Misgar ( ur, ) is both a village and a valley located in the northernmost region of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. It lies on the northern edge of the Hunza District within

Gilgit-Baltistan Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

, where Pakistan shares its borders with China and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. In recent years, Misgar has gained prominence as a starting point for a captivating trek to two Silk Road passes:

Kilik Pass The Kilik Pass (elevation ; ; ur, کلوک پاس) to the west of Mintaka Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains between Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. The two passes were, in ancient times, the two main a ...

and

Mintaka Pass The Mintaka Pass or Mingteke Pass or Mintika Pass() is a mountain pass in the Karakorum Mountains, between Pakistan and Xinjiang in China. In ancient times, the Mintaka Pass and the nearby Kilik Pass, to the west, were the two main access points ...

,, both of which lead to the

Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Northwest China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, China." Hydr ...

in China. T

History

Kilik Pass and Mintaka Pass, located to the north of Misgar, have a deep historical significance as they were integral parts of the ancient

Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...

. These passes served as the customary caravan routes connecting Pakistan and India to Tashkurgan

Tashkurgan Tashkurgan ( ug, تاشقورغان بازىرى; zh, s=塔什库尔干镇, p=Tǎshíkù'ěrgān Zhèn; ) is a town in the far northwest of China, close to the country's border with Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. It is the principal tow ...

before 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 ...

was established. The present-day settlements in the Misgar valley date back to at least 1844. During that period, Misgar was established by people from four different tribes who migrated from Hunza.

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

took control of the area in 1892 as part of their efforts during the Great Game. They constructed a fort in Misgar in 1930s to control the Wakhan Corridor -- Qalandarchi Fort. It is now a local landmark. Misgar remained part of Hunza until independence of Pakistan in 1947.

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Misgar village
The Misgar Community - The Information Junction of Misgar
Populated places in Hunza District Valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan Villages in Pakistan