Meeri Fort

Kalat, Pakistan, Pakistan

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Meeri Fort (also spelled Miri Fort, Miri Kalat, or Punno Fort) is an ancient archaeological site near Turbat in the Kalat region of Balochistan, Pakistan, traditionally associated with the legendary Balochi hero Purrah (Punnu) of the Sassi‑Punnu love story and considered one of the region’s oldest fortified settlements.

Archaeological estimates place its origins between roughly 5000 BC and 3000 BC, making it second only to Mehrgarh in terms of age among Balochistan’s ancient sites, and some sources describe it as an 80‑foot‑high, four‑floor structure that once functioned as a royal palace and trade center, with stone blocks reportedly quarried from Koh‑e‑Murad and transported 25 kilometers to the site.

The fort likely continued to be used into later periods, including as a residence of the Khan of Kalat before the 1935 Quetta earthquake severely damaged it and led to its partial demolition and replacement by a newer palace, and today only ruined sections remain on a high mound, with poor access roads, limited upkeep, and no major conservation program, even though the site is widely regarded as a cradle of early civilization and a symbol of Baloch history and the tragic Sassi‑Punnu tale.