Field guides / Balochistan / Fort wall of Jhalawar
Field guide · Heritage
Fort wall of Jhalawar
The ancient remains at Jhalawar Pass are situated at a distance of about 80 km south-west of Kharan town.
A Kachha track of poor condition leads up to Jhalawar, which is actually a mountain pass. At the mouth of the pass a small fort of burnt bricks was built by Sardar Amir Azad Khan about 100 years ago. It is actually a fortification wall of about 83 m length running in north-south direction. It`s both ends are joining with mountain foot, west of which (wall) is lying considerably open space between the mountain cliff and the fort wall. In the wall some chambers with vaulted roof were built, which at present are almost in a ruinous contrition. There are three rounded shaped bastions in the wall, one over the entrance, one almost in the center and the third one is in the northern portion of the wall.
Why go
- ✦A fortification wall 83 metres long, closing a mountain pass
- ✦Both ends run into the foot of the mountain
- ✦Three rounded bastions along its length
- ✦Vaulted chambers built into the wall itself
- ✦Raised by Sardar Amir Azad Khan about a century ago
History
It was built about a century ago by Sardar Amir Azad Khan, of the same Nosherwani family that ruled the Kharan chiefship and raised Nauroze Fort. Chambers with vaulted roofs were built into the thickness of the wall; they are now almost entirely ruined.
Historical Significance
A clear surviving example of how passes were controlled in western Balochistan — the mountain does most of the work and the wall closes the gap.
Architecture
It is really a fortification wall, some 83 metres long and running north to south, with both ends carried into the foot of the mountain and a considerable open space left between the cliff and the wall on the west.
Why Visit
Walk the 83 metres end to end and find the three bastions. The approach is an unmetalled track in poor condition.
Interesting Facts
- The wall runs 83 metres and simply plugs a gap between mountain slopes
- Three rounded bastions stand along it, one over the entrance
- Vaulted chambers were built inside the wall itself
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, November to February. Kharan is desert and summer temperatures are extreme.
Getting there, Kharan district in western Balochistan. Nauroze Fort lies about 32 km north-east of Kharan town, roughly 1.5 km east of the Nushki–Kharan road across the Buddo stream. Jhalawar is about 80 km south-west of the town, reached by unmetalled track in poor condition — a high-clearance vehicle and a local driver are essential.
Allow, An hour at Nauroze Fort; a half day for Jhalawar including the approach.
What to Do
Make Fort wall of Jhalawar Part of a Trip
GreenPak resorts within reach, and the journeys that travel this region.
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Fort wall of Jhalawar, within 30 km.
Nothing else genuinely close by (within 30 km of Fort wall of Jhalawar) is published yet.