Red Fort Muzaffarabad

Muzaffarabad, Pakistan

---

Red Fort, also called Muzaffarabad Fort or locally “Rutta Qila,” is a historic 16th–17th century fort located in the center of Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

Construction began in 1559 under the Chak dynasty of Kashmir as a defensive structure against the Mughals, and the fort was finally completed in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, the founder of Muzaffarabad, who gave it its final form. The fort sits on a strategic bend of the Neelum River, which wraps around it on three sides, enhancing its natural defensive advantage. 

After the Mughal annexation of Kashmir in 1587, its importance declined, but it was later rebuilt, extended, and strengthened in the 19th century by the Dogra rulers of Jammu and Kashmir, especially Maharaja Gulab Singh and his successor Maharaja Ranbir Singh, who added much of the architecture still visible today. The fort remained in active military use under Dogra administration until the mid-20th century, after which it was abandoned and later came under the control of the Department of Tourism and Archaeology of the Government of Azad Kashmir.

Its red-brick construction, thick defensive walls, bastions, and watchtowers reflect a blend of Mughal, Persian, and local Kashmiri styles, and an eclectic small museum and a tourist resthouse have been added nearby to support visitors. Although the fort has been damaged by earthquakes and changed over centuries, it remains one of the most important examples of defensive architecture in the Kashmir region and a key heritage landmark in Muzaffarabad.