Rohtas Fort

Near Jhelum, Punjab, Pakistan

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Rohtas Fort, near Jhelum in Punjab, is a colossal 16th-century fortress that looms large in the story of South Asia’s military and architectural heritage. Commissioned by Sher Shah Suri in 1541, it was built to suppress the rebellious Gakhar tribes and to block the return of the exiled Mughal emperor Humayun.

Perched strategically on a hill in the Tilla Jogian range, the fort overlooks the confluence of the Kahan River and a seasonal stream, commanding both the terrain and the trade routes. Covering about 70 hectares, Rohtas Fort is encircled by 4 kilometers of massive sandstone walls punctuated by 68 bastions and 12 monumental gates.

Each gate has its own story—like the Sohail Gate, named after a local saint and famed for its exquisite masonry, or the Shishi Gate, adorned with some of the earliest examples of glazed tilework in the region. Inside, the fort once housed royal quarters, mosques, stepwells, and barracks for up to 30,000 troops.

Though it never saw battle, its sheer scale and design—blending Pashtun and Hindu architectural elements—make it a masterpiece of Indo-Islamic military architecture. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 for its cultural and historical significance.