Kot Diji Fort
{{Short description|Historic fortification in Sindh}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Kot Diji Fort
| native_name = {{hlist|{{Small|{{Naskh|ڪوٽ ڏيجي جو قلعو}}}}}}
| native_language = Sd
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| image = Kot_Diji_Fort_by_smn-.JPG
| caption =Kot Diji Fort is located on a hill above the town of Kot Diji.
| type =
| locmapin = Sindh#Pakistan
| coordinates ={{coord|27.3450794|68.7062835|display=inline,title}}
| etymology =
| location = Rohri Hills, Sindh
| nearest_city = Kot Diji, Pakistan.
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| beginning_date = 1785
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| built = 1795 C.E.
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}}{{For|other places with similar names|Ahmadabad (disambiguation){{!}}Kot Diji Fort}}The Kot Diji Fort ({{Langx|ur|{{nq|کوٹ ڈیجی قلعہ}}}}; {{Langx|sd|ڪوٽ ڏيجي جو قلعو}}; Fort of the Daughter), formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, is an 18th-century Talpur-era 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 Thar Desert. The fort sits above a pre-Harappan Civilization archaeological site dating to 2500 to 2800 B.C.E.{{cite book|last1=Rengel|first1=Marian|title=Pakistan: A Primary Source Cultural Guide|date=2004|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=9780823940011|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/pakistanprimarys00reng}}
Background
The Kot Diji Fort was built by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur,{{cite news|title=Discovering Sindh|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/826576/discovering-sindh/|access-date=5 March 2017|agency=Tribune|date=24 January 2015}} between 1785 and 1795.{{cite news|last1=Khan|first1=Shameen|title=Kot Diji Fort: A symbol of the Talpur dynasty|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1177325|access-date=5 March 2017|agency=Dawn|date=30 April 2015}} 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.{{cite book|last1=Ahmed|first1=Mukhtar|title=Ancient Pakistan - an Archaeological History|date=2014|publisher=Amazon|isbn=9781495966439|pages=480}}
Structure
The fort sits atop a 110 foot tall high hill that rises above the city of Kot Diji. 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.{{cite web|last1=Baig|first1=Saima|title=A walk on Kot Diji Fort|date=20 February 2017 |url=http://nation.com.pk/blogs/20-Feb-2017/a-walk-on-kot-diji-fort|publisher=The Nation|access-date=5 March 2017}} 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 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
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat|Kot Diji Fort}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20161025032448/http://www.travelntourism.org/pakistan/wonders-interior-architecture-pakistan.html/attachment/shahi-mahal-kot-diji-fort-khairpur-sindh-pakistan Kot Diji (Interior Architecture )]
- [https://www.britannica.com/place/Kot-Diji Kot Diji]
{{Cultural heritage sites in Sindh |state=expanded}}{{Castles in Pakistan}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kot Diji Fort}}
Category:Tourist attractions in Sindh