Photo: Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of PakistanField guides / Sindh / Khairpur / Kot Diji Archaeological Site (Diji-ji-Takri)
Field guide · Heritage
Khairpur
Khairpur District · Sindh, Pakistan
Kot Diji Archaeological Site (Diji-ji-Takri)
The ancient mound at Kot Diji, beneath the Talpur fort, that gave its name to the Kot Diji culture of the early Indus civilization.
Below the Talpur fort at Kot Diji, about 45 km south of Khairpur on the east bank of the Indus opposite Moenjodaro, lies the mound of Diji-ji-Takri. People lived here from about 3300 BCE. When F. A. Khan excavated it for Pakistan's Department of Archaeology in the 1950s, he found the early, formative stage of the Indus civilization, and the culture he uncovered is now known after this site: the Kot Diji culture. The remains have two parts, a citadel on high ground about 12 metres up and the town around it.
Why go
- ✦The type site of the Kot Diji culture, from about 3300 BCE
- ✦Excavated by F. A. Khan in the 1950s
- ✦Beneath the Talpur fort of Kot Diji
Visiting today
The site is protected under the Antiquities Act, 1975. Pair it with the fort above it and the Indus cities across the river for a day in the deep past of Sindh.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, November to February, when Upper Sindh is cool; visit Kot Diji Fort the same day.
Getting there, At Kot Diji, about 45 km south of Khairpur, beneath Kot Diji Fort at the foot of the Rohri Hills.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Kot Diji Archaeological Site (Diji-ji-Takri), within 5 km.
