Rohtas Fort

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Entrance to the Rohtas Fort

Rohtas Fort (Urdu: قلعہ روہتاس ) in Pakistan is situated approximately 3 miles west off the Grand Trunk Road from Dina, near Jhelum in Punjab, Pakistan. The model village of Khukha is about 2 miles north across the river Kahan. The fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[edit] Origins

The fort was built in 1541-43 by Sher Shah Suri to protect the area against the Gakhars, who were loyal to the Mughal ruler Humayun, to whom the fort was finally surrendered by a treacherous commander 10 years after Sher Khan's death. The fort was named after the site where Sher Khan defeated the Mughals. After the structure was abandoned by the military in the early 18th century, a village was built inside its walls. The Fort is also famous because Alexander the Great stopped through this area on his conquests.

The Himalayan Wildlife Foundation (HWF) is engaged in restoration and conservation of the Fort since 2001 and is running many projects under the name of Rohtas Fort Conservation Program.

The walls of the Rohtas Fort measure up to 12.5 meters (41 feet) in thickness and up to 18.28 meters (60 feet) in height. They extend for 4 km (2.5 miles) and feature 68 semi-circular bastions. Its sandstone gates, both massive and ornate, are thought to have exerted a profound influence on the Mughal military architecture.