Country

Castles in Pakistan

31 landmarks in the Castle Map atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 29 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Pakistan is Lahore Fort, ranked #217 of 9,079 in the world — followed by Rohtas Fort and Ranikot Fort.

The Castle Map atlas charts 25 fortresses, 3 palaces & châteaux and 3 ruins in Pakistan. They span more than 23 centuries — from Ranikot Fort (founded 450 BC) to Shagai Fort (1927). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Pakistan.

Map of castles in Pakistan

On the map they cluster thickest around Rawalpindi — 9 within a 100 km day trip. The northernmost is Baltit Fort, the southernmost Naukot Fort — about 1,370 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Rawalpindi.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 31 landmarks mapped in Pakistan, 29 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 15th century — 4 of them. 13 predate 1500 and 9 were built after 1700.

All 31 castles in Pakistan

Lahore Fort
Fortress · 12th century · #217 worldwide · #1 in Pakistan
The Lahore Fort is a citadel in the walled interior of Lahore in Punjab, Pakistan.
Rohtas Fort
Fortress · 16th century · #2 in Pakistan
Rohtas Fort is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province, Pakistan.
Ranikot Fort
Fortress · 5th century BC · #3 in Pakistan
Ranikot Fort, also known as the Great Wall of Sindh, is a is a Gupta-era fort near Sann in Jamshoro District, Sindh, Pakistan.
Derawar Fort
Fortress · 9th century · #4 in Pakistan
Derawar Fort is a fortress located in the Cholistan Desert of Punjab, Pakistan, specifically within the Yazman Tehsil of the Bahawalpur District.
Noor Mahal
Palace & château · 19th century · #5 in Pakistan
The Noor Mahal is a historic royal palace located in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.
Bala Hisar Fort
Fortress · 7th century · #6 in Pakistan
Bala Hissar, also spelt Bala Hisar, is a historic fortress located in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Baltit Fort
Fortress · 8th century · #7 in Pakistan
Baltit Fort is a palatial fort in the Hunza Valley, near the town of Karimabad, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan.
Attock Fort
Fortress · 16th century · #8 in Pakistan
Attock Fort is a 16th-century fortress in Punjab, Pakistan. It was built at Attock Khurd during the reign of Akbar from 1581 to 1583 under the…
Khaplu Palace
Palace & château · 19th century · #9 in Pakistan
Khaplu Palace, locally known as Yabgo Khar, is an old fort and palace located in Khaplu, a city in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
Jamrud Fort
Fortress · 19th century · #10 in Pakistan
The Jamrud Fort, also known as Fatehgarh Fort, is located beside Bab-e-Khyber at the eastern entrance to the Khyber Pass from Peshawar, in the Khyber…
Umarkot Fort
Fortress · 11th century · #11 in Pakistan
Umarkot Fort, also called Amarkot, is a fort in Umerkot, Sindh, Pakistan, built in the Rajput style of architecture.
Skardu Fort
Ruin · 16th century · #12 in Pakistan
Skardu Fort or Kharpocho is a fort in Skardu in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
Altit Fort
Fortress · #13 in Pakistan
Altit Fort is an ancient fort in the Altit town in the Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
Ramkot Fort
Fortress · 5th century · #14 in Pakistan
Ramkot Fort is a medieval fort in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. The fort is accessible via three routes from Dina, Dadyal, and Mirpur, with 440…
Darbar Mahal
Palace & château · 20th century · #15 in Pakistan
Darbar Mahal is a palace in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It was built to hold courtly events and government offices of the former princely state of…
Baghsar Fort
Fortress · 15th century · #16 in Pakistan
Baghsar Fort is an ancient fort built in Samahni Valley near Bhimber, Pakistan, close to a place known as Baghsar.
Rawat Fort
Fortress · 15th century · #17 in Pakistan
Rawat Fort, also known as Sarai Rawat, is an early 15th century fortified caravanserai on the Pothohar Plateau, near the city of Rawalpindi in the…
Sialkot Fort
Ruin · 2nd century · #18 in Pakistan
Sialkot Fort is an ancient fort in ruins in the Sialkot district of Pakistan.
Kot Diji Fort
Fortress · 18th century · #19 in Pakistan
Kot Diji Fort, formally known as Fort Ahmadabad, is an 18th-century Talpur-era citadel located in the town of Kot Diji in Khairpur District, Sindh,…
Pacco Qillo
Fortress · 18th century · #20 in Pakistan
Pakko Qillo is a fort in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. It was built in the 18th century, and served as a strategic military base and played a crucial…
Bukkur
Fortress · #21 in Pakistan
Bukkur, Bakhar or Bhakkar is a historical city and an Island fort situated between Rohri and Sukkur in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
Naukot Fort
Fortress · 19th century · #22 in Pakistan
Naukot Fort, built by Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur in 1814, is a historic fortification located in Mithi Taluqa, Tharparkar District, Sindh.
Pharwala Fort
Fortress · 15th century · #23 in Pakistan
Pharwala Fort is a 15th-century fort located near Kahuta Tehsil, about 40 km from Rawalpindi in Punjab, Pakistan.
Shigar Fort
Fortress · 17th century · #24 in Pakistan
The Shigar Palace, also known as Fong Khar, is an old palace located in the town of Shigar, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.
Muzaffarabad Fort
Fortress · 16th century · #25 in Pakistan
Red Fort, also known as Muzaffarabad Fort, is a 16th-century fortification located in Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan Administered…
Sangni Fort
Fortress · 17th century · #26 in Pakistan
Sangni Fort is an early 17th century Mughal-era fortress located near the Takal village in Kallar Syedan Tehsil, Rawalpindi District, in Punjab,…
Chitral Fort
Fortress · 18th century · #27 in Pakistan
The Chitral Fort, also known as Chitral Palace, is a fortified palace in Chitral town, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Nandana Fort
Ruin · 10th century · #28 in Pakistan
Nandana is a ruined fortified settlement originally built by the Odi Shahi dynasty on the eastern flanks of the Salt Range in Punjab, Pakistan.
Throchi Fort
Fortress · 15th century · #29 in Pakistan
Throchi Fort is a historical fort in Throchi village, Choroi Tehsil of Kotli district in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Sheikhupura Fort
Fortress · 17th century · #30 in Pakistan
Sheikhupura Fort is a 17th-century Mughal-era fort near the city of Sheikhupura in Punjab, Pakistan.
Shagai Fort
Fortress · 20th century · #31 in Pakistan
Shagai Fort is a fort located 13 kilometres from Jamrud in Khyber District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Pakistan?

The Castle Map atlas maps 31 landmarks (25 fortresses · 3 palaces & châteaux · 3 ruins) in Pakistan — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Pakistan?

Lahore Fort, ranked #217 of 9,079 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 12th century.

What is the oldest castle in Pakistan?

The oldest dated landmark in the atlas in Pakistan is Ranikot Fort, founded 450 BC. Earlier structures may have existed — this is the oldest with a documented founding year.

Where are most of the castles in Pakistan?

They cluster thickest around Rawalpindi — 9 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km.

Which castles in Pakistan are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Per Wikidata, 2 of the mapped landmarks hold a UNESCO World Heritage designation — inscribed in their own right or as part of an inscribed ensemble: Lahore Fort, Rohtas Fort.