Jamrud Fort stands at the mouth of the Khyber Pass, about 18 km west of central Peshawar, beside the Bab-e-Khyber gate. It's a 19th-century Sikh fort with walls three metres thick, built in 54 days to hold the entrance to the pass, and it has been a working military post for almost 190 years. It is not open to the public; what you see today is the outside, from the road.
This guide covers who built it and why, the battle that made it famous, what happened to it after the Sikh era, and what a visitor can actually see and do there now.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Where | Beside Bab-e-Khyber, Jamrud, about 18 km west of Peshawar |
| Built | Foundation laid 18 December 1836; completed in 54 days |
| Built by | Hari Singh Nalwa, general of Ranjit Singh's Sikh Empire |
| Original name | Fatehgarh |
| Wall thickness | About 3 metres (10 feet) |
| Today | Frontier Corps garrison; closed to the public |
| UK government advice | Against all travel to Khyber district |
Why the fort was built
By 1836 the Sikh Empire had pushed its border to the mouth of the Khyber Pass, the historic route between the Peshawar valley and Afghanistan. Hari Singh Nalwa, one of Ranjit Singh's most effective generals and by then governor of the frontier, proposed a fort at Jamrud to hold that ground permanently. Work began on 18 December 1836 and the fort was finished in 54 days, with stone and brick walls about three metres thick built to withstand artillery. It was named Fatehgarh, "fort of victory", after recent Sikh successes against the frontier tribes.
The 1837 battle and Hari Singh Nalwa's death
In April 1837, with much of the Sikh army away in Lahore for a royal wedding, an Afghan force under Mohammad Akbar Khan, son of the Afghan ruler Dost Mohammad Khan, attacked the lightly held fort. Accounts describe Hari Singh Nalwa's requests for reinforcement being delayed, whether by distance or by rivalry among Sikh commanders. He was killed in the fighting on 30 April, but the garrison held the fort until Sikh reinforcements arrived and drove the Afghans back.
His death didn't cost the Sikhs the fort, and Jamrud stayed in Sikh, then British, then Pakistani hands ever since. It is one of the few frontier forts of that era still standing and still in military use.
What happened after the Sikhs
The British took control of Jamrud Fort in 1849 after defeating the Sikh Empire, and folded it into their frontier defences along with the rest of the Khyber. It saw further use during the Second Anglo-Afghan War of 1878–80, when British and Indian forces fought their way up the pass. At one point a Masonic Lodge operated inside the fort, a detail that survives mostly as a curiosity of the Raj-era garrison; it moved away after Freemasonry was banned in Pakistan in 1972.
Since independence in 1947, the fort has been held by the Pakistan Army and is now garrisoned by the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the paramilitary force responsible for the tribal districts. It remains a working post, not a monument.
What you can see today
You cannot go inside. Jamrud Fort is an active military installation, and access is restricted to the Frontier Corps. What visitors see is the outside: the walls and gate from the road, standing beside the much more modern Bab-e-Khyber gateway, which was completed in 1963 to mark the start of the pass proper.
- Don't photograph the fort's gate, the soldiers on duty, or the checkpoint. This is enforced, not just discouraged.
- Expect a brief stop only. There's no visitor facility, ticket office or tour of the interior.
- Bab-e-Khyber itself is the more photographed landmark; the fort is the older, quieter structure next to it.
For the wider picture of what lies beyond Jamrud, and whether it's currently sensible to go there, see our guide to the Khyber Pass.
Is it safe to visit right now?
Jamrud sits inside Khyber district, and as of September 2026 the UK government advises against all travel there, along with the rest of the area within 10 miles of the Afghan border. Pakistan and Afghanistan have been in open conflict since late February 2026, and the district has also seen fighting between security forces and militants this year. Pakistani visitors do still travel to Jamrud, and Bab-e-Khyber remains the practical limit for a day visit when the security posture allows it, but whether you can stop there on a given day depends on conditions that change quickly. Ask locally in Peshawar, follow what the police and Frontier Corps tell you at the checkpoint, and don't push further up the pass. If you hold a foreign passport, check your own government's advice as well as the UK's, since travelling against it can affect your travel insurance.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside Jamrud Fort?
No. It's a working Frontier Corps post and has never reopened to the public. You see it from the road, beside Bab-e-Khyber.
Who built Jamrud Fort and when?
The Sikh general Hari Singh Nalwa laid its foundation on 18 December 1836 and had it completed in 54 days. It was originally named Fatehgarh.
Why is Jamrud Fort famous?
It's known for the Battle of Jamrud in April 1837, when an Afghan force attacked while the garrison was under strength, and Hari Singh Nalwa was killed defending it. The fort itself held.
Is Jamrud Fort the same as Bab-e-Khyber?
No. Bab-e-Khyber is the ceremonial gateway completed in 1963, standing next to the much older Jamrud Fort at the mouth of the pass.
Is it safe to visit Jamrud Fort now?
The UK government advises against all travel to Khyber district as of September 2026, given the conflict on the Afghan border. Check current local advice before going, and don't plan on reaching anywhere beyond the fort and gate.
Is there an entry fee for Jamrud Fort?
No, because there's no public entry. There's nothing to buy a ticket for; you view it from outside.
