a breathtaking place. This fort has now become a resort for people visiting Skardu.

KALAT FORT

The Kalat Fort is also known as Meeri Fort The Kalat Fort is also known as Meeri Fort. It is located in the region of Kalat, Balochistan. It is a very beautiful fort with deep history. It is said that during the 15th century, the Kalat fort was conquered by the Balochis. In the later years this fort was taken by the Khan of Kalat. Now it is abandoned and people from faraway places come to Kalat to visit this fort.

SKARDU FORT

. This fort is situated in Skardu and is also known as King of Forts due to its unique architecture and beautiful engineering. Skardu fort was initially the residence of Rajas of Skardu. It was built in the year of 1857 under the guidance of Ranbir Singh. It is preserved for many years and is now a good visiting place for all the Pakistanis who love exploring ancient places and castles in Pakistan. First name was Kharpocho (Balti: کھر فچو) means The king of Forts

ALTIT FORT

This castle is located in the region of Karimabad in Gilgit Baltistan This castle is located in the region of Karimabad in Gilgit Baltistan. It is said that this castle in about 900 years old. It was built by the ancient rulers of Gilgit who were known by the title of Mir. This fort is one of the oldest buildings in the whole Baltistan region. If you love travelling to ancient places, this castle is a must for you to visit.

DERWAR CASTLE

Derawar Castle is one of the hugest fort one in Pakistan Derawar Castle is one of the hugest fort one in Pakistan. It is located in the Dera Nawab Sahib region of Bahawalpur. This fort can also be seen from the Cholistan desert, because of its high walls. The Derawar Castle is still in a very good condition so if you’ve got a passion to witness old places, this can be your place to go. The forty bastions of Derawar are visible for many miles in the Cholistan Desert. The fort was built in the 9th century AD as a tribute to Rawal Deoraj Bhatti, a Rajput sovereign king of the Jaisalmer and Bahawalpur areas who had his capital at Lodhruva

BALTIT FORT

Baltit Fort is an ancient fort in the Hunza valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Founded in the 1st CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004. In the past, the survival of the feudal regime of Hunza was ensured by the impressive fort, which overlooks Karimabad. The foundations of the fort date back to 700 years ago, with rebuilds and alterations over the centuries. In the 16th century the local prince married a princess from Baltistan who brought master Balti craftsmen to renovate the building as part of her dowry. The Mirs of Hunza abandoned the fort in 1945, and moved to a new palace down the hill. The fort started to decay which caused concern that it might possibly fall into ruin. Following a survey by the Royal Geographical Society of London a restoration programme was initiated and supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Historic Cities Support Programme. The programme was completed in 1996 and the fort is now a museum run by the Baltit Heritage Trust.

SADIQ GARH PALACE

Sadiq Garh Palace is located in the region of Dera Nawab Sahib in Bahawalpur. It was built by Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan, who was the kind on Bahawalpur in the year 1882. Its completion took 10 years and it is one of the most elegant and ancient place on the land of Pakistan.

NOOR MAHAL

This fort is located in Bahawalpur and was built by Nawab Subah Sadiq in the year 1872. He made this fort for his wife, but she was not able to live in the fort and only spent one night there because of adjacent graveyard. So the castle remained empty. Now days it is used as a guest house for Pakistan Army.

FAIZ MAHAL

This fort in situated in the region of Khairpur, Sindh This fort in situated in the region of Khairpur, Sindh. The history of this fort goes back to more than 200 years. It was built by the Talpur Mirs in 1798. This fort is also known as the ‘Aram Garr’ and it consists of breathtaking gardens and building and is one of the most ancient forts in Pakistan.

RED FORT MUZAFFARAD

The Red Castle of Muzaffarabad is located along the river of Neelum in Muzaffarabad. It is said that the Chuk rulers started building this castle but its completion was done by the Sultan Muzaffar Khan during the year of 1646. The importance of the castle was lost during the era Mughal ruling in Kashmir but the castle is loved by explorers till now because of its huge history and breathtaking location. Construction was initiated in 1559 at a strategic location. The Mughal Empire annexed Kashmir in 1587, and the fort lost its importance.Finally, the construction of the fort was completed in 1646 in the reign of Sultan Muzaffar Khan of the Bomba Dynasty.

RAMKOT FORT

Ramkot fort is a really ancient fort which is located in Azad Kashmir Ramkot fort is a really ancient fort which is located in Azad Kashmir. It is only accessible through the boat but it is surrounded by Mangla Dam. It is approximately 13 km from Dina. This fort was built over a Hindu temple and is located on a hill. This is considered to be one of the oldest forts in Pakistan, whose architecture is still preserved. Construction started 16th–17th century AD

MIR CHAKAR FORT

famous 15th century forts situated at outskirt in Sibi famous 15th century forts situated at outskirt in Sibi. This fort is located in the region of Sibbi, Balochistan. It is named after a great warrior and sardar of Balochistan, Mir Chakar. He defeated the tribe of Lasharis after having about thirty years of war them. This fort is considered to be the best site to visit in Sibbi. Mir Chakar’s fort is one of

SHIGAR FORT

This fort is located in the region of Baltistan This fort is located in the region of Baltistan. It is named Shigar because Shigar means Rock and this fort is built on a rock. It is said that this fort was built by the emperor of Shigar during the 17th century. This ancient fort has gone through a lot of changes and renovations and is now changed to museum, but people still visit it due to its ancient history.

NAGAR FORT

Nagar Fort is located in the valley of Chitral Nagar Fort is located in the valley of Chitral. Chitral is a very beautiful place and is comparatively warmer than the surrounding areas so Mehtar built a place here as his winter resort. This later became popular by the name of Nagar Fort and is now included in one of the most ancient castles in Pakistan.

SHARDA FORT

Sharda Fort is a very ancient fort located in the beautiful Neelum Valley. This fort is not only fort but was also a Hindu and Buddhist temple and now there are ruined ancient remnants left of this fort. It was built in the 9th century and is now included in one of the most ancient and beautiful forts in Pakistan. By a guess of some hindu pandits it was built in 9th century.

BALA HISAR FORT

This castle is one of the most ancient places in Peshawar This castle is one of the most ancient places in Peshawar. The Pakhtoon king Timur Shah used this castle as the capital of Afghan Durrani Empire. Later, when the Peshawar was conquered by Sikh, its name was changed to Samir Garh. Now it is house of frontier corps peshawar kpk.

BAGSAR FORT

This fort is situated in near Baghsar (AZAD KASHMIR) near border in a village named Bhimber. It is included among the oldest and most historic forts in Pakistan which became popular during the era of Mughal Emperors. It is thought that this fort contains the buried intestines of King Jahangir, which is one reason for its popularity. People still visit this castle due to its deep rooted history. It is currently closed to visitors, due to it’s being right beside the line of control of captured jammu and kashmir india.

THROTCHI CASTLE

This castle is located in the Gulpur town which is situated in district Kotli. It is an ancient castle which was built in the year 1460. This castle is built on a mountain top and is still visited a lot by people who are interested in viewing the ruminants of such great forts in Pakistan.

KOT DIGI FORT

The Kot Diji Fort (Sindhi:ڪوٽ ڏيجي جو قلعو), formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, is a fort located in 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 site is situated at the foot of the Rohri Hills where a fort (Kot Diji Fort) was built around 1790 by Talpur dynasty ruler of Upper Sindh, Mir Suhrab who reigned from 1783 to 1830 AD. This fort built on the ridge of a steep narrow hill is well preserved. Located about 22 kilometers south of Khairpur in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is on the east bank of the Indus opposite Mohenjo-daro.

QUETTA FORT

Quetta Fort (in natives known as Quetta Qilla) is a fortress and a military garrison built by the British Empire for their strategic use. The fort is also known as Sandeman Fort. In 1876 the British permanently took control of Quetta from Khans of Killat and made Robert Sandeman political agent of British Administrated Balochistan, That's how the Quetta Fort is also known as Fort Sandeman attributed to him.[2] The fort was a part of British strategy to convert Quetta into a military town.