Shigar Fort; Baltistan
Shigar is a beautiful town located in the Baltistan region at a distance of 30 drives from Skardu
city. The valley is surrounded by stunning mountains for trekking and hiking, lush green meadows, and dazzling water.
Moreover, the amazing scenic views of the Katpana desert also known as Sarfaranga attracts a number of tourists towards it. The valley is located at the bank of the Shigar River and is considered the most remote district of the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Gilgit-Baltistan
The melted water from the Baltoro and Biafo glaciers forms the Shigar river. The natives of the town
speak predominantly the Balti language. An Irani scholar Syed Ali Hamdani preached
in the town and converted the locals to Islam in the 14th century. Therefore, mosques and He attributed
Khanqahs in the town.
The town is home to five out of the fourteen eight-thousanders peaks (mountains that are more than 8,000 meters in height) including the world’s second-largest ones K-2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II, and Gasherbrum III. Tibetan architecture influenced highly in The region is famous as a historical tourist destination. Every year a number of tourists from all over the world come to the valley to see the mesmerizing locations in the town.
The well-known and most famous tourist destinations in the town are the Shigar fort, Amburiq Mosque, the Blind Lake, Hasho Pi Bagh, Dambuchan Hurchose Shigar, Khilingrong Mosque, etc. You can see the geographical information about the locations on the Gilgit-Baltistan map.
Shigar Fort
In this post, we have provided you with some basic information about the most famous tourist destination in the Shigar valley, which is Shigar Fort. Shigar Fort is known as ‘Fong Khar’ in the Balti language which means ‘Fort on a Rock’. It is one of the oldest forts in Gilgit-Baltistan. Raja of Amacha Built and Dynasty of the town in the 17th century. In 1999. Agha Khan Cultural Services Pakistan(AKCSP) rebuild it.
Approximately 1.4 million U.S dollars. Then the fort was divided into two parts. One part was reserved as a museum to display the culture and heritage of the region and Pakistan. However, the other part served as a luxury hotel. The hotel is managed by the Serena hotels.
The hotel encompasses 20 rooms and suites influenced by the Balti culture. The original fort built in the 17th century had thirteen rooms which are the traditional guest rooms offering a brief look into the life of the Raja of Shigar. These rooms are the conventional rooms with modern facilities including air conditioning, flat-TV screens, etc. However, the structure of these rooms is also similar to the historical architecture of the original fort.
The rooms have private terraces furnished with cultural handicrafts enhancing the beauty of the rooms. Moreover, you can enjoy stunning mountainous views from the rooms. All rooms at the Shigar Fort Serena hotel are non-smoking.
Rooms in the Hotel
The standard rooms in the hotel are either single, double, or twin bedrooms with attached well-equipped bathrooms. Other amenities of the room include intercom, room services, laundry, on-call medical services, work desk and chair, sockets, slippers, etc. Moreover, the Garden
House standard rooms have an additional lobby area and a private wood balcony facing the Baradari monument and Amacha garden.