Skardu Fort

Skardu Fort or Kharpocho (Balti: کھر فچو; Urdu: قلعہ سکردو), meaning The king of Forts, is a fort in Skardu in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. The fort mainly served as a military stronghold and strategic lookout. Australian mountaineer and film maker Greg Child writes that the fort is "perched above the junction of the rivers" and overlooks the Rock of Skardu.^[1]

Kharpocho Fort قلعہ کھرپوچو
A view of fort from the foot of Mont Kharpocho
Location	Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan
Coordinates	35°18′15″N 75°38′22″E
Built	16th Century CE
Location of Kharpocho Fort قلعہ کھرپوچو in Gilgit Baltistan Show map of Gilgit Baltistan Skardu Fort (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan

Dogra fort in 1850

History

The fort was built by king Ali Sher Khan Anchan at the end of the sixteenth century.^[2]

The fort remained capital of Maqpoon dynasty till fall of the Maqpoon Monacrch Ahmad Shah in the hands of Dogras in 18th century.^[3]

During his invasion of Baltistan in 1840, the Dogra general Zorawar Singh stormed it and razed it to the ground.^[4][5]

The fort remains in a state of disrepair, with no visible maintenance efforts. However, the access path has recently been made safer through the installation of metal railings. The fort remains open to public with no entry fee.

Dogra Fort

Zorawar Singh had another fort built on level ground next to the Kharpocho hill. The fort remained till the First Kashmir War in 1947, when the Gilgit Scouts laid a siege to it fighting against the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces under the command of Lt. Col. Sher Jung Thapa. Thapa eventually surrendered after running out of rations.^[6][7][8]

See also

• List of forts in Pakistan
• List of museums in Pakistan

Gallery

• 
  Kharpocho fort
• 
  Entrance to the Skardu Fort
• 
  The ancient mosque at the fort
• 
  A 1924 photo of the Mosque in Skardu Fort
• 
  Skardu town seen from Skardu Fort
• 
  Indus River seen from Skardu Fort
• 
  Skardu fort ruin.
• 
  Skardu fort ruin.