Aishmuqam

Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley


This vast, hillside shrine complex is devoted to 15th-century sufi holy man, Zainalabddin Wali. The humid main shrine, accessed by 272 steps, is inside a heavily adorned cave worn smooth by adoring hands. Expect queues on Fridays.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley attractions

1. Mattan Sun Temple

9.06 MILES

The impressive ruins of this 8th-century Sun Temple built by King Lalitaditya sit in peaceful, well-tended gardens on a hill above Mattan. The site feels…

2. Achabal Mughal Gardens

13.09 MILES

This partly tree-shaded garden with its series of central fountain pools was said to be the favourite of Mughal Queen Nur Jahan, who commissioned it…

3. Awantipora

15.98 MILES

Beside the Srinagar–Jammu highway in Awantipora, 30km south of Srinagar, lies the chunky ruins of the 9th-century Avantiswamin Temple. The stone blocks…

4. Amarnath Holy Cave

27.25 MILES

Amarnath's natural stone lingam becomes opalescently encrusted with ice and is believed to wax and wane with the phases of the moon. Seen as symbolising…

5. Cheshmashahi Garden

27.31 MILES

En route to Pari Mahal you'll pass the small Cheshmashahi Garden, folded amid the wooded mountain foothills. Its central feature is a square fountain pool…

6. Pari Mahal

27.6 MILES

Pari Mahal (literally 'Palace of the Fairies') is a 17th-century former Sufi centre built by the eldest son of Shah Jahan. The terraced lawns and arched…

7. Botanical Garden

27.84 MILES

Less formal and not quite as busy as many of the older Mughal gardens, the Botanical Gardens have some well-maintained lawns and a wide variety of tree…

8. Tulip Garden

28.11 MILES

Crowds throng Asia’s biggest Tulip Garden, just behind the Botanical Garden, during March and April. Its long, straight rows of blooming tulips (60…