The wooden windows
Jutting over white walls.
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Baltit Fort is a palace fort in the Hunza Valley, above the town of Karimabad in Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan, on the UNESCO tentative list since 2004. It looks over the valley from a rocky height with snow peaks behind it. It is the symbol of Hunza, with its jutting wooden windows and white walls, and the best place to grasp the valley's past. Conservation work showed that its oldest parts, including the stone and timber defence tower, date to the 8th century. Its architecture shows Tibetan influences. In the 16th century Ayasho II, Mir of Hunza, married a princess from Skardu, whose father sent artisans who rebuilt the fort, along with a cannon dated 1539. The Mirs left it in 1945. You pass through low wooden passages into rooms and halls showing the tools, clothes and belongings of the Mirs, with a guide to explain the past. From the terrace you see the whole valley, orchards below, and peaks in clear weather. The old cannon in the outer court makes a good photo with the mountains behind. It is about 2 km in a straight line from central Hunza, up a short path from Karimabad bazaar, and Altit Fort is about 1.4 km away. Wear comfortable shoes. Spring and autumn are the finest seasons.
Jutting over white walls.
The whole valley in view.
Dated 1539.
Above Karimabad, Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Visits are usually with a guide, so ask at the entrance about the next tour.
It is a short but steep path from the bazaar, so take your time at this height.
