Misgar (Urdu: مسگر) is both a village and a valley located in the northernmost region of Pakistan. It lies on the northern edge of the Hunza District within Gilgit-Baltistan, where Pakistan shares its borders with China and Afghanistan. In recent years, Misgar has gained prominence as a starting point for a captivating trek to two Silk Road passes: Kilik Pass and Mintaka Pass, both of which lead to the Tarim Basin in China. T
Misgar | |
|---|---|
Village / Valley | |
 | |
  Misgar Location in Pakistan  Misgar Misgar (Pakistan) | |
| Coordinates: 36°47′15″N 74°46′00″E / 36.7875°N 74.7667°E | |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Autonomous state | Gilgit-Baltistan |
| Division | Gilgit |
| District | Hunza |
| Population | |
• Total | 1,227[1] |
| Languages | |
| • Local | Burushaski[1] |
| Time zone | PST |
History
editKilik Pass and Mintaka Pass, located to the north of Misgar, have a deep historical significance as they were integral parts of the ancient Silk Road. These passes served as the customary caravan routes connecting Pakistan and India to Tashkurgan Tashkurgan before the Karakoram Highway was established.[2]
The present-day settlements in the Misgar valley date back to at least 1844.[1] During that period, Misgar was established by people from four different tribes who migrated from Hunza.[3]
British Raj took control of the area in 1892 as part of their efforts during the Great Game.[1] They constructed a fort in Misgar in 1930s to control the Wakhan Corridor—Qalandarchi Fort.[4] It is now a local landmark.[5] Misgar remained part of Hunza until independence of Pakistan in 1947.[3]
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A pre-1947 British Indian map with Misgar on the primary thoroughfare between Kashmir and Tarim Basin -
Another angle of the village -
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Misgar - Trekking along the Ancient Silk Route" (PDF). Mountain Area Conservancy Project. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-30. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ^ Hill, John E. (September 2003). "Section 20 The Kingdom of Suoche 莎車 (Yarkand).". The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. University of Washington. Retrieved 2017-02-07.
- ^ a b Mir Aman Hunzai (2015-03-05). "Misgar valley wildlife". Dawn.com. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
- ^ Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro (July 5, 2019). "Wooden Heritage of the Wakhi". The Friday Times. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
Qalandarchi Fort in Misgar
- ^ "GBHS-HUN-003 Qalamdarchi Fort". gbheritage.net. Tourism Department Gilgit-Baltistan. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
Qalandarchi Fort was built by the British administration in 1932-33 in order to control the Wakhan Corridor.
External links
edit
Media related to Misgar village at Wikimedia Commons