Postcards from Pakistan

Gaynor Shaw 8/26/21 Gaynor Shaw 8/26/21

Postcard from Thoqsikhar Mosque - a steep climb for the best green tea

We are staying in Khaplu that is in the Ghanche district, the easternmost district of Gilgit-Baltistan. To the north is China, to the south is Kashmir. I love hearing these beautiful sounding place names, even before arriving it sounded like a magical, exotic place.

If you visit this area of Pakistan you must bring your hiking boots with you as the best views can only be seen on foot. So we pulled on our hiking boots and set out to visit Thoqsikhar Mosque that sits high above the Khaplu Valley.

It is difficult to find any information in English about this five hundred year old mosque that sits at over 2,700 meters, high above the Khaplu Valley. The mosque is also known as Thoksikhar, Thoqsi Khar, or Thoksi Ghar. We drove to Gharbuchang Village to start the walk. Our guide, Mehrab, told us that it was a gentle walk and should take around 45 minutes to reach the top. The walk through the village was gentle, as was the first five minutes around the fields. Children peeked out from behind gates and a little goat followed us until a cow looked like more fun to play with. However the next 40 minutes of the walk was steep. It was hard work walking at altitude. I kept stopping to take photographs but it also gave me an opportunity to catch my breath.

Up and up we climbed. The views of the village and the valley kept getting better and better. Close to the mosque we were met by two local men who offered us tea and a place to sit and rest. We decided to keep going and stop on the way back. We finally reached the mosque and were able to enter and walk around the outside terrace. Past the mosque there is a short walk to reach the lookout where you get spectacular views of the Khaplu Valley. We enjoyed the cooling breeze, took more photos and then turned around to head back down before the sun set. At a small terrace a local, green tea was ready and waiting for us. We sat and enjoyed the tea and the view – both were wonderful.

Thoqsikhar Mosque sitting high above the Khaplu Valley

Looking back across the valley at Gharbuchang Village

Gharbuchang Village and Thoqsikhar Mosque

Mehrab places a stone to celebrate that we made it this far.

Gaynor Shaw Photography-37.jpg — Thoqsikhar Mosque

Entry to the terrace that surrounds the mosque

Down in the valley below we can see Khaplu Fort

Gaynor Shaw 8/17/21 Gaynor Shaw 8/17/21

Postcard from Khaplu Village and Valley - a green, pink and turquoise walk

Khaplu is famous for its beautiful scenery and for being the gateway to trekking and mountaineering. It is also known for Khaplu Fort (see my separate blog on the Fort) and for Chaqchan Mosque. We wanted to understand the area better so we took a walk around Khaplu Village and then walked up the mountain behind the Fort to get a better view of Khaplu Valley.

The village was busy with women washing clothes and children running along the dusty paths hitting metal hoops to see how far they would roll. Men were sitting in front of their shops chatting with each other.

As we walked past local houses we saw what looked like a noughts and crosses game written on the walls or doors but instead of the usual noughts and crosses the grid was filled with a jumble of letters and numbers. I asked what it meant and was told it was a way of keeping track of immunisation and census records for that house. Written records, including a vaccination card for each child, are kept but the wall markings make sure no child is left out of a vaccination drive.

We were hoping to see inside Chaqchan Mosque. However, a sign outside stated ‘no admission for non-Muslims’. I was disappointed as I had read a lot about the Mosque that was built in 1370 and is one of the oldest in the region. Chaqchan means ‘Miraculous Mosque’ maybe one day we can return to see why.

We kept walking along a track that starts at the polo field and climbs up the mountain. The walk is steep but wonderful as you get amazing views of the village and the valley. At the top we kept walking along the main road until we reached rocky orchards and fields, all surrounded by mountains. We stopped and sat on a stone wall and enjoyed a well-earned rest. As we looked over green fields, pink blossoms, snow-capped mountains, and a turquoise blue farmhouse it was easy to agree that Khaplu is a beautiful place to visit.

Khaplu Village - each house a different colour

I always ask if I can take someone’s photo. This lead to a long discussion and the group decision was this man was the most photogenic.

Khaplu Valley - the view was worth the walk from the village below

Gaynor Shaw 8/12/21 Gaynor Shaw 8/12/21

Postcard from Khaplu Fort - where the stone stopped rolling

During our drive across Gilgit Baltistan we’ve been able to see some amazing forts: Baltit and Altit Forts in Hunza; Shigar Fort and now Khaplu Fort (see my other blogs on each of the forts).

Khaplu Fort, like the other forts in the region, has been restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan. This fort is yet another example of painstaking restoration. The fort is set in Khaplu Village near the banks of the Shyok River and is surrounded by fields and orchards. In the village you can stand and turn and have 360 degree mountain views. You can see Masherbrum, K-6, and K-7 and other mountains with beautiful names like Sherpi Kangh, Siachen and Saltoro Kangri.

The local name for Khaplu Fort is Yabgo Khar, also known as ‘The Fort on the Roof’. The local story is that a stone was rolled down from a nearby mountain and where the stone stopped they built the fort. Built in the 1840’s for the local ruler Yabgo Raja Daulat Ali Kahn, it replaced an older fort. The fort showcases the many different styles of the region: Tibetan; Balti; and Kashmiri.

Today the Fort is run by Serena Hotels. We stayed for three nights to explore the region. We had a wonderful stay there. What an experience to drink tea on an intricately carved wooden balcony and to sit on the top terrace and watch the moon rise over the mountains. Khaplu Fort, where the stone stopped rolling, and, if you can, you should stop there too.