Where the Kabul River pours into the Indus, armies, traders and travellers have crossed for thousands of years. In 1581 Emperor Akbar ordered a strong fort here, built under the supervision of Khwaja Shamsuddin Khawafi and finished in about two years.
The fort helped Akbar guard his empire against his half-brother Mirza Muhammad Hakim, ruler of Kabul, and controlled the Grand Trunk Road. In 1813 the Sikh army under Ranjit Singh won the Battle of Attock nearby and took control of the crossing.
Attock Fort is still in military use, so visitors cannot go inside. Its long walls are best seen from the old Attock Bridge or the riverbank.
