Karimabad ( ur, ), formerly known as Baltit, is the capital of
Hunza District
The Hunza District ( ur, ) is one of the 14 districts of the Pakistani province of Gilgit-Baltistan. It was established in 2015 by the division of the Hunza–Nagar District in accordance with a government decision to establish more administrativ ...
, in the
Gilgit-Baltistan province of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. An article on ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' ranked it as one of the five "Best Tourist Sites" in Pakistan.
Etymology
Karimabad was named in honour of
Prince Karim Aga Khan, the current spiritual head of
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...
Ismaili Nizari
The Nizaris ( ar, النزاريون, al-Nizāriyyūn, fa, نزاریان, Nezāriyān) are the largest segment of the Ismaili Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam after the Twelvers. Nizari teachings emphasize independent ...
community, though locals often still refer to Karimabad by its older name Baltit.
Geography
![Attabad Lake, Hunza Pakistan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Attabad_Lake%2C_Hunza_Pakistan.jpg)
Karimabad town, located on the west bank of the
Hunza River
Hunza River ( ur, ) is the principal river of Hunza in Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan It is formed by the confluence of the Chapursan and Khunjerab ''nalas'' (gorges) which are fed by glaciers. It is joined by the Gilgit River and the Naltar ...
, is in the Northern Areas of the Pakistan, in a valley which is at elevation. The town is made up of stone walled steep sloping large terraces.
The town was a caravan halting place for people who were traveling through the
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range in Central and South Asia to the west of the Himalayas. It stretches from central and western Afghanistan, Quote: "The Hindu Kush mountains run along the Afghan border with the North-West Frontier Province ...
mountains to the
Vale of Kashmir. It is set amidst snow clad mountain peaks of
Rakaposhi
Rakaposhi ( ur, ) is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range of the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan.
Geography
Rakaposhi is a mountain in the Karakoram mountain range in the Gilgit-Baltistan territory of Pakistan, about north of the ...
(altitude of about ), and glaciers like the Ulter Nala as a backdrop, and deep gorges. Access is by hill road from
Gilgit.
Flora and fauna
The floral vegetation in the wild consist of roses, pansies, lilies, zinnias, and cosmos, along with trees such as apple, apricot, walnut, mulberry, willow, fir, and poplar trees.
The fauna recorded in the village consist of
ibex
An ibex (plural ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa ...
(''Capra'' (genus),
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...
, red-striped fox,
snow leopard
The snow leopard (''Panthera uncia''), also known as the ounce, is a felid in the genus '' Panthera'' native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List because the global population is es ...
(''Panthera uncia syn.'' ''Uncia uncia''),
markhor
The markhor (''Capra falconeri'') is a large ''Capra'' species native to Central Asia, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. It is listed on the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened since 2015.
The markhor is the national animal of Pakistan, where i ...
(''Capra falconeri'') (wild goat),
Marco Polo sheep
The Marco Polo sheep (''Ovis ammon polii'') is a subspecies of argali sheep, named after Marco Polo. Their habitat are the mountainous regions of Central Asia. Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable mostly by their large size and spiraling horns. T ...
(''Ovis ammon polii''), and
yak (''Bos grunniens'' and ''Bos mutus'').
History
Karimabad, previously known as Baltit, was originally ruled by a monarch, the
Mir of Hunza
Mir of Hunza was the title of rulers in the Hunza Valley in the Northern Areas, Pakistan.
Etymology
The Mir used to have the Burushaski title of Thum (also ''Tham'' or ''Thom''), later changed to Mir, a Persian form of the Arabic title ''Emi ...
. The
Baltit Fort
Baltit Fort () is a fort in the Hunza valley, near the town of Karimabad, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Founded in the 8th century CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.
The Mirs of Hunza ...
was built at that time to function as the Mir's palace.
The location was known as a caravan resting stop, and for its slave trade.
Baltit served as the capital of Hunza valley for over 750 years, until the middle of the 20th century. After Pakistan became an independent country in 1947, the Hunza province controlled by
the Mir voluntarily joined Pakistan.
Earlier, the capital had been shifted from the area around
Balit down to the lower part of the hills where new buildings were erected, which became the new capital, Karimabad. The new town has developed into a tourist place, following the development of the
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway ( ur, , translit=śāhirāh qarāquram; known by its initials KKH, also known as N-35 or National Highway 35 ( ur, ) or the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway) is a national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in ...
, with a number of shopping complexes dealing in handicrafts, hotels, restaurants, and travel agencies.
Both Baltit Fort and Karimabad village received the World Award of Tourism in 2000 when Indonesia, Australia, India, and Britain and other countries competed.
Demographics
The population of the town was more than 5,000 in 1992. It had four clans of herdsmen tending livestock. Out of a population of 16,000 (65,000 in the valley) as of 1995, most of the residents of the town and the Hunsa valley are Shia Ismaili Muslims. Literacy in the valley is as high as 90% as against a national average of 58 percent. Residents of the town say that all young people of the town below the age of 30 are literate.
Education
There was a high school in the town in 1986 itself when the population of the Hunza valley was 30,000. The town has received substantial assistance from the
Aga Khan Foundation
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a private, not-for-profit international development agency, which was founded in 1967 by Shah Karim Al Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. AKF seeks to provide long-term ...
, a charitable institution, which is involved in infrastructure activities such as roads and water supply, as well as in establishing educational institutions and health centres. There are also schools for women such as the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School for Girls, and the Hasegawa Memorial Public School run by Japan, which are popular for girls.
Economy
The economy is dependent on agriculture with crops such as corn (maize), fruits, and vegetables grown under irrigated conditions.
Landmarks
The landmarks around the town are the
Baltit Fort
Baltit Fort () is a fort in the Hunza valley, near the town of Karimabad, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Founded in the 8th century CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.
The Mirs of Hunza ...
,
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
Monument, Channel Walk and the snow clad mountains of Rakaposhi and glaciers of Ulter Nala.
Baltit Fort
![Baltit fort , A page in history](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Baltit_fort_%2C_A_page_in_history.jpg)
Baltit, which was the original capital of the Hunza valley, was established in the 13th century. A fort was built, in the backdrop of snow clad mountains, in the 17th century when Mir Ayesho II's (great-grandson of Girkis, a legendary ruler) wife, the daughter of the Balti ruler, came to live in Hunza. The fort was built in Balti-style by the artisans brought by her. It was refurbished during Ayesho II's son's rule. Mir Nazim Khan got it refurnished with wall paper, curtains, fireplaces, balconies, and windows with tinted glass. The exterior of the fort was given a white wash. He also built a raised platform in the terrace to hold meetings of the council. Once the capital was moved to Karimabad, the fort was stripped of all its interior furnishings and decorations. Nazim Khan's son had moved to Karimabad in 1945.It was a deserted structure in 1984. However, between 1990 and 1996 the fort was completely rebuilt with all structural elements of the old fort to its original plan taking earthquake factor into consideration. The fort presents a view as if it has been newly built but retains all the original features, and commands a scenic view of the Hunza valley. Some of the rooms in the fort have exhibits of dresses and pictures as also some ancient vessels and furniture donated by the local people.
Queen Victoria Monument
The Queen Victoria Monument is erected on a rock face at the rear end of Karimabad. It can be accessed only by trekking for about an hour passing through irrigation channels, a polo ground, an old watch tower, and a narrow passage strewn with rocks. It is at the base of the rock face and was built by Nazim Khan; in the local
Burushaski
Burushaski (; ) is a language isolate spoken by Burusho people, who reside almost entirely in northern Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, with a few hundred speakers in northern Jammu and Kashmir, India. In Pakistan, Burushaski is spoken by people ...
language it is known "Malikamu Shikari" (''ma-li-ka-mu shi-ka-ri'').
Channel Walk
Ultar Nala water channels (seven channels flowing towards the west and five flowing eastward) from the head-works on the nala taking off at different levels are utilized for irrigation, and also as tourist attraction to walk along their route for enjoying the scenic beauty of the Hunza Valley. Some channels pass through the Karimabad town. The water flowing in the channel is also attractive as it has velvety colour caused by the minute content of fine mica particles.
References
Bibliography
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External links
{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2017
Populated places in Hunza District
Ismailism in Pakistan