Naukot Fort - Gateway to Tharparkar

Naukot Fort - Gateway to Tharparkar

Naukot town lies at the edge of the Tharparkar desert, some 153 km from HYderabad and after 3 km on the road to Mithi an amazing huge fort attracts the eye. It was believed to be constructed by Mir Karam Ali Khan in 1814 inspired by the architecture of Umarkot Fort.

The fort has two section the entrance of the area is 113 x 98 m build from burnt bricks in mud mortar and another square open area on southern side of 15 x 13 meter has in it the only entrance and narrow access which is approached through a crooked passage farmed by two heavy and semi-circular bastions. The bastion close to the doorway, and making a part of the squarish construction, is about 9.5m high with a diameter of about 42m at the base.

Previously, it houses many canons but at present only two cannons facing Jaisalmer the "Golden City of India". It is believed that Chaukhandi Tombs in Malir, Karachi and many other Tombs in Sindh and Baluchistan was built by the artisans of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India.

An open area is newly renovated and garden is under construction at the Fort site, one can witness folksingers on one side of the ground.  

The arched entrance is around 7m in height and about 4m in width. The approach to the interior of the fort is through causeway type hall and room, which make part of the swuarish construction, itself a fortress.

The fort has nine semi-circular bastions, two of them guarding the main entrance, four at the corners and one each in the middle of the northern, southern and western walls.

A 4m wide wall runs on the four sides of the fort. It has two burnt-brick stairs to climb the wall top, from the interior of the fort. Inside the fort there are a few remains of rooms etc., which may go to suggest that these were the residential quarters. A small construction like a dungeon could have been the barood khana, or the place to store ammunition.