PESHAWAR: Spread over an areaofabout15acresand92feet high, the historic Balahisar Fort of Peshawar was first built by Mughal King Zaheeruddin Babar in 1526.

According to a tradition, the fort later, was used by Hari Singh Nalwa as royal residence for Maharaja Ranjeet Singh during Sikh rule (1818 -1848). Early in the 19th century, the Afghan Durrani dynasty had used the Balahisar Fort as their winter camp residence.

Students and tourists could visit the fort through a proper channel and could enjoy seeing its different sections, an official said. He added that a cultural museum, a century-old tree, a pensioners` cell, a scaffold, awonderful view of the Peshawar city from the top of the fort, a handicraft shop and Charsadda Chappals shop would greet the visitors.

The official said that on Saturday and Sunday, students and families could visit the fort under special arrangements of Frontier Corps. After the British took over the frontier regions and Peshawar valley, the Balahisar Fort was renovated in 1902 with Mughal architecture and an office blocl( was set up in the building.

Following independence, the headquarters of Frontier Corps was shifted to the fort in December 1948. The fort being an architectural wonder has a great heritage value in addition to its strategic significance even in the present day.

Sometime back, the fort wasopened for tourists. The impressive redbrick Balahisar Fort take up the visitors on to its top where many wonders of the yore days welcome them. A prisoners` cell has been persevered in its original shape while a scaffold, reminiscent of its horrific past, gives a rare view to the visitors.

A section of the fort houses a beautiful cultural museum where dresses, old agricultural tools, utensils, footwear, weapons and musical instruments of Pal(htuns, Kohistan and Chitral tribes are displayed.

`The Frontier Corps comprised of robust you men from various tribes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -then frontier regions. This section gives an insight into glorious past of the region. The tribal way of life still serves as great wonder for the entire world,` said the official.