Passu () is a small village in the
Gojal valley
Gojal ( Wakhi: , Kyrgyz: ), also called Upper Hunza, is situated in northwestern Pakistan. It borders China at the Khunjerab Pass and the Shimshal valley, and Afghanistan at the Chapursan valley. In 2019, Gojal Valley became the second Karachu ...
of Upper
Hunza Hunza may refer to:
* Hunza, Iran
* Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan
** Hunza (princely state), a former principality
** Hunza District, a recently established district
** Hunza River, a waterway
** Hunza Peak, a mo ...
in the
Gilgit Baltistan
Gilgit (; Shina: ; ) is a city in Pakistani-administered Gilgit–Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the ...
region of
Northern Pakistan
Northern Pakistan ( ) is a tourism region in northern and north-western parts of Pakistan, comprising the administrative units of Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly known as '' Northern Areas''), Azad Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad Capita ...
. Located along the
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway (, ), also known as the KKH, National Highway 35 (), N-35, and the ChinaPakistan Friendship Highway, is a National Highways of Pakistan, national highway which extends from Hasan Abdal in the Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab p ...
, Passu is a tourist destination. The village is known for its landscapes and views of the 7,478-meter (24,534 ft)
Passu Sar
Passu Sar (; or Passu Sar, Passu I) is a mountain peak in the Batura Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range, in the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is the high point of the Passu massif, which also includes Passu Di ...
mountain, the
Passu Glacier
Passu Glacier is situated in the south side of Passu village, in Karakoram Range in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Passu Peak is situated behind the glacier. This glacier is linked with Batura Glacier and many other glaciers in Batura Muztagh moun ...
, and the ''Passu Cathedral'' () 6,106m (20,033 ft).
Geography
Passu is situated along the
Hunza River
Hunza River () is the principal river within the Hunza region in Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. It is formed by the confluence of the Chapursan and Khunjerab ''nalas'' (gorges) which are fed by glaciers. It is also joined by the Gilgit River ...
, approximately from
Gulmit
Gulmit (Wakhi language, Wakhi/), also known as Gul-e-Gulmit , in upper Hunza Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. Gulmit is a centuries-old historic town, with mountains, peaks and glaciers. It is a tourist spot and has many historic places, hotels, and ...
, the administrative headquarters of Upper Hunza
tehsil
A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluk, or taluka () is a local unit of administrative division in India and Pakistan. It is a subdistrict of the area within a Zila (country subdivision), district including the designated populated place that ser ...
of
Gojal
Gojal ( Wakhi: , Kyrgyz: ), also called Upper Hunza, is situated in northwestern Pakistan. It borders China at the Khunjerab Pass and the Shimshal valley, and Afghanistan at the Chapursan valley. In 2019, Gojal Valley became the second Karac ...
. It is about upriver from
Gilgit
Gilgit (; Shina language, Shina: ; ) is a city in Pakistani-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, Gilgit–Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kas ...
. Passu lies in the Gojal Valley, within the subdivision of
District Hunza.
Passu is located near the tongue of the
Passu Glacier
Passu Glacier is situated in the south side of Passu village, in Karakoram Range in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Passu Peak is situated behind the glacier. This glacier is linked with Batura Glacier and many other glaciers in Batura Muztagh moun ...
and just south of the
Batura Glacier
Batura Glacier (), long, is one of the largest and longest glaciers outside of the polar regions.Tajikistan's Fedchenko Glacier is long, Siachen Glacier is long, Biafo Glacier long, and Baltoro Glacier long. The Bruggen or Pio XI Glacier ...
, which, at , is the seventh-longest non-polar glacier in the world and extends close to the highway. Additionally,
Borith Lake
Borith Lake () is a lake in the Gojal Hunza Valley in the Gilgit–Baltistan region of northern Pakistan. Borith lies about above sea level.
Geography
Borith lake lies approximately 2 km to the north of Hussaini, a saline body of wat ...
, a saline lake, located at 2,600 m above sea level, lies below the Hussaini village.
Tupopdan, also known as "Passu Cones" or "Passu Cathedral," stands at and is located north of the Passu village in
Gojal Valley
Gojal ( Wakhi: , Kyrgyz: ), also called Upper Hunza, is situated in northwestern Pakistan. It borders China at the Khunjerab Pass and the Shimshal valley, and Afghanistan at the Chapursan valley. In 2019, Gojal Valley became the second Karachu ...
.
It is the most photographed peak of the region. Nearby are the high peaks, including
Pasu Sar
Passu Sar (; or Passu Sar, Passu I) is a mountain peak in the Batura Muztagh, a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range, in the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It is the high point of the Passu massif, which also includes Passu ...
,
Shispare Sar
Shispare () is one of the high mountain peaks of the Batura Muztagh, the westernmost subrange of the Karakoram range in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan.
Alternate forms of the name of this peak include Shispare Sar, Shisparé Sari "Fiak ...
, and
Batura
__NOTOC__
The Batura Muztagh () mountains are a sub-range of the Karakoram mountain range. They are located in Passu ( Gojal Valley) in the Hunza District of Gilgit-Baltistan province in northern Pakistan.
They are the westernmost sub-range of th ...
.
Demographics
The village is predominantly inhabited by
Wakhi people
The Wakhi people (, , ; ; ), also locally referred to as the Wokhik (), are an Iranian ethnic group native to Central and South Asia. They are found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and China—primarily situated in and around Afghanistan' ...
, who migrated in waves from
Wakhan
Wakhan, or "the Wakhan" (also spelt Vakhan; Persian and , ''Vâxân'' and ''Wāxān'' respectively; , ''Vaxon''), is a rugged, mountainous part of the Pamir, Hindu Kush and Karakoram regions of Afghanistan. Wakhan District is a district in ...
between 1870 and 1948 to different areas of northern Pakistan.
[ They speak ]Wakhi language
Wakhi (, , IPA: ikwɔr zik is an Indo-European language in the Eastern Iranian branch of the language family spoken today in Wakhan District, Northern Afghanistan, and neighboring areas of Tajikistan, Pakistan and China.
Classification and ...
and are homogeneously Ismaili
Ismailism () is a branch of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept ...
.
See also
*Khuramabad
Khuramabad is a hamlet located on the east side of Passu valley in Gojal, Hunza in Pakistan. It is used for pasture in winter. It is on the other side of the Hunza river from Passu village. There is no vehicle access, only a long pedestrian suspe ...
References
External links
*
{{Pakistan-geo-stub
Populated places in Hunza District