| Kafir Kot | |
| Native Name: | Urdu: {{Nastaliq|کافرکوٹ (Urdu) Pushto; Pashto: کافر کوټ (Pashto) |
| Map Type: | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa#Pakistan |
| Relief: | yes |
| Location: | Dera Ismail Khan District |
| Type: | Monastery |
| Cultures: | Hindu Shahi |
| Map Dot Label: | Kafir Kot |
Kafir Kot or Kafirkot (;) is an ancient Hindu temple complex in the Dera Ismail Khan district of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It consists of the ruins of five temples and a large fort. It was an ancient Hindu fort with a famous temple inside its walls. The Kafir Kot complex in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is often referred to as the "northern Kafir Kot" to distinguish it from the "southern Kafir Kot" that is located in the town of Bilot Sharif, approximately 35km (22miles) to the south.
The remains of Sindhu temple (and the nearby ruins of Mari) are "indications of the existence of a Hindu civilization of considerable importance and antiquity" according to a 1915 issue of the District Gazetteer of Mianwali.[1]
The ruin consists of two forts in the northwest of the district on small hills attached to the lower spurs of the Khasor range and overlooking the Indus river near the Chashma barrage. One lies a few miles south of Kundal and the other near Bilot.[1]
According to the District Gazetteer of Mianwali:
The fort was destroyed by the Ghaznavids in the 11th century.
Bilot fort is the second fort situated next to the town of Bilot Sharif and about 55 km north of Dera Ismail Khan.
Sculptures and architectural components from the site have been dispersed to museums across Pakistan and the rest of the world. One of the largest collections from Kafir Kot outside Pakistan is in the British Museum.[2]