Written by: Muhammad Asif Nawaz
Posted on: April 14, 2025 | 
| 中文
Kharpocho Fort from afar
The land of Gilgit-Baltistan is scattered with an assortment of forts, thanks to the various kingdoms that historically dotted the area. Some of these forts are better known than the others and have established their standing as tourist havens. The Altit and Baltit forts in Hunza, the Shigar Fort and the Khaplu Palace Fort in Baltistan are the most prominent of these, partly because of the commendable restoration efforts and partly because of their conversion into resorts and restaurants. Then there is a list of forts that are better found in history books than in reality. The list of these unfortunate, dilapidated forts include the Chilas Fort (in use by the government, but the present state has got nothing to do with its past glory), the Gupis Fort, the Gahkuch Fort, the Modori Fort, the Nagar Fort and the Dorkhand Fort, to name a few. These are usually off the routine tourist map and suffer from an unholy blend of neglect and age. Between these two extremes, arguably, stands a fort overlooking the city of Skardu, bridging the conditions of the forts of Gilgit Baltistan. It isn’t quite a delight as there remains quite little of the original structure, but its notability remains unchallenged because of its astounding location. From quite a few places in the city of Skardu, you can see the name of the fort shining high on a mountain: Kharpocho Fort.
Outer wall of the Fort
Also known as the Skardu Fort, Kharpocho means the King of Forts in the Balti language. It is usually claimed that it was built in the 16th century by King Ali Sher Khan Anchan, who belonged to the Maqpon dynasty. The Balti royal house of Maqpon ruled over the area for about 700 years. Historical records ascertain that the Maqpon dynasty was founded in the region after the Tibetan influence waned in the region, and Ali Sher Khan Anchan remains one of the most popular rulers of the dynasty. He is usually credited with most of the achievements of the dynasty, even if some historians beg to differ and claim (to little effect) that the fort was, in fact, built by his grandfather, Maqpon Bokha, and further consolidated during Khan’s reign. Ali Sher Khan Anchan’s glory also lies in the fact that he expanded the borders of his kingdom from Gilgit to Ladakh.
An aerial view of the Fort
The fort, strategically located, has lent itself to military use during various conflicts since it overlooks the entire area. However, the Maqpon dynasty met its end at the hands of the Dogra attack in the 19th century. The Dogra general Zorawar Khan razed most of the fort to the ground in the 1840s. The attackers added their own structures to the area, and that is how it continued till 1948 - when the Kashmir war made it a de facto part of Pakistan.
Kharpocho Fort's entrance
Access to the Kharpocho Fort today is troublesome. Located at a height of about 40 meters from the city, the ascent is steep and rocky even though the track recently built by the Skardu Development Authority has improved things. Entering through the tiny, medieval door, and with a nominally priced entry ticket, the fort presents itself in fragmented layers. The walls of the fort still stand guard against potential invaders, but much of the rest has given way. Remnants of various structures are spread throughout the area, but it is difficult to place them. The mosque remains among the better-preserved structures in the compound. The massive stones and gravel act as the reminders of the infallible past of the fort. There is quite a lot that has been lost during the centuries of this fort’s timeline. The roaring lion head at the entrance of the fort (due to which it was also called the Lion Fort) is nowhere to be seen. The architectural design of the fort in various layers, with specific rooms for the royals, soldiers, criminals and prisoners, is long gone. The tunnels that are said to have connected the fort with the town cannot be found anymore, and the Hilal Bagh, said to have been in front of the fort, is now only a calculated guess. It is difficult to reconcile those ponds and waterways once existed in this parched, elevated piece of land. But the legends remain, and the most persistent legend about the fort still stands: that it was built by the giants. Given its location and the magnitude of construction, perhaps it is just as well.
The Mosque in the Fort
Italian photographer, anthropologist, mountaineer and writer Fosco Maraini described the fort as, “This ancient pile is perched like a veritable eerie on the rock of tawny hue rising sheer and to the immense height from the Indus. It is almost an island amid the plain, and its choice as a perch for a fortress by the early inhabitants of the valley is not a very puzzling one. The place enjoys the reputation of impregnability, and is the symbol of the devoted people of Ati Balti (local people of Baltistan), Yol’s blood love, and excellent culture.”
Indus from the top of the Fort
As a tourist today, even if little remains of the fort itself, the visit is duly cherished owing to the location of the fort. Manned in the distance by the intimidating peaks of the Karakoram, the fort stands above the junction of the Shigar and Indus rivers below. This enchanting sight is complemented by the bird’s-eye view of the city of Skardu the fort offers on the other side. Once inside the fort, one cannot remain immune to the spell of history and geography. The Kharpocho Fort allures the tourist to delve deeper into the complex, layered history of Gilgit Baltistan. One only hopes that due efforts are undertaken to restore most of it to keep for our future generations.
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