Kharphocho Fort

Skardu, Pakistan

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Kharphocho Fort, also called Skardu Fort and locally known as Kharpocho (meaning either “King of Forts” or “Fort of the Grandfather” in Balti), is a historic hilltop fortress in Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, situated about 40–47 meters above the town near the junction of the Indus and Shigar rivers and overlooking the famous Rock of Skardu and the valley.

The fort was originally established by Maqpoon Bokha in the late 14th to early 15th century and was substantially rebuilt and expanded in 1490–1505 by Ali Sher Khan Anchan of the Maqpoon dynasty, after which Skardu’s capital was moved to Kharpocho and the fort served as the dynasty’s seat until the 18th century.

Its strategic position as a military stronghold and lookout was enhanced by very thick (about 1.5 m) walls with battlements, firing niches, barracks, a courtyard with a water pond, and a surviving two-level mosque called Panjtan Mosque with carved windows and doors, and the complex is divided into an upper residential area for the raja and guests and a lower level for soldiers.

In later centuries the fort was occupied by the Dogras in the 19th century, and during the 1947–1948 Indo-Pak conflict it was besieged by Pakistani forces (Ibex Force and Chitral Scouts) and surrendered by the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces on 14 August 1948 before being taken by local forces with Gilgit Scouts. Today, Kharphocho Fort is a major historical and tourist site in Skardu, offering panoramic views of the city, the Indus River, and surrounding mountains, and it is accessible by a short walk or path from the main market, with a small entry fee for visitors.