Baltit Fort () is a fort in the
Hunza valley, near the town of
Karimabad, in the
Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative units of Pakistan, administrative territory and consists of the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region, which has b ...
region of northern
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. Founded in the 8th century CE, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative list since 2004.
The
Mirs of Hunza abandoned the fort in 1945, and moved to a new palace down the hill. The fort started to decay which caused concern that it might possibly fall into ruin. Following a survey by the
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
of London a restoration programme was initiated and supported by the
Aga Khan Trust for Culture Historic Cities Support Programme. The programme was completed in 1996 and the fort is now a museum run by the Baltit Heritage Trust.
Awards and recognition
*2005 ''
Time Asia
''Time'' (stylized in all caps as ''TIME'') is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York Ci ...
'', Best of Asia Award
Gallery
File:Baltit Fort, Karimabad, Hunza I.jpg, Baltit Fort
File:Golden Peak- View from Eagles Nest.jpg, Spantik as viewed to the south-east from the fort
File:View of Baltit Fort & Ultar Peak.jpg, Ultar Peak towers above the fort
File:Dance of Swati Guests with traditional music at baltit fort 2014.jpg, Dance with traditional music at Baltit Fort
File:BaltitFort GlassWindows.jpg, The fort is decorated with simple stain-glassed windows
File:Baltit Fort View.jpg, View of Baltit Fort
File:Baltit Fort 1 Karimabad Hunza Valley.jpg, Baltit Fort, Hunza Valley
File:Hunza Canon aka Zilzila Boos.jpg, The fort's historic cannon is now on display for visitors
File:Famous Guard of Baltit Fort.jpg, The fort's guards wear distinctive uniforms
File:Antiques inside Baltit Fort.jpg, The fort displays local antiques
File:Antique Russian rifles gifted to Mir of Hunza.jpg, Antique Russian rifles gifted to Mir of Hunza
Bibliography
* Biddulph John, ''Tribes of Hindoo Koosh'', The Superintendent of Government Printing-Calcutta, India 1880, Reprint: Ali Kamran Publishers, Lahore-Pakistan, 1995.
See also
*
Altit Fort
*
Shigar Fort
*
Khaplu Fort
*
List of forts in Pakistan
*
List of museums in Pakistan
References
External links
Official website of the Baltit Heritage TrustBaltit Fort at Google Cultural Institute
{{Castles in Pakistan
Forts in Gilgit-Baltistan
Aga Khan Trust for Culture projects
Hunza
History of Gilgit Agency
Buildings and structures in Gilgit-Baltistan
History of Baltistan
Restoration of historic architecture in Pakistan
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards winners