Great Fort Derawar: Pakistan's defensive fortress

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

There was once a time when not everyone could step into the territory lying behind the massive stone walls of the Derawar fortress in Pakistan. This fort was defended on all sides and there were only soldiers and dignitaries they were protecting. Nowadays, the ruins of the fortress are accessible to any traveler as one of the most interesting sights of these places.

There was once a time when not everyone could step into the territory lying behind the massive stone walls of the Derawar fortress in Pakistan. This fort was defended on all sides and there were only soldiers and dignitaries they were protecting. Today, the ruins of the fortress are accessible to any traveler as one of the most interesting sights of these places.

There are no soldiers in the Holistan desert for a long time, but one of the most prominent forts of the medieval world is still a private property belonging to the royal family of Abassi. This family's ancestral cemetery is also located inside.

Deravar is located at a decent distance from civilization. As a rule, tourists hire a local guide, with whom they go on a trip to these places. Anyone can enter the territory of the fortress, but in order to inspect the structures from the inside, a special permit from Emir Bahavalpur is required.

Let's take a look at this building of past civilizations …

Fort Derawar is a majestic fortress in the middle of the Holistan desert, dating back to the Middle Ages and one of the most striking and extraordinary sights of Pakistan. This large-scale fortification with majestic walls has a square layout and covers 1.5 km around the perimeter, and reaches up to 1 km in diameter. The height of this eastern citadel is simply breathtaking. The massive fortress walls towering 30 meters seem to go into the sky. The corner towers are somewhat taller than the others, which makes the appearance of the fort even more grandiose grandeur, as if emphasizing its inaccessibility. In total, Fort Deravar has 40 majestic towers that rise above the desert and seem to be some kind of special kingdom from oriental tales.

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The fort that can be seen now is not the original one. The first fortress was built during the reign of the Rajas of the Jaisalmer dynasty. The modern citadel was founded much later, in the 30s of the 18th century, already on the ruins of this earlier fortress, dating back to the pre-Muslim period. But 15 years after its construction, the Nawabs lost control over it, until 1804, when Fort Deravar returned to the possession of the Abassi clan, whose ancestor had erected the original fort. There are several ancient fortresses in the Kholistan Desert, but the Deravar Fort among them is the most impressive in its grandiose grandeur and, moreover, the best preserved one.

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Such a powerful defensive structure reliably protected the fortress and did not give the attacking troops the slightest chance of victory. The huge for those times, fortified walls of Fort Deravar closed in a tight ring around the main building and made a stunning impression on the uninvited guests.

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At the walls of the fortress there is a white marble mosque built in the 30s. 19th centuryKhan Amir, and the necropolis of the Nawabs of the Abbasi dynasty, whose family property is Fort Deravar. The mosque impresses with its graceful architecture against the background of such massive fort walls and is a striking example of typical Mughal architecture. This structure has a rectangular base and 3 domes, and each corner is decorated with a minaret.

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