Sample Wedding/Valima (Shadi) Card, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

3 کم عمر پاکستانی لڑکیوں نے منگلیسر چوٹی سرکرکے ریکارڈ قائم کردیا

 پاکستان کی 3 لڑکیوں نے شمشال ویلی میں قراقرم پہاڑی سلسلے کی 6 ہزار 80 میڑ طویل ’منگلیسر‘ چوٹی سر کرکے تاریخی ریکارڈ قائم کردیا۔
چوٹی سر کرنے والوں میں آمنہ حنیف (13 سال)، مریم بشیر (14 سال) اور سعدیہ بتول (15 سال) شامل ہیں اور تینوں گلگت بلتستان ویلی کی رہائشی ہیں۔

تینوں لڑکیاں معروف کوہ پیما سدپارہ لیٹل کریم کی نواسی اور پوتیاں ہیں۔تینوں نو عمر لڑکیوں نے اپنے دادا لیٹل کریم، محمد حنیف اور دیگر چار غیر ملکی کوہ پیما کے ہمراہ سفر کا آغاز کیا اور 24 جولائی کو چوٹی سر کی۔
کامیاب کوہ پیمائی کے حوالے سے تینوں نے ڈان سے بات چیت میں اپنے دادا کا شکریہ کیا اور کہا کہ ’اگر ہمارے دادا ہمیں حوصلہ نہیں دیتے تو ہم اس تاریخی کارنامے کو سر انجام نہیں دے سکتی تھیں اور اب ہم دنیا کے کوہ پیماؤں میں سے سب سے زیادہ کم عمر ہیں‘۔
آمنہ نے کہا کہ ’یہ کوہ پیمائی کا آغاز ہے اور مستقبل میں دنیا کی خطرناک ترین چوٹیاں سر کرنے کا پختہ ارادہ ہے‘۔

آمنہ اور مریم کے والد محمد حنیف نے بتایا کہ انہوں نے اپنا سفر 16 جولائی کو شروع کیا اور انتہائی جدوجہد اور محنت کے بعد ان کی بیٹیوں نے 24 جولائی کو کامیابی سے چوٹی سر کی۔ انہوں نے ہسپانوی کوہ پیماہ ماریہ مارکو کا شکریہ ادا کیا جن کی بدولت اور رہنمائی کے باعث لڑکیوں نے کامیابی سے چوٹی سر کی۔
دوسری جانب لیٹل کریم نے اپنی پوتی اور نواسیوں کی کامیابی پر تسلی اور خوشی کا اظہار کیا اور کہا کہ مذکورہ کوہ پیمائی کا مقصد گلگت بلتستان میں خواتین کو کوہ پیمائی کے لیے حوصلہ دینا ہے۔

ان کا کہنا تھا کہ ’اس میں کوئی شک نہیں ہونا چاہیے کہ کوہ پیمائی میں بلتستان کی خواتین غیر معمولی صلاحیت کی حامل ہے۔

Norooz Celebrations in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan.

What is Eid Norooz?

Norooz or Nuruz is celebrated across GB as new year & spring festival.

The Persian & Shamsi Calendar New Year is called Norooz (also Nowruz, Nawroz, among other spellings) and marks the first day of spring. It's also the Baha'i New Year, but the holiday is celebrated by Iranians of all religions. History. Norooz celebrates renewal and rebirth, symbolized by the coming of spring.

The festival of Nowruz is celebrated by many groups of people in the Black Sea basin, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Western Asia, central and southern Asia, and the people of Tajikistan, Turkamanistan, Azarbaijan & Northern Pakistan specially Gilgit-Baltistan region & Chitral region of KPK.

Ancient things inside Baltit Fort, Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Baltit Fort is an ancient fort in the Hunza valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Founded in the 8th CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.

Baltit Fort is an ancient fort in the Hunza valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Founded in the 8th CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.

In the past, the survival of the feudal regime of Hunza was ensured by the impressive fort, which overlooks Karimabad. The foundations of the fort date back to 700 years ago, with rebuilds and alterations over the centuries. In the 16th century the local prince married a princess from Baltistan who brought master Balti craftsmen to renovate the building as part of her dowry.

The Mirs of Hunza abandoned the fort in 1945, and moved to a new palace down the hill. The fort started to decay which caused 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.

Historical/Ancient Things

Historical background

Baltit Fort, the former residence of the Mirs of Hunza

A view of the Hunza Valley from Baltit Fort in Pakistan

Baltit Fort

In the past several small independent states formed part of the history of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Among them Hunza and Nager were traditional rival states, situated on opposite sides of the Hunza (Kanjut) river. The rulers of these two states, Mirs known as Thum (also Tham, Thom or Thámo), built various strongholds to consolidate their power. According to historical sources, the Hunza rulers initially resided in nearby Altit Fort, but after a conflict between the two sons of the ruler Sultan, Shah Abbas (Shάboos) and Ali Khan (Aliqhάn), Shaboos moved to Baltit Fort, making it the capital seat of Hunza. The power struggle between the two brothers eventually resulted in the death of younger one, and so Baltit Fort became the prime seat of power in the Hunza state.

Ayasho II, Thum/Mir of Hunza in the early 15th fifteenth century married Princess Shah Khatoon (Sha Qhatun) from Baltistan (in Moghul history Baltistan is called Tibet Khurd, which means Little Tibet), and was the first to modify the face of Altit and, subsequently Baltit Fort. Baltistan had a very strong cultural and ethnical relation with the Ladakh territory to the east. Not surprisingly, the structure of Baltit Fort was influenced by Ladakhi/Tibetan architecture, with some resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Then additions, renovations and changes to the building were being made through the centuries by a long line of following rulers of Hunza.

A beautiful view of baltit fort and ultar peak in hunza valley

Complete front view of Baltit Fort

Home of many ancient forts, the Northern Areas of Pakistan lost some of its heritage around the 19th century as a result of attacks by the Maharaja of Kashmir. However, one of the biggest changes in the structure of the Baltit Fort came with the invasion of the British in December 1891. Safdarali Khan, ruler of Hunza and his wazir Dadu (Thara Baig III), fled to befriended Kashgar (China) to seek 'political asylum' with their fellows and families. With the conquest of Hunza and Nager states the fortified wall and watch towers of the old Baltit village and watch towers of the Baltit Fort on its north-western end were demolished as required by the British. They installed his younger brother, Sir Muhammad Nazim Khan K.C.I.E, as the ruler of Hunza state in September 1892.^[3]

Dance of Swati Guests with traditional music at Baltit Fort

During his reign, Nazeem Khan made several major alterations to the Baltit Fort. He demolished a number of rooms of third floor and added a few rooms in the British colonial style on the front elevation, using lime wash and colour glass panel windows.

Baltit Fort colour Glass Windows

Baltit Fort remained officially inhabited until 1945, when the last ruler of Hunza, Mir Muhammad Jamal Khan, moved to a new palatial house further down the hill, where the present Mir of Hunza, Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan, and his family are still residing.

With no proper authority entrusted the Fort was exposed to the ravages of time and over the years its structure weakened and began to deteriorate. His Highness Aga Khan IVinitiated the restoration efforts for Baltit Fort in 1990, when Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan and his family generously transferred the Fort to the Baltit Heritage Trust, a public charity formed for the explicit purpose of owning and maintaining the Fort. The restoration undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Geneva in association with the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan (Pakistan), took six years to complete. The project was supported by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture as the main donor through its Historic Cities Support Programme, as well as by the Getty Grant Program (USA), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the French Government.

The restored Fort, resplendent in its formal regal glory, was inaugurated on September 29, 1996 in the presence of His Highness the Aga Khan IV and the president of Pakistan Farooq Ahmad Khan Laghari. It is now operated and maintained by the Baltit Heritage Trust and is open to visitors. The Baltit Fort serves as a good example of culture restored and preserved for future generations.

AUTUMN COLORS IN HIMALAYA, HINDUKUSH, KARAKORAM & GILGIT BALTISTAN - 2017

AUTUMN COLORS IN HIMALAYA, HINDUKUSH, KARAKORAM & GILGIT BALTISTAN

© Copyrights: Nasar Photography