Rohtas Fort or Rotas Ghur (Punjabi, ; Qila Rohtas) is a 16th-century fortress located near the city of Dina in Jhelum district of the Punjab province of Pakistan. An Afghan general, Sher Shah Suri built the fort, which is one of the largest and most formidable in Punjab. Due to its location, massive walls, trap gates, and baolis (stepwells), Rohtas Fort could withstand a major siege but never had to. The fort remains remarkably intact and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. UNESCO called it an "exceptional example of the Muslim military architecture of Central and South Asia." Location Rohtas Fort is in Pakistan approximately northwest of Jhelum and is near the city of Dina. The fort is from Khukha and Gaggar Khurd. It lies south of the Grand Trunk Road, one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads. The historic Badshahi Road road once passed along the northern outer wall of the fort. Rohtas Fort is situated on a hill in the Tilla Jogian Range, overlooking a gorge where the Kahān River meets a seasonal stream called Parnal Khas. The fort is positioned above its surroundings. It is above sea level and covers an area of . History Sur period Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Sur Empire of India, commissioned Rohtas Fort to defend against the Mughals and to block future advances of the defeated Mughal Emperor Humayun. The fort occupied a strategic position between the mountains of Afghanistan and the plains of Punjab, preventing Humayun from returning to India from his exile in Persia. Its name celebrated Sher Shah Suri's 1539 capture of the Rohtas Fort in the Shahabad district of Bihar from a Hindu prince. The construction of Rohtas Fort started in 1541 under the supervision of finance minister Todar Mal Khatri. However, its construction soon stopped when the local Gakkar population was unwilling to work on the project, possibly because they had been allies of the deposed Mughals. Todar Mal Khatri raised the workers' wages, encouraging many of the Gakkars to help with the fort's construction. However, Sher Shah Suri died in 1545 before the fort was completed. Mughal period With Sher Shah Suri's death, Humayan returned to regain his rule of the Punjab region. Rohtas Fort was ceded to Humayun in 1555. As a result, the fort lost much of its defensive significance. It was never popular with the Mughals