Ranikot fort: The great wall of Sindh

The ancient fort of Ranikot lies a few kilometers from Sindh. It’s also aptly known as the” Deware-Sindh” (The great wall of Sindh). With a circumference of nearly  26 kilometers, it’s the largest fort in the world.

“The size of Ranikot defies all reasons. It stands in the middle of nowhere, defending nothing,” writes Isobel Shaw.

This mammoth fort (about 21 Km from San on the Indus highway) is supposed to be the largest fort in the world. And a UNESCO Heritage site. Around four and half hours drive from Karachi. It’s an absolute must-see for heritage/history/archeology.

Rising out of the desert, this mysterious fort is undoubtedly one of the most majestic sights I have seen.

It has been rumored to be around since Alexander the Great’s armies crossed over. The Scythians. the Persians. The Mughals. The Talpurs and eventually the British. Just bout everyone who has been here has occupied this fort.

We wanted to explore the inner sanctums and fortresses inside the main wall where these people lived, but the lack of 4-wheel drive transport and the sizzling heat dissuaded us.

The place is miles in the middle of nowhere without any cell phone coverage.

The fort includes a freshwater spring, its primary source of fresh water. During the rainy season, the little waterway becomes a raging torrent

However, another school of thought maintains that the fort was first built in 1807 by the ruling Talpur elite, who intended to use it as a mountain redoubt of last resort if and when attacked.

This version of history gains credence because there is no mention of such a fort in historical texts. Not even the Mughal historians mentioned this fort when their mighty armies were in Sindh around the area of modern-day Sann near where this fort was supposed to have existed for millennia.

Though broken and potholed in places, the road to the fort is an interesting experience. Apart from the odd beggar or two sitting motionless on the roadside, one comes across the ‘ships of the desert placidly going their way.

Most of the fort is still unexplored, and I plan to return. There is an element of danger since there is no mobile communication, and it was rumored that bandits once lurked in those areas. We generally take no facilities for granted, such as communications, restrooms etc. This place pretty much throws one back a thousand years.

However, it’s one of the best places for roughing it out that I have ever seen and barely a few hour’s trips from Karachi.