Dir (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

, ) is a city in the Upper Dir District of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. It is sometimes known as Dir Khas (Proper Dir) to distinguish it from the district's name, Dir (Upper and Lower). It lies along the Dir River, a tributary of the Panjkora River. It is at the base of the Lowarai Pass, the main road to

Chitral Chitral () is a city situated on the Kunar River, Chitral River in northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Lower Chitral District, and was previously the capital of Chitral District, and before ...

. Dir was founded in the 17th century. Mullā Ilyās, a 17th-century holy man, is said to have been the founder. It was the capital of the former princely state of Dir, until its full incorporation into Pakistan in 1969. The former royal palace is on a hill above the city. Dir was then the capital of the

Dir District Dir is a region in northwestern Pakistan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Before the independence of Pakistan, Dir was a Dir (princely state), princely state, and it remained so until 1969 when it was abolished by a ...

. When the Dir District was divided in 1996 into Upper and Lower Dir, Dir city and Timergara became its district headquarters respectively. Yusufzay Pashtuns make up the primary ethnic group in the region and in the city.

Demographics

Population

The population of city in 1998 was 22,901 but according to the 2023 Census of Pakistan, the population has risen to 47,842.

Climate

Like most of the southern slopes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dir has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

''Cfa''). Owing to the city's exposed location, rainfall from frontal cyclones from the west is heavier than in any other part of Pakistan, and their passage, as well as very penetrative

monsoon A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in Atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annu ...

al periods, are usually accompanied by heavy

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...

References

External links

Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Government of Pakistan

www.dirbeauty.webs.com By Syed Ziafat Ali
{{Authority control Populated places in Upper Dir District Tehsils of Upper Dir District Cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Demographics

Population

Climate

See also

References

External links