Kot Diji Fort

The fort was built between 1785 and 1795 for Mir Suhrab Khan Talpur, and it runs along the crest of a narrow limestone ridge for around a kilometre, its walls of fired brick following the rock so closely that from below the two read as one mass. Round bastions punctuate the circuit, the gates are set at angles to break a charge, and the whole design belongs to the last generation of pre-artillery fortification in the region. A steep ramp climbs to the entrance. Below the ridge lies something much older: the mound of Kot Diji, excavated in the 1950s, which produced a distinctive early culture now named after the site, dating to roughly 3300 to 2600 BC and preceding the mature Indus civilisation. The two sites, five thousand years apart, sit within sight of each other and are usually visited together.

History

The fort, formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, was built between 1785 and 1795 by Mir Sohrab Khan of the Talpur dynasty, on a hill at the southern end of the Rohri Hills about 25 miles east of the Indus. Its Sindhi name means "fort of the daughter" (Wikipedia, Kot Diji Fort).

The main sights

• The ridge fortress - brick walls and bastions running along the limestone crest.
• Angled gates - the defensive entrance sequence and ramp.
• The Kot Diji mound - the pre-Harappan settlement site below.
• The plain view - long sightlines over the Indus valley from the walls.

When to go

November to February; upper Sindh is punishing from March to October. Mornings are best for the climb and the light on the brickwork. The site is quiet on weekdays.

Good to know

Maintenance is limited and parts of the fort are unstable or closed. Interpretation is minimal. The archaeological mound is unmarked and looks like a bare hill to the untrained eye. The climb to the fort is steep and hot, with no shade or water on the ridge.

Nearby

Khairpur is north; Sukkur and Sadhu Belo lie further up the Indus.

Key facts