Pakistan - 9 - Baltit Fort

Baltit Fort, Karimabad

22nd October 2008

Sitting on a rocky outcrop above Karimabad, a few km off the Karakorum Highway sits the beautifully restored Baltit Fort, the Royal Palace of the various Mir's of Hunza who have used it for the last 750 years. It fell into disrepair after the present Mir moved out of it in 1945 and built new quarters below it in what became the town of Karimabad. Eventually the present Mir, who is still an important local figure despite having no meaningful Royal title, donated it to the Aga Khan Foundation who took it apart stone by stone and completely rebuilt it with as many of the original materials and features as was possible. The restoration is of an incredibly high standard and admission includes a superb guided tour around the fort. Sadly with the dwindling number of tourists in this part of the world since 2001, and also this year due to the continued Taliban fighting a little further West, the numbers of people visiting the fort has dropped from a high of 13,000 in 2001 to just over 2000 this year. The intelligent and knowledgeable local guide who showed us round was a pleasure to spend time with, we took nearly 3 hours to see the place and discussed the history, politics and culture of Pakistan and Hunza, then and now. It felt like a privilege to be there. The Mirs were around for the rise and fall of the opulent Nawabs further East, the beginning and end of the Mughal Emporers of Northern India and the coming and going of the British Empire, before eventually playing their part in the creation of modern Pakistan.

The Aga Khan foundation is now involved in the restoration of all the forts in the Hunza district and are at present restoring to the same high standards, the fort of Altit on another outcrop only a few km away. Each of the forts is surrounded by a maze of small narrow streets where palace staff would have lived and many traders set up shop to make the most of the Mir and his money and status.