Sights in Karakoram Highway
-
A
Uprising Memorial
The Uprising Memorial, is a memorial to those who rose against the Maharaja in 1947. It includes the graves of the local heroes, Mohammed Babar Khan and Safiullah Beg of the Gilgit Scouts, and Mirza Hassan Khan of the Kashmir Infantry.
At Partition, many had anticipated Maharaja Hari Singh's eventual accession to India. A clique of Muslim officers in the Maharaja's own army, led by Colonel Mirza Hassan Khan, had been conspiring to seize Kashmir for Pakistan, but word had got out and Hassan was transferred to Kashmir's 'Siberia', the Bunji garrison south of Gilgit.
Meanwhile, the Gilgit Scouts' Major Mohammed Babar Khan and several fellow officers (and, according to some, t…
reviewed
-
B
Baltit Fort
The oldest parts of Baltit Fort date from the 13th century. Over the years more houses and towers were added, and it was fortified. To cement an alliance with Baltistan's Maqpon dynasty in the 17th century, Mir Ayesho II (great-grandson of the legendary Girkis) married a daughter of the Balti ruler, who sent artisans to build a fort at nearby Altit. The princess then came to live in Hunza, bringing her own artisans to improve Baltit Fort.
Balti-style renovation continued under the reign of Ayesho II's son. The name Baltit probably dates from this time. The fort took on its present appearance only in the last century or so. Mir Nazim Khan added outer walls and fixed up hi…
reviewed
-
Ganish Village
The restoration of Ganish Village is particularly good and won a Unesco Asia Pacific Heritage Award. While Baltit Fort shows how the cream of society lived, Ganish shows another side of traditional Hunza life. Behind a shaded, tranquil tank are several richly carved wooden mosques, 100 to 200 years old, the restoration of which clinched the award. Legend has it that Ganish warriors practised their river-crossing techniques in the tank before crossing the Hunza River to attack Nagyr villages.
The timber-and-stone watchtower from the days of war with Nagyr is a tight squeeze but worth the climb. Particularly interesting is the use of the cool glacier meltwater to store food…
reviewed
-
Petroglyphs
Chilas is surrounded by wonderful Petroglyphs, which are easy to access, though be prepared for high temperatures and take plenty of water. There is a sign to the 'Chilas II' site near the KKH police checkpoint. Less than 1km down a jeep track there is a huge rock covered with hunting and battle scenes and Buddhist stupas. A common image is the long-horned ibex, ancient symbol of fertility and abundance, and an elusive trophy animal even now.
On a rocky knoll facing the river are the oldest inscriptions, from the 1st century AD: scenes of conquest and stories of the Buddha's life. Four kilometres east beside the jeep bridge to Thalpan is the 'Chilas I' site, with art foun…
reviewed
-
C
Channel Walk
A three- or four-hour walk along the main water channels from Ultar Nala is a good way to see Hunza at its best. Try to avoid the delicate side channels.
Climb past the polo ground, bearing left beside the channel there. The path goes down the valley all the way to Hyderabad Nala. There, scramble down to the link road and turn back towards Karimabad. You can soon drop to a lower channel that goes all the way back. You can go right on around Karimabad, past Mominabad to the headworks behind Baltit Fort, although the channel goes underground for part of the way.
Both these channels and the newer, higher channels distribute water from Ultar. There are seven channels running t…
reviewed
-
Karpochu
Ali Sher Khan probably built the fort on the east end of this rock in the 17th century, but the Dogras trashed and rebuilt it. It's a half-hour climb to the partly reconstructed fort, from where there are fine valley views. The path starts beside the Hilton International Hotel. From the polo ground, there is a track around the base of the rock. Knock and yell for assistance if the fort door is closed.
You can get to the summit (and the ruins of more fortifications, and amazing views) by a steep, dry, three-hour scramble up the west end of the rock from near the Hotel Sadpara International. Take care, as this route has some false paths taking you near unprotected and dange…
reviewed
-
Ashoka Rocks
On the north side of town is Mansehra's tourist attraction, three granite boulders on which 14 edicts were engraved by order of the Mauryan king Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. Appalled by the destruction wreaked by his military campaigns, Ashoka converted to Buddhism and tried to dictate a new morality based on piety, moderation, tolerance and respect for life. He was greatly revered, but his reforms (and his empire) didn't last much longer than he did.
The inscriptions have done better, but they too are fading away; despite the shelters, the ancient Karoshthi script is now almost impossible to see. The rocks uphill are better than the one below the road.
reviewed
-
Queen Victoria Monument
The Queen Victoria Monument at the top of the rock face behind Karimabad can be reached in an hour from Baltit. Take the channel path above the polo ground. Five minutes out, cross the channel and climb stone steps beside an old watchtower. At the top of the village, scramble over to a shallow cleft with some very large boulders. Go straight up to the base of the cliff before crossing over to the monument; avoid a diagonal crossing of the face because the top Ultar water channel spills down it.
Thought to be erected by Nazim Khan, in Burushaski, the monument is called Malikamu Shikari (ma-li-ka-mu shi-ka-ri).
reviewed
-
Mir's Palace
The Mir's Palace is under restoration. Until the early '70s the mir of Hunza lived here for three months of the year, presiding over local durbars (councils). A cluster of houses to the left of the palace is the original village. The tallest of these is said to be Gulmit's oldest, possibly 200 years old; before the palace was built the mir stayed in it on his Gulmit sojourns.
To its left are the carved lintels of an old Shiite mosque from the early 19th century, before Gojalis converted to Ismailism. You can also see local women dyeing and weaving traditional cloth in the old building next to the palace.
reviewed
-
Fong Khar
The main landmark in Shigar village is Fong Khar, the former Raja of Shigar's fort-palace, now a luxury hotel and museum showcasing the impressive rustic architecture and the fascinating lifestyle of Shigar's rich and famous. The timber-and-stone palace has natural rock foundations and merges almost seamlessly into the mountainside, on top of which are the ruins of an earlier fort, Sinigma Khar. It's a five-minute walk from the road, up the left side of the stream, and has a lovely restaurant worth investigating even if you're not staying the night.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Lake Saiful Mulk
At 3200m, surrounded by moody, snowy mountains, Lake Saiful Mulk (or Muluk) is said to be inhabited by fairies. Legend has it that in ancient times a mortal, Prince Saiful Mulk, fell in love with a fairy there and married her.
It's a hot two- to three-hour uphill walk from Naran to the lake; the path starts just above the bazaar. Alternatively, you can hire a jeep for Rs700 from Naran, which can take up to six passengers. The driver will stay at the lake for about an hour, allowing you to go for a horse ride before returning.
reviewed
-
D
British Cemetery
The well-kept British Cemetery has some surprisingly recent graves of adventurous trekkers and mountaineers among the more historical plots. Buried here is Captain George Hayward, a British explorer murdered in Yasin in 1870 by a son of Gohar Aman. On the side of the shack inside the grounds you'll find a useful map with some interesting stories from the grave. If Ghulam Ali, the caretaker, is around you'll be shown more interesting items for a small donation to the cemetery's upkeep.
reviewed
-
Buddha Relief
Across Hargisar Nala from the track is a Buddha Relief carved on a rock in about the 7th century. About 200m beyond the Baltoro resthouse turning and a cluster of government offices, and just past an Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) office, turn right on a small path. Near the end of this is a footbridge across the nala, and a track up to the Buddha. There and back is a detour of about an hour.
reviewed
-
Baba Ghundi Ziarat
Beyond Zood Khun is the mystical and holy Baba Ghundi Ziarat, a shrine to a Sufi saint said to have miraculous powers, and a popular pilgrimage site. The shrine is surrounded by meadows which host herds of sheep in summer and, sporadically from June to September, Kyrgyz traders from Afghanistan who traditionally cross the Irshad Pass with horses, yaks and sheep to trade with the Chapursan villagers.
reviewed
-
Sacred Rocks at Hunza
Sacred Rocks at Hunza is about 1.5km east on the KKH at a place called Haldekush are several stony rises. The rocks, with pictures and inscriptions from as early as the 1st century, are a 'guest book' of the valley. In addition to local traditions, they tell of Buddhist pilgrims, kings of the Kushan empire, a 6th-century Chinese ambassador, 8th-century Tibetan conquerors and even KKH workers.
reviewed
-
Panja Shah Ziarat
Just beyond the northern limit of Afiyatabad the winding link road to Chapursan intersects with the KKH. After travelling through crumbling mountains and sliding scree slopes that make the trip adventurous at any time but exceedingly dangerous during rain, the simple but colourful Panja Shah Ziarat, a shrine to a Sufi saint, is reached after about 40 minutes.
reviewed
-
Mominabad Village
In the Northern Areas there are traces of an ancient caste system, in which musicians and artisans ranked low. In the past they were often segregated in their own separate villages. Though it's quite ordinary looking, Mominabad (old name Berishal), near a turn on the Ganish-Karimabad road, was such a village. Its people even speak their own dialect, Berishki.
reviewed
-
Sikh Fort
Up a laneway 300m past the library is a fort, built in the early 19th century by Sikh governor general Man Singh (after whom Mansehra is named), and rebuilt by the British after the Second Sikh War and the annexation of the Sikh state. It now houses a police office and a jail. Very few traces of the original mud-and-rock structure can be seen inside.
reviewed
-
Shimla Peak
The hills cradling Abbottabad are Shimla Peak to the northwest and Sarban Peak to the south. Shimla's cool, pine-clad summit is woven with trails and features fine panoramas of the town and its surroundings. You can walk up (three steep kilometres) or take a passenger Suzuki from upper Pine View Rd; ask for Shimla pahari (pa-ree).
reviewed
-
E
Gohar Aman's Tower
In the grounds of the Army Public School (Hayat Shaheed), a crumbling adobe tower is all that remains of Gohar Aman's Tower, a fort built by Gohar Aman in the 1850s. There's not much to look at and the school is pretty security conscious. The school principal may be happy to escort you to the tower and provide a potted history.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Qatal Gah
The brightly painted complex behind the Baltistan Tourist Cottage includes a mosque, an imam barga (a hall used during Shiite festivals of Ashura and Chelum) and a huge graveyard. It's said to be a little replica of one in Iraq. Except during the two festivals, foreigners can visit if they're conservatively dressed.
reviewed
-
Cultural Museum
A unique collection of Hunza history is packed into the dusty Cultural Museum: utensils, musical instruments, a stuffed snow leopard, gems and firearms, including the matchlock gun said to have injured the British commander at the Battle of Nilt in 1891. If it isn't open, ask at the nearby Hunza Marco Polo Inn.
reviewed
-
Choar
Choar is a vast alpine meadow area, as big as Alai itself, a long day's walk (one way) up either the Rupkanai or Nogram Khwars. It's accessible only from May to August, when herds are driven up to it. You can camp there, even trek across to the Kaghan Valley, but a local guide is essential - talk to locals.
reviewed
-
Khaplu Palace
Uphill from polo ground is the Khaplu Palace, currently under restoration by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. If you get lost, the local word for it is khar, or try 'Raja palace'. The restoration plan includes the provision of quality accommodation and a museum, similar to Shigar's former fort-palace.
reviewed
-
Italian K2 Museum
The huge tent in the garden of the PTDC K2 Motel was set up in 2004 to commemorate the first successful summiting of K2 by an Italian expedition in 1954. There are numerous interesting photos documenting this expedition as well as previous expeditions into remote Baltistan. Well worth a look.
reviewed
