Derawar Fort

Derawar Fort is an immensely colossal square fortress in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. The forty bastions of Derawar are visible for many miles in Cholistan Desert. The walls have a circumference of 1500 metres and stand up to thirty metres high.

The fort was built by Hindu Rajput, Bhati of Jaisalmer. It remained in the hands of the Rajput Bhati royal family of Jaisalmer until captured by the Nawabs of Bahawalpur in 1733. In 1747, the fort slipped from the hands of the Abbasis owing to Bahawal Khan’s preoccupations at Shikarpur. Nawab Mubarak Khan took the stronghold back in 1804.

The historic Derawar Fort, brobdingnagian and impressive structure in the heart of Cholistan desert, is rapidly crumbling and if the immediate preventative measures are not taken, the edifice will be eradicated and the historians, researchers and sightseers deprived of the view of the legacy of the bygone era. Like so many other historic sites in the country, Derawar Fort is yet another designation of old times we are poised to lose sempiternally due to the apathy of those who are responsible for its upkeep and preservation.

Derawar_Fort_at_Night

Derawar_Fort_at_Night

 

Night_View_of_Derawar_Fort

Night_View_of_Derawar_Fort