Baltit Fort

Baltit Fort or Balti Fort is an ancient fort inzthe Hunza valley in the Northern Areas of Pakistan.

In former times survival of the feudal regimes of Hunza was ensured by the impressive Baltit fort, that sit on top of Karimabad. The foundations of the fort are said to date back around 700 years, but there have been rebuilds and alterations over the centuries. In the 16th century theThum married a princess from Baltistan who brought master Balti craftsmen to renovate the building as part of her dowry. The architectural style is a clear indication of Tibetan influence in Baltistan at the time.

The Mirs of Hunza abandoned the fort in 1945, and moved to a new palace down the hill. The fort started to decay and there was concern that it might possibly fall into ruin. Following a survey by the Royal Geographical Society of London, a restoration programme was initiated and supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Historic Cities Support Programme. The programme was completed in 1996 and the fort is now a museum run by the Baltit Heritage Trust.

Karakorum Peak (K2)

K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth after Mount Everest. With a peak elevation of 8,611 metres (28,251 ft), K2 is part of the Karakoram Range, and is located on the border^[2] between the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China, and Gilgit, in Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan.^[3][note]

K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the 2nd highest fatality rate among the "eight thousanders" for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying.^[4] Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.

Hunza Valley

The Hunza Valley (Burushaski: ہنزہ Urdu: ہنزہ) is a mountainous valley in Gilgit in the Gilgit-Baltistan , Pakistan autonomous region. The Hunza valley is situated to the north of the Hunza River, at an elevation of around 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The territory of Hunza is about 7,900 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi). Karimabad (formerly called Baltit) is the main town, which is also a very popular tourist destination because of the spectacular scenery of the surrounding mountains like Ultar Sar, Rakaposhi, Bojahagur Duanasir II, Ghenta Peak, Hunza Peak, Passu Peak, Diran Peak and Bublimating (Ladyfinger Peak), all 6,000 metres (19,685 ft) or higher.

Karakorum Highway

KKH Hassan Abad

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) (Urdu: شاہراہ قراقرم śāharāha karākaram; Chinese:喀喇昆仑公路 kè lǎ kūn lún gōng lù) is said to be the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak at the China-Pakistan border it is only paved on the Chinese side.^[1][2] It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of 4,693 m/15,397 ft as confirmed by bothSRTM and multiple GPS readings.^[3] It connects China's Xinjiang region with Pakistan'sGilgit-Baltistan and also serves as a popular tourist attraction. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions in which it was constructed, it is also referred to as the "Ninth Wonder of the World."^[4]

History

Tibetan Khampa and Dardic tribes came to Baltistan prior to civilisation, and these groups eventually settled down, creating the Balti people. It was believed that the Balti people came under the Sphere of influence from the kingdom of Zhang Zhung. Most of the rich and affluent Balti people are of Arabic descent.^[2]

The modern world Balti people, however, are not all from Tibetan stock. With the passage of time, many other tribes namely, Shins, Yashkuns (Dardic people), Kashmiris (called Khache in local language), Arabs (mostly Sayeds), Persian (Sufis) and Turks (especially Uygurs from central Asia) made their enroads to Baltistan and gradually merged with the local population. After second or third generation they became Baltis. Today, in Skardu(land of Sakas), the capital of Baltistan region of Pakistan, the most hardened Baltis are outsiders namely Kashmiris or Dard tribes.

Baltistan came under the control of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century. Under Tibetan cultural influence, the Bön and Animist Baltis began to adopt Tibetan Buddhism from Indian Buddhism. Religious artefacts such as the Gompas and Chörtens were erected, and Lamas played an important role in the lives of the Baltis.

History of Islam in Baltistan starts with arrival of Ameer Kabeer Syed Ali Hamadani(A legendary Sufi Saint of the Muslim History) from Iran during 15th Century. He was followed by other Sufi legends afterwards, such asShah Syed Muhammad Noorbaksh & Syed Shansuddin Iraqi. Soon the whole region converted to Noorbakshi order of Islamic Sufism. During the start of 19th century, however, the predominant population converted to other Islamic schools of thought such as Shias and Sunnis. The pure Islamic (Noorkbakhsia)sect is still there. Today, the Baltis are; Shia' denomination (55%), Nurbakhshi (42%), and Sunni-Ahlehadith sect (3%). With the decline of power of Central Tibetduring the 11th century, the Balti people came under the control of the local ruling families namely Maqpon in Skardu, Amacha in Shigar andYabgo in Khaplu. They fostered a close relationship with Ladakh in the east. Similar linguistic and cultural characteristics of Baltiyul and Ladakh helped in forging an administrative unit that existed until 1948 when Balties revolted against the Dogras and joined Pakistan. The Dogra Maharajas of Jammu kept the administrative unit intact and converted it into a province called Ladakh Wazarat (a province composed of Baltistan, central Ladakh, Purik, Zanskar and Changthang areas). Skardo, capital of Baltiyul became the winter capital of province whileLeh, capital of Central Ladakh became the summer capital. The province was divided into three districts namely Skardo, Leh and Kargil.

A quaint little town of scenic beauty nestled at an elevation of 1,454 meters, the Gilgit Valley is a great tourist attraction in the northern region of Pakistan, which is known for its picturesque views and extreme natural beauty. The region is also famous because three major Asian mountain ranges, namely the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindukush meet here. The best time to visit Gilgit Valley is between the months of April to October. Flying in to Gilgit from Islamabad is the most feasible option as it takes only an hour and a half to get there by air. Traveling by road can be very strenuous and can take almost a day to get to the valley from Rawalpindi.

Places of interest in Gilgit Valley include the Kargah Buddha, a beautiful 7th century rock carving of Buddha near the Kargah Nullah, which lies 10 km from Gilgit town. A 700 years old Taj Mughal victory monument 30 km from Gilgit town can be reached by jeep. 38 km from Gilgit is the Sher Qilla Nullah with trekking routes joining the Naltar Valley. At Sher Qilla, you can enjoy trout fishing in the small lake that is located here. If you are interested in trekking then Singal and Gahkuch can be visited. Also at a two hours drive from Gilgit, you arrive at the Naltar Valley where you can indulge in trekking, trout fishing and skiing and rest houses and hotels are available if you wish to stay here.

You can also take a drive over Asia’s largest suspension bridge, the Gilgit Bridge that goes over the Gilgit River with a traditional Gilgit bazaar at one end. For places to stay, you can find well-furnished cottages, motels, inns and rest houses. There are several bazaars and traditional handicraft stores where you can buy souvenirs to take back with you.