The Kot Diji Fort (; ; ''Fort of the Daughter''), formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, is an 18th-century Talpur-era fort located in the town of

Kot Diji Kot Diji (; ) is an ancient site which was part of the Indus Valley Civilization, estimated to have been occupied around 3300 BCE. Located about south of Khairpur in the modern-day province of Sindh, India, it is on the east bank of the Indus R ...

in Khairpur District,

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, about 25 miles east of the

Indus River The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans-Himalayas, Himalayan river of South Asia, South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northw ...

at the edge of the

Thar Desert The Thar Desert (), also known as the Great Indian Desert, is an arid region in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of in India and Pakistan. It is the world's 18th-largest desert, and the world's 9th-large ...

. The fort sits above a pre- Harappan Civilization archaeological site dating to 2500 to 2800 B.C.E.

Background

The Kot Diji Fort was built by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur, between 1785 and 1795. The site sits on a hill at the southern end of the Rohri Hills, and sits above a prehistoric mound of the same name, where remains of a pre- Harappan civilization have been found.

Structure

The fort sits atop a 110 foot tall high hill that rises above the city of

. The fort's 30 foot tall walls encircle the uppermost portion of the fort, resulting a narrow-width fortress with perimeter of 1.8 kilometres. The fort contains three strategically placed towers that are each 50 feet tall. The fort contains several sites for cannon placement, and contains numerous inner passages for protection. The fort also contains a water reservoir, munition storage, prison, courtroom, numerous cells for security personnel, and a small regal residence.

Conservation

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

has declared it a protected heritage site in Pakistan, though it has been noted that portions of the fort are under control of powerful local families.http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/03/12/talpur-era-kot-diji-fort-now-home-to-encroachers/, Kot Diji Fort on Pakistan Today newspaper, Published 12 March 2012, Retrieved 8 February 2017

Gallery

File:Boundry of Kot Digi Fort.jpg, A view of the forts defensive outer walls. File:Kot Deghi Fort1.JPG, The fort sits atop a natural mound. File:Kot Diji Fort by smn121-2.JPG, Entry way to the fort. File:Kot Diji Fort 2.jpg File:Kot Diji Fort - Khairpur.jpg File:Kot Diji Fort.jpg File:Kot Diji 4 by Usman Ghani.jpg File:Kot Diji Fort Khairpur Miras, Sindh.jpg

References

External links