Timber and stone
Dark beams in the walls.
Ibnazhar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ibnazhar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ibnazhar — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Omer Awan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ibrahim Janjua — CC BY-SA 4.0
Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong Khar, the «Palace on the Rock», is an old palace in the town of Shigar in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. It lies on the route towards the Baltoro Glacier and K2, about 17 km in a straight line from central Skardu. The present building was raised in the 17th century by the 20th Raja of the Amacha dynasty of Shigar, on top of a huge boulder, which gave it its name. The Aga Khan Cultural Service restored it between 1999 and 2004, turning it into a heritage museum and hotel, and in 2006 it won the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for conservation. The palace mixes stone walls with bands of dark timber, carved wooden balconies and doors, and gardens shaded by tall poplars surround it. A small wooden mosque stands within the fort, and from its roofs high rocky mountains rise over the town and orchards. Part of the building is a hotel, so ask about museum visits and tours. The town is a stop on the way to K2, so plan it into a trip to Skardu.
Dark beams in the walls.
Tall poplars.
Inside the fort.
Shigar, near Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
«Palace on the Rock», as it stands on a huge boulder.
Yes, it is a museum and hotel; ask about tours.