| Bala Hissar Fort | |
|---|---|
قلعہ بالاحصار | |
 | |
  Location within Pakistan | |
| Former names | Samīr Gaṛh |
| General information | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Location | Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Completed | 1849 |
| Demolished | 1823 |
| Owner |
|
Bala Hissar (Pashto/Urdu/Hindko: قلعه بالاحصار), also spelt Bala Hisar, is an historic fortress located in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. First mentioned by 7th-century explorer Xuanzang, the fort was used as a royal residence for the Durrani Empire since 1747, when the Afghan king, Ahmad Shah Durrani, conquered Peshawar. The Marathas briefly occupied it after capturing Peshawar in 1758 but it was soon retaken by the Afghans. The Sikhs destroyed and reconstructed the fort after capturing Peshawar in March 1823. In 1849, the British East India Company reconstructed the fort's outer walls.
The fort now serves as headquarters for Pakistan's Frontier Corps.[1]
- ^ PESHAWAR: Why keep Balahisar Fort hidden? By Sadia Qasim Shah 15 January 2008 Tuesday . DAWN. Retrieved 01/15/08