To the east of Pakistan, about 30 kilometers from Bahawalpur, lies the Cholistan Desert , a territory today arid and inhospitable that occupies about 16,000 square kilometers bordering India.
This was not always the case, as the Hakra River used to run through the region. and the area was prolific in crops and pastures.
But everything changed around the year 600 BC, when the river dried up, since most of its tributaries were diverted to irrigate the Ganges and the Indus, and the entire territory gradually became desertified.
The whole place is full of archaeological sites belonging to the Indus Valley culture, which developed between 3300 and 1300 BC. Up to 300 deposits have been found and investigated. And also from later forts and fortresses, up to 11 are distributed throughout the desert.
But the most impressive of all is undoubtedly that of Derawar , which also contains the only perennial water well in the entire Cholistan desert, which forms a small lake during the rainy season.
The state of conservation of the enclosure, about 1,500 meters in perimeter, is good, with all its walls intact and even guarded by soldiers today. However the interior is almost completely destroyed.
There are the tombs of the Emirs of Bahawalpur , decorated with attractive glazed tiles that add a touch of color to the ocher landscape. Its 40 red brick towers , which reach 30 meters in height, are visible from many kilometers away.
The Derawar Fort It was built in the 9th century by Rai Jajja Bhutta and remained in the possession of the Maharajas of the Jaisalmer Indian family until its capture by the Muslim Nawabs of Bahawalpur in 1733.
The materials for its construction had to be transported from a distance of more than 60 kilometers. For this, a human line was formed that covered all that distance, from Uch Sharif to Derawar, and the bricks were passed from hand to hand until their final destination.
The visit is complicated, due to the difficulty of reaching the place and because a special permit issued by its owners since the 19th century, the Abassí royal family, is required. Even so, it is worth contemplating one of the most impressive examples of medieval military architecture in the area.