Karimabad - Altit Fort

After a slow start to the day I went for lunch with Denis and Hugo to a place in Karmiabad. The food was excellent: Dhal, Omelette, and amazing Chappati. While we were eating, we got chatting to some Pakistani guys who were here visiting on vacation.



Denis had been to see the Altit Fort in the morning, and after telling me about it I decided to head out and take a look. It's a 4km walk to the fort, but it's a pleasant trip through the small villages of the Hunza Valley.

Setting off from the Hunza Inn:



And the view on the way:



The fort and associated old town was built 900 years ago, and much academic research has been done on the fort due to it's historical significance. After more or less being abandoned, it's now being restored, thanks to money from both the Aga Khan foundation, and various governments around the world.

What it means to the local villagers is that they can return to their ancestral homes, which have been renovated, including modern facilities such as electric and running water. The renovations have been sensitively completed, so there are no cables or pipes on view.

The ancient pool – in which all the boys swim:



I was lucky enough to be able to join a Pakistani group who were here on vacation as the guide took us around. After looking around the old town we were taken to the royal garden, and then the fort itself. Here's some pics:

The fort close up:



The small dark cool rooms in the fort – this wall has a body inside – when the king was displeased with one of his sons for rebelling against him, he had him bricked up in the fort. Nice!:



Intricate carving within the Fort:



The ingenious roof openings that allow smoke out, but can be closed when it starts to rain:



The amazing view back up the KKH from the rood of the Fort:



The watchtower:



And the equally amazing view down the Hunza valley:



The Old Town of Altit:



The 200 meter drop to the valley floor:



Er...me!



Years ago, warriors used to jump from the edge of the cliff onto this rock almost 6 feet away to prove that they were hard enough:



The serene royal gardens (on an interesting point, Prince Charles visited here with Aga Khan a few years ago):



And the tiny alleys of the Old Town:





And looking back up at the fort perched on it's spur of rock:



On the way through the old town the guide invited me to his father-in-law's house for tea, and we spent an hour talking about life in the village. After the pleasant walk back, it was time for the excellent communal dinner at the Hunza Inn.