Shigar

Shigar is a green valley north of Skardu, watered by the Shigar River and planted with apricot, cherry and walnut orchards. For centuries it was a small Balti kingdom of its own, and its old town still holds some of the finest timber architecture in Baltistan.

The valley is also the road towards the high Karakoram: the jeep track to Askole, where expeditions set out for the Baltoro Glacier and K2, begins here. Most yatris come for the fort, the old mosques and an unhurried walk through the village.

Places to visit

• Shigar FortFong Khar, the “palace on the rock”: a 17th-century residence of the rajas of Shigar, carefully restored and now a heritage hotel with a small museum.
• Amburiq MosqueA small timber mosque counted among the oldest in Baltistan.
• Khanqah-e-MoallaA large wooden prayer hall with carved pillars and ceilings, still in use.
• The old villageStone lanes, water channels and orchards around the fort.

Things to do

• Visit the fort and its museum
• Walk the old village and orchards
• Tea in the fort garden
• Combine with the Sarfaranga desert on the same day

Good to know

The mosques and the khanqah are places of worship: dress modestly, remove shoes where asked, and ask before taking photographs inside. Entry to the fort museum is ticketed.