Ranikot Fort
On Pakistan'S UNESCO Tentative List; Walls Some 30 Kilometres Round, Often Called The Great Wall Of Sindh And Among The Largest Forts In The World · Sann, Sindh
Ranikot is often called the Great Wall of Sindh, and it is claimed to be among the largest forts in the world: a ring of stone walls some thirty kilometres round, snaking over the bare ridges of the Kirthar hills west of the Indus. Nobody knows for certain who first built it or why. Theories run from the Sassanians and the early Arabs to local rulers, but most of what stands is the work of the Talpur Mirs of Sindh in the early nineteenth century. Visitors enter through the Sann Gate, where a stream runs through the walls, and follow a rough track inside to Miri, an inner fort with ruined residences, and to Shergarh, a small fort on a high peak with views over the whole circuit. Walking a stretch of the walls along the ridge line gives the scale, and on most days there is nobody else in sight. There are no facilities, the track is bad and the heat in summer is fierce. It is a trip for people who like remote ruins, best as a day out from Hyderabad or Karachi in winter, or with a night camping inside the walls.
Kirthar hills, reached from Sann on the Indus Highway, Jamshoro District, Sann, Sindh, Pakistan
Open at all times with no formal gate beyond a checkpoint; a small fee may be collected. The fort is about 30 kilometres off the Indus Highway from Sann on a rough track, roughly two hours from Hyderabad and four from Karachi. A high-clearance vehicle helps inside. There are no facilities; carry water and food. Foreigners may be given a police escort.