Qasim Bagh Fort

Pakistan


Multan's most prominent landmark, now largely in ruins except for its gate and part of the outer walls and bastions, is Qasim Bagh Fort, near Hussain Agahi and Chowk Bazaars. In the fort is the Qasim Bagh Stadium that occasionally hosts cricket matches.

Apart from the shrines, most of the fort was destroyed by the British in 1848-49 to avenge the death of Lieutenant Alexander vans Agnew, killed in Multan by order of the Sikh governor. Agnew's memorial obelisk stands on a plinth at one of the highest points of the fort mound. Qasim Bagh, the small garden after which the fort now takes its name, and the large Qasim Bagh Stadium lie to the south. Although you can still walk most of the way around the ruined ramparts, the most impressive remains are by the main entrance from Kutchery Rd, a major hub of Multan. The British gun emplacement at the south of the mound is the place for a panoramic photograph of the town.

At one time the fort had a circumference of 2000m and was protected by 46 towers, four main gates and the Ravi River, which used to flow between the fort and old town.