Ali Masjid Fort علی مسجد فورٹ | |
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan | |
Type | Fort |
Site history | |
Built | 1837 |
Ali Masjid Fort (Pashto: د علي مسجد قلا; Urdu: علی مسجد فورٹ) is situated on a high location above Ali Masjid, the narrowest point of the Khyber Pass,[1] in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the north west frontier of Pakistan.[2]
Originally within Afghanistan, the fort was first constructed in 1837 under Emir Dost Muhammad Khan, and was the location for a number of conflicts between Afghan and British-led forces during the 19th century. The fort was captured by the British in 1839 during the First Anglo-Afghan War,[3] and again in November 1878 during the Second Anglo-Afghan War at the Battle of Ali Masjid.[4] In May 1879 the Khyber Pass was ceded to British control by the Treaty of Gandamak, after which the fort was within the British Raj.[5] In 1947 it became a part of Pakistan.