Attock Fort, Military fort in Attock Khurd, Pakistan.
Attock Fort is a fortified military compound in Attock Khurd, northern Pakistan, perched on a rocky ridge above the Indus. The complex spans both banks and includes thick stone walls, polygonal bastions at each corner, and several inner courtyards that step up the hillside in terraces.
Emperor Akbar ordered the fort built in 1580 to control the northern frontier of his empire and secure the main river crossing between Kabul and Lahore. Later rulers added bastions and reinforced the outer walls, while the compound passed under British administration in the 19th century and then to the Pakistan Army in the 20th.
The name derives from a Sanskrit word meaning obstacle or barrier, referring to the rocky narrows of the Indus. Soldiers patrol the inner courtyards while heavy gates and carved entrances link the different sections together.
Certain areas remain open to visitors, but military zones are off-limits and guarded by armed personnel. Guests should seek permission in advance and arrive in the morning when lighting is better and patrol activity is lower.
Beneath the main courtyards run narrow tunnels linking watchtowers and once used as escape routes and supply lines. These passages still hold niches for oil lamps and small chambers that stored ammunition and provisions.
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