Attock Fort
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Pakistani English Template:Infobox historic site Attock Fort (Urdu, Template:Langx) is a 16th century fortress in Punjab, Pakistan. It was built at Attock Khurd during the reign of Akbar from 1581 to 1583 under the supervision of Khawaja Shamsuddin to protect the passage of the River Indus.[1]
Location
It is sandwiched between Peshawar Road on one side and the River Indus on the other.[2] It is located at a distance of 80km from the capital city of Islamabad. As it is a military base, visitors are not allowed inside the fort.[1]
History
The fort was constructed in 1581 on the orders of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Construction was completed in two years after which the fort was used as a key defense line against the Afghan invaders. The fort was captured in 1758 by the Marathas under Tukojirao Holkar and Sabaji Shinde Sidhojiraje. Ahmad Shah, the Durrani ruler, captured Attock and halted the Maratha advance in the north after the battle of Panipat in 1761. It was later conquered from the Afghans by the Sikh Empire under Mokham Chand following the battle of Attock in 1813.[1] In the 1830s, the Sikhs strengthened the fort by constructing 'very high and massy bastions' at each gate.[3] The British took over the fort in 1849, following the annexation of Punjab.[4] After the Partition of India, Pakistan Army took control of the fort.[5] It became headquarters of the 7th division of Pakistan Army.[5] In 1956, the fort was handed over to the Special Services Group (SSG), a special operations force of the Pak Army.[5] Today the fort remains in control of the SSG.[5]
Features
The fort consists of 4 gates and its perimeter wall is 1600m long. The gates are named the Delhi gate, Lahori Gate, Kabuli Gate and Mori Gate.[5]
See also
- List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan
- List of forts in Pakistan
- List of museums in Pakistan
References
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Template:Cultural heritage sites in PakistanTemplate:Castles in Pakistan