Postcard from Shigar Fort
After a very long day driving along the Karakoram Highway (see my previous blog on this amazing drive) we arrive in Shigar. We are staying at Shigar Fort. We stand in the garden of the fort and the gentle buzzing of bees in the blossoms and bleating of goats in the village below is in peaceful contrast to the last nine hours of danger and dust.
Shigar Fort was built in the 17th century and was once the residence of the Raja of Shigar. It is known locally as ‘Kong-Khar’ or ‘Fort on Rock’ as the original fort was built around a cone shaped rock. The fort now consists of three buildings built close to each other. The oldest structure is over 400 years old. The other two buildings were built around 100 and 150 years later. The fort was restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan from 1999 to 2004 and was then bought by the Serena Hotel chain. We were fortunate enough to be staying in one of the oldest rooms in the original fort. Standing outside the fort it is easy to see the building method of alternating stone and wood. Inside you can see Kashmiri door and ceiling details.
The fort sits in tranquil gardens with one garden offering relaxed outdoor seating and dining and another with a baridari. A baridari is a pavilion with usually twelve doors (bara is Urdu for twelve and darwaza is Urdu for door) to let air flow through. The Shigar Fort baridari is surrounded by an ornamental pond. It looks beautiful and would have been a perfect setting for the Raja to enjoy music, poetry or somewhere cool to sit.
Shigar Fort, a place to slow down, relax and be treated like a Raja.
Shigar Valley, we arrive as the sun begins to set
Shigar Fort from one of the gardens
Entrance to the hotel, in the middle of the photo you can see the cone shaped rock, where the fort gets its local name
These are the stairs leading up to our room
A day bed
The restoration has been done so well
View from our room
The baridari
View from inside the baridari
What a spot to have breakfast
View from the top of the fort