Rohtas Fort has been mostly known on this website for the large number of locals who came out in its support in the reviews, but I never had a clear image of it other than “a large fort”. On the long drive from Lahore to Peshawar via the Grand Trunk Road, I was happy to find that my tour group managed to fit in a comprehensive visit taking 2.5 hours.

First surprise is the town that has developed in its interior – I was expecting some poor people who had taken shelter in here, but this is an average Pakistani town with shops, a school, a mosque, solid houses and people owning cars. People were supposed to be resettled outside of the fort’s walls in 1992, but that never materialized and the town looks very permanent. This was already somewhat foreseen upon inscription, as on the official map the populated areas form a buffer zone within the core zone.

The places of interest for a tourist lie at the fringes of that town, close to the walls. As the place is huge, we went by bus to the first area in the South. Here lies the Sohail gate, the prettiest of the remaining exterior gates. Nearby lies the largest stepwell, with 148 steps and three impressive arches. Elephants and horses also could drink here. (photo bottom left)

We then went on to the archaeological area where we had to pay the entrance fee (500rs), got a local guide and switched our bus for an electric vehicle that would ferry us around. There are some amenities (toilets) as well and it seemed quite organized. Via the Shahchandwali Gate we entered the citadel area, which is a separate area within the fort and was reserved for the elites. Renovations of this gate have been supported by the Shell oil company in 2001-2003 and it is an impressive one. (photo top left)

Within the gate lies more emptiness (and no human habitation). Two structures stand out: the Haveli Maan Singh (photo top right) and Rani Mehal, two small Mughal palaces from a later date. They look pretty from afar but are heavily damaged by graffiti and other vandalism.

The Badshahi Mosque is still in use by visitors who happen to be “in need of a mosque”, so its condition is slightly better than that of the palaces. But here also it is hard to see “a beautiful mosque” (as per the OUV statement) in the stone structure built against the wall (photo bottom right). The tour ended with some wall climbing to reach Kabuli Gate, the most western gate of the complex.

Overall it’s an intriguing site to visit and you can spend some happy time exploring it, but it is surely not the prettiest or the best-preserved of Pakistan’s WHS.