Murree ( Punjabi,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

mountain resort A mountain resort is a place to holiday or vacation located in an elevated and typically at least relatively isolated area. The term resort implies integral hotel or inn accommodations, restaurants, and either or both sports facilities or sce ...

city, located in the Galyat region of the

Pir Panjal Range The Pir Panjal Range (Kashmiri: ) is a group of mountains in the Lesser Himalayan region, running from east-southeast (ESE) to west-northwest (WNW) across the Indian territories of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and then Pakistan's A ...

, within the Muree District of

Punjab, Pakistan Punjab (; , ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in central-eastern region of the country, Punjab is the second-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the largest province by population. It shares land borders with the P ...

. It forms the outskirts of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, and is about northeast of

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capita ...

. It has average altitude of . The British built this town during their rule to escape the scorching heat in the plains of Punjab during the summer. Construction of the town was started in 1851 on the hill of Murree as a

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are ofte ...

for

British troops The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkhas ...

. The permanent town of Murree was constructed in 1853 and the church was consecrated shortly thereafter. One main road was established, commonly referred to even in modern times, as the mall. Murree was the summer headquarters of the colonial

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

Government until 1876 when it was moved to

Shimla Shimla (; ; also known as Simla, List of renamed Indian cities and states#Himachal Pradesh, the official name until 1972) is the capital and the largest city of the States and union territories of India, northern Indian state of Himachal Prade ...

. Murree became a popular tourist station for British citizens of the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi language, Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Q ...

. Several prominent Britons were born here including

Bruce Bairnsfather Captain Charles Bruce Bairnsfather (9 July 188729 September 1959) was a prominent British humour, humorist and cartoonist. His best-known cartoon character is Old Bill (comics), Old Bill. Bill and his pals Bert and Alf featured in Bairnsfather's ...

Francis Younghusband Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, (31 May 1863 – 31 July 1942) was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer. He is remembered for his travels in the Far East and Central Asia; especially the 1904 British ...

Reginald Dyer Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer, CB (9 October 1864 – 23 July 1927) was an officer of the Bengal Army and later the newly constituted British Indian Army. His military career began serving briefly in the regular British Army before tran ...

and Joanna Kelley. During the colonial era, access to commercial establishments was restricted for non-Europeans. Such establishments included

Lawrence College, Murree Lawrence College Ghora Gali is a school situated in Murree Tehsil, Punjab, Pakistan. The college is located in the foothills of the Himalayas and Pir Panjal at a height of about 1950 metres (6395 feet) above sea level, covering an area of . It ...

. Since the

Independence of Pakistan The Pakistan Movement ( ur, , translit=Teḥrīk-e-Pākistān) was a political movement in the first half of the 20th century that aimed for the creation of Pakistan from the Muslim-majority areas of British India. It was connected to the p ...

in 1947, Murree has retained its position as a popular

hill station A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia (particularly in India), but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by European colonialists as refuges ...

, noted for its pleasant summer weather. Many tourists visit the town from the

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

area. The town also serves as a transit point for tourists visiting

Azad Kashmir Azad Jammu and Kashmir (; ), abbreviated as AJK and colloquially referred to as simply Azad Kashmir, is a region administered by Pakistan as a nominally self-governing entitySee: * * * and constituting the western portion of the larger K ...

and

Abbottabad Abbottabad (; Urdu, Punjabi language(HINDKO dialect) آباد, translit=aibṭabād, ) is the capital city of Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the 40th largest city in Pakistan and fourth ...

. The town is noted for its

Tudorbethan Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

and

neo-gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

architecture. The

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...

owns a summer retreat in Murree, where foreign dignitaries including heads of state often visit.

History

Pinus Roxburgi Trees on Murree Expressway

Murree, or ''Marhee'' as it was then called, was first identified as a potential hill station by Major James Abbott in 1847. The town's early development was in 1851 by President of the Punjab Administrative Board, Sir Henry Lawrence. It was originally established as a

for British troops garrisoned on the Afghan frontier. Officially, the municipality was created in 1850. The permanent town of Murree was constructed at Sunnybank in 1853. The church was sanctified in May 1857, and the main road, Jinnah Road, originally known as Mall Road and still commonly referred to as "The Mall"), was built. The most significant commercial establishments, the Post Office, general merchants with European goods, tailors and a millinery, were established opposite the church. Until 1947, access to Mall Road was restricted for "natives" (non-Europeans). In the summer of 1857, a rebellion against the British broke out. The local tribes of Murree and

Hazara Hazara may refer to: Ethnic groups * The Hazaras, a Persian-speaking people of Afghanistan and Pakistan * Aimaq Hazara, Aimaq's subtribe of Hazara origin * Hazarawals, a Hindko-speaking people of the Hazara region of northern Pakistan * Hazar ...

, including the Dhund Abbasis and others, attacked the depleted British Army garrison in Murree; however, the tribes were ultimately overcome by the British and capitulated. From 1873 to 1875, Murree was the summer headquarters of the Punjab local government; after 1876 the headquarters were moved to

. The railway connection with

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest ...

, the capital of the Punjab Province, via Rawalpindi, made Murree a popular resort for Punjab officials, and the villas and other houses erected for the accommodation of English families gave it a European aspect. The houses crowned the summit and sides of an irregular ridge, the neighbouring hills were covered during the summer with encampments of British troops, while the station itself was filled with European visitors from the plains and travellers to Kashmir. It was connected with Rawalpindi by a service tangas. It was described in the '' Gazetteer of Rawalpindi District'', 1893–94 as follows:

The sanatorium of Murree lies in north latitude 33° 54′ 30″ and east longitude 73° 26′ 30″, at an elevation of above sea level, and contained a standing population of 1,768 inhabitants, which was, however, enormously increased during the ay–Novemberseason by the influx of visitors and their attendant servants and shopkeepers. It is the most accessible hill station in the Punjab, being distant from Rawalpindi only a five hours' journey by tonga dak. Magnificent views are to be obtained in the spring and autumn of the snow crowned mountains of Kashmir; and gorgeous sunset and cloud effects seen daily during the rains uly–August Part of the station, especially the Kashmir end, are also well wooded and pretty.

In 1901, the permanent population of the town was 1,844; if summer visitors had been included this could have been as high as 10,000. In early January 2022, over 20 people died trying to reach the town during a

snowstorm A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessar ...

Climate

Murree features a monsoon influenced

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

(''Cwb'') under the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

. It is situated in the outer Himalayas, retaining high altitude. This type of area has cold, snowy winters, relatively cool summers with drastically escalated rain, in relation with lower altitudes, and frequent fog. Precipitation is received year round, with two maxima, first one during winter and second one at summer, July–August. Total mean precipitation annually is . Murree receives around of snow per year according to a 13-year data. Heavy snowfall starts in January and February.

Administration

Murree is the municipal capital of Murree Tehsil, an administrative division of the Rawalpindi District. As well as being

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its administr ...

headquarters, Murree is also a Union Council, bounded to the north by Darya Gali and Rawat, to the west by Ghora Gali and Tret, to the south by Numbal and Mussiari, and to the east by Ghel and Angoori. Localities and Union Councils of the Murree area: *

Rawalpindi District Rawalpindi District (Punjabi and ur, ) is a district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Parts of the district form part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropolitan area. Rawalpindi city is the district capital ...

Kohati KakRahi Kohāṭī is a Hindko dialect of Kohat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, north-western Pakistan. It is spoken in the city of Kohat as well as in a string of villages running east along the road to Kushalgarh on the Indus. The dominant language of thi ...

* Bhurban * Dewal Sharif * Darya Gali * Gulehra Gali * Uc Ghel * Bochal Kakrahi * Ghora Gali * Bansara Gali * Jhika Gali * Mohra Sharif * Potha Sharif * Aliot, Murree * Sehr Bagla * Patriata * Karore *

Phagwari Phagwari (پھگواڑ ی) is a village and union council of Murree Tehsil in the Murree District of Punjab, Pakistan. It is located at 33°58'60N 73°30'0E in the north-west of the tehsil, it is bounded to the north by Dewal, to the west by Rawa ...

* Las Kothar * Numbal * Mussiyari

Military

For administrative purposes, the military areas of Murree are divided into two separate

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the colonial-era). In United States military parlance, a cantonment is, essent ...

s, Murree Gali Cantonment and Murree Hills Cantonment.Murree Hills Cantonment
GlobalSecurity.org website, Retrieved 16 October 2021 Murree houses the headquarters of the 12th Infantry Division of the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...

, several educational and training institutions, and a combined military hospital established to serve Murree and adjoining garrisons. The

Pakistan Air Force , "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional) , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = ...

also maintains a base at Lower Topa, near Patriata, with its own military boarding school for boys,

PAF Public School Lower Topa Pakistan Air Force college Lower Topa is an all-boys military boarding school situated at PAF Base, Lower Topa, which is located near Patriata in the Murree region of the Murree District of Pakistan. Placed on a mountain hilltop, the institution ...

. During the British Raj, in the hot season Murree was the headquarters of the Lieutenant General of the Northern Command. The Commissioner of the Rawalpindi Division and the Deputy-Commissioner of Rawalpindi also resided here during part of the season, for which period an Assistant Commissioner was placed in charge of the subdivision consisting of Murree Tehsil. The site was selected in 1850 almost immediately after the annexation of the Province, and building operations commenced at once. In 1851 temporary accommodation was provided for a detachment of troops; and in 1853 permanent barracks were erected. The regular garrison generally consisted of two mountain batteries and one battalion of infantry.

Notable residents

Current

Ansar Abbasi Ansar Abbasi ( ur, ) (born June 12, 1965), is a Pakistani right-wing commentator and columnist associated with '' The News International''. As one of Pakistan's most prominent journalists, Abbasi generally holds socially conservative and nati ...

, journalist and socially conservative commentator * Kashif Abbasi, journalist, television talk show host and anchorperson *

Muhammad Nawaz Abbasi Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi () is former justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and a former justice of Lahore High Court. Life Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi was born in Murree on 7 June 1943.

, former justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and a former justice of Lahore High Court * Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, politician & sitting Member of the National Assembly * Sadia Abbasi, politician * Shahid Khakan Abbasi, former Prime Minister of Pakistan *

Zafar Mahmood Abbasi Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi ( ur, ) is a retired four-star admiral of the Pakistan Navy who served as the 16th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of Pakistan Navy from 7 October 2017 until 7 October 2020. Career Abbasi joined the Pakistan Navy ...

, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of the Pakistan Navy * Marriyum Aurangzeb, politician * Javed Malik, former Ambassador at Large of Pakistan & Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on foreign investments *

Parikshit Sahni Parikshit Sahni (born 1 January 1944) is an Indian actor who is known for playing the lead in TV series Barrister Vinod, '' Gul Gulshan Gulfaam'' (Doordarshan) and ''Gaatha'' (Star Plus). He has also appeared in three of Rajkumar Hirani's bloc ...

, Indian actor * Mohammad Wasim, cricketer

Deceased

(1864–1927), British Army officer *

Gerald Lathbury General Sir Gerald William Lathbury, (14 July 1906 – 16 May 1978) was a senior British Army officer who fought during the Second World War, serving with distinction with the British Army's airborne forces, commanding the 1st Parachute Briga ...

(1906–1978), British Army officer *

Muhammad Riaz Khan Abbasi Muhammad Riaz Khan (Urdu:) was a Pakistan Army general who was the 6th Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), serving from 1977 to 1979. Prior to that, he served at the General Headquarters as Adjutant-General of the Pakistan A ...

(d. 1979), Director-General of the

Inter-Services Intelligence The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI; ur, , bayn khadamatiy mukhabarati) is the premier intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant ...

(ISI) * Khaqan Abbasi (d. 1988), politician * Harold Hall (1913–2004), cricketer and British civil servant *

Muztar Abbasi Allama Muztar Abbasi (1931 – 26 February 2004) was a Pakistani Muslim scholar who belonged to the Dhund Abbasi tribe of Murree Hills in the Rawalpindi District. He was a supporter of the Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most wid ...

(1931–2004), scholar * Raja Ashfaq Sarwar (1954–2020), politician

Sister Cities

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peak ...

Notes

Citations

References

* * * Attribution: *