RAWAT Islamabad

Rawat is a very famous village of Islamabad , it is approximately 17 km east of Rawalpindi, on the Grand Trunk (G.T) Road leading to Lahore. Rawat is well known villages of Islambad because of its beauty & its Historical Place named as RAWAT FORT.

Rawat Fort is located in Pothohar Pakistan. The fort was built in early 16th century by Gakhars, a tribe of the Pothohar plateau. It is 17 km east of Rawalpindi on Grand Trunk Road.

The fort was the scene of a battle between the Gakhar chief Sultan Sarang Khan and Sher Shah Suri in 1546 AD.

 

The fort is almost in square form and has two gates. It contains a mosque made up of three big dome shaped rooms. There is also a quadrangular building with a dome. Along the wall there are additional small rooms. In the center of the fort there are many graves. Among them is the tomb of Sultan Sarang Khan. His 16 sons, who died there fighting, are also buried inside the fort.

Mankiala stupa can be seen from the roof of the mosque as it is few kilometers from here.

 The fort was built by Gakkhars, a fiercely independent tribe of the Potohar Plateau, in early 16th century. The grave of a Gakkhar Chief, Sultan Sarang Khan is located inside the fort. He died in 1546 AD fighting against the forces of Sher Shah Suri. Rawat is a corruption of the Arabic word “Rabat” meaning Serai.

The Fort is oblong in plan, measuring 306 feet 9 inches east-west and 348 feet 9 inches north-south with semi circular bastions on the four corners and also on either side of the two gates located on east and north. On the western side of the fort, is located a mosque. The main gate is on the east. Flanking the gates and the mosque along the fortification are small cells each measuring 6 feet 9 inches. Originally, there were as many as 76 cells. In the northwest corner is located a massive tomb. The enclosure wall is crowned with merlons created it the form of pointed arch. The entire construction is in course rubble of sandstones with a sprinkling of brunt bricks. The surface of the mosque, tomb and the gateways was originally treated with lime-surkhi plaster in glaze, only traces of which exist now. The bricks have been used in arches, domes and stringcourses, which also serve as ornamental element.