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 The ancient site at Kot Diji ( sd, ڪوٽ ڏیجي; ur, کوٹ ڈیجی) was the forerunner of the Indus Civilization. The occupation of this site is attested already at 3300 BCE. The remains consist of two parts; the citadel area on high ground ...

Khairpur District Khairpur District ( sd, خيرپور ضلعو, ur, ) is a district in the Pakistani province of Sindh in Sukkur Division. At the 2017 census, it was the fifth most populated district in the province after four districts of Karachi city, with ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, about 25 miles east of the

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

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, Subcontinent that covers an area of and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. It is the world's Li ...

. The fort sits above a pre-

Harappan Civilization Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

archaeological site dating to 2500 to 2800 B.C.E.

Background

The Kot Diji Fort was built by Mir Sohrab Khan

Talpur Talpur (, bal, تالپورء اۏبادگ) is a Saraiki-speaking Baloch sub-clan of the Hoth tribe settled in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan in Pakistan. The tribe established the Talpur dynasty, which ruled between 1783 and 1843, while a bran ...

, 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 Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

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 ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

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

References

External links