Kathi Darwaza is a stone gateway of 1597 in the Hari Parbat fort wall at Srinagar, built on the orders of Emperor Akbar. Akbar walled a whole new town, Nagar Nagar, below Hari Parbat, and this was one of its gates. High domed arches and carved Persian patterns on the ceiling are what survive.
Duke Kashmir Travels, registered with the J&K Department of Tourism as JKTA00003978 since 2011, writes these guides for guests planning Srinagar days. Kashmir packages start about ₹6,350 per person, two sharing.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- Built in 1597 under Emperor Akbar as an entrance to the Hari Parbat fort area.
- Part of the wall of Nagar Nagar, the town Akbar laid out below the hill.
- Stone construction with domed arches and carved Persian ceiling patterns.
- A heritage gateway rather than a developed site — there are no facilities.
- Easy to see on the way to Hazratbal or the old city.
- Ten minutes covers it.
What was Kathi Darwaza part of?
The fortified wall Akbar ordered around Nagar Nagar, the settlement he founded at the foot of Hari Parbat in the late sixteenth century.
Sections of that wall still stand around the hill. The gateway is one of the better preserved pieces, and it shows the Persian-influenced Mughal detailing of the period more clearly than the wall itself.
Is it worth stopping for?
For anyone interested in Mughal architecture, yes, briefly. For everyone else it is a photograph on the way past.
There is no ticket office, guide or signage. Combine it with Makhdoom Sahib and the other Hari Parbat sites, which are all within a couple of kilometres. The Srinagar list has the alternatives.
Booking this with us
Duke Kashmir Travels works out of Nowhatta Chowk in Srinagar, registered as JKTA00003978 since 2011, IATO allied member since 2016 and a TAAK member. See About Us for the rest.
Share your travel dates and group size and we will price the trip around this stop. Phone +91 9018 44 0000, write to info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or open the contact page.
About the founder
Founder Rayies Ahmad Zargar opened Duke Kashmir Travels in Srinagar in 2011, sits in TAAK, co-founded the JK Tourism Council, and signs off the guides on this site. Find him on LinkedIn.