Originally called Bhinwar Fort, Islam Garh is one of a chain of forts that the Rajput Bhati dynasty built across the Cholistan in the 17th and 18th centuries to control water sources along the old caravan routes. A Babri-script inscription on the gate records its founding date of 1665. The fort is deep in the desert about eighty kilometres south-east of Khanpur, in a dilapidated but still impressive state — high walls of mud-brick and stone, surviving bastions, and the foundations of internal courtyards.
Getting there means hiring a four-wheel-drive in Khanpur or Rahim Yar Khan and tackling sand tracks that disappear in places; a local guide is essential. The isolation is part of the appeal — you are almost certain to have the fort entirely to yourself. Bring all your own water and go early in the morning before the heat sets in.