Rohtas Fort - UNESCO World Heritage Site

over 4 years ago (Edited)

Rohtas Fort is a 16th-century garrison fort built by the great Afghan king Sher Shah Suri and is located near Jehlum city in the province of Punjab. The fort was also designed to suppress the local Gakhar tribes of Potohar region.The Gakhar tribes were allies of the Mughal Empire and refused to recognize the Sher Shah Suri as a ruler. Rohtas fort lies on the old Grand Trunk Road and it could block the way of attackers from Peshawar to Lahore. Rohtas Fort was never stormed by force. UNESCO designated Qila Rohtas a World Heritage Site in 1997 for being an exceptional example of the Muslim military architecture of Central and South Asia.

Rohtas Fort covers an area of 4 kilometres of walls, 68 towers, and 12 gates. The fort roughly forms an irregularly shaped triangle. The large fort could hold a force of up to 30,000 men. The height of the outer wall varies between 10 and 18 metres, with a thickness that varies between 10 and 13 metres. The walls have up to 3 terraces located at different levels. Each level was connected to the other by way of a staircase.

Royal mosque - This small mosque known as Shahi masjid is near the Kabuli gate. It has a prayer chamber and a small courtyard. To be ever ready in case of attack, stairs lead directly from the courtyard of this mosque to the top of Kabuli Gate. The prayer chamber is 19.2 meter long and 7.3 meter deep. There are domes from the inside but from the outside no domes can be seen. On the outer wall of the mosque are beautiful round designs in which Islamic verses are written in Naqsh script.

Haveli Man Singh - Raja Man Singh general of Akbar, built the structure sometime between 1550 and 1614. A two-story building constructed with bricks and plastered neatly, the structure architecturally bears no resemblance to the Qila Rohtas. Unlike Qila Rohtas, an example of Afghan architecture, Haveli Man Singh depicts an example of Hindu architecture.

Rani Mahal The Rani Mahal (Queens palace) is near Haveli Man Singh. It is a one-storey structure. It originally had four rooms but only room remains standing today. The foundation of the four rooms can still be seen today. The room still standing today is about 20 feet high. The roof of the dome like room is like a flower.

Stepwells There are 3 Baolis in the fort. These were made by cutting deep into the lime rock.This is used to take their horses to drink water. There are 135 steps.

Qila Rohtas is a must visit place and there is still a village within the fort.Whenever you visit this fort a professional guide is always available there. Though this fort's approach is not easy but a lot of visitors come here to enjoy this majestic heritage of Muslim rulers. There is also a small museum inside the fort.