Interesting things about the Fort at Kot Diji, Pakistan

 

The Kot Diji Fort, formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, is an 18th-century Talpur-era fort located in the town of Kot Diji in Khairpur District, Pakistan

     

          Five things

          Shape: 

Building forts that cling to steep cliffs isn't uncommon but it is taken to an extreme in Kot Diji where the width of the fort becomes extremely narrow resulting in its very peculiar shape. But this is the shape that makes it unique.

       

Ancient settlements:

Mounds located in the area around the fort have given artifacts from the Harappan civilization. It is estimated that the location of Kot Diji might have human settlements dating as far back as 2800 BCE. 
The fact that the site is *SO* old is mind-boggling

 

Lions:

The Indus river plains were home to a much wider range of flora and fauna not too long ago.One example of this is the Asiatic lion, the last of which (in Pakistan at-least) was killed at Kot Diji in 1842.

      

 Palaces:

The current fort at Kot Diji was constructed by Mir Sohrab Khan Talpur in 1785. But aside from the fort. the Talpur dynasty would also build a large number of palaces in Kot Diji which are extremely beautiful.

Design of Loopholes:

 Loopholes are gaps in the walls which provide a protected spot for someone from inside the fort to shoot from.Unlike most loopholes, the loopholes in many forts in Sindh but especially at Kot Diji are extremely long.The gun probably couldn't be placed to make full use of the length of the loophole.Some have also suggested that such cuts in the wall might have made the structure more stable.