An afternoon scene in Gilgit

Gilgit (Urdu: گلگت) is the capital city of Northern Areas, Pakistan. It is the headquarter of Gilgit District. Gilgit city is one of the two major hubs on the Northern Areas for all mountaineering expeditions of Karakoram to Himalaya peaks, the other hub being Skardu. The phrase Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla written in Urdu Urdu () is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Aryan family that developed under Persian, Turkish, and Arabic influence in South Asia during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1200-1800). ... The Northern Areas or Gilgit-Baltistan is the northernmost region of Pakistani-administered Kashmir. ... Gilgit District is located in Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Located in the mountainous regions of Gilgit, Ladakh & Baltistan, Gilgit and Baltistan are in Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Skardu is the capital city of Baltistan a subdivision of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ...

Gilgit has an area of 14,680 mi² (38,021 km²). The region is significantly mountainous, lying on the foothills of the Karakoram mountains, and has an average altitude of 1,500 m (5,000 ft). It is drained by the Indus River, which rises in the neighbouring regions of Ladakh and Baltistan. A square mile is an Imperial unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, 1,609. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Located in the mountainous regions of Gilgit, Ladakh & Baltistan, Gilgit and Baltistan are in Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... ... The Indus River in Northern Areas of Pakistan, near the rock Aornus. ... Tikse monastery, Ladakh Ladakh is the largest district of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, covering more than half the area of the state (of which it is the eastern part). ... Baltistan is a region to the north of Kashmir, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ...

History

Manuscript of the Buddhist Jyotiṣkāvadāna text written in the Brahmi script, from Gilgit.

Gilgit was an important city on the Silk Road through with Buddhism was spread from India to the rest of Asia. A large number of Buddhist Sanskrit texts, included the long version of the Heart Sutra have been unearthed in Gilgit. The Dards and Cizinas also appear in many of the old Pauranic lists of peoples with the former finding mention in Ptolemy's accounts of the region. Two famous travellers, Fahien, and Hsuan Tsang are known to have traversed Gilgit as per their accounts. Gilgit was ruled for centuries by the local Trakane Dynasty, which came to an end in about 1810. The area descended into internecine turmoil before being occupied by the Sikhs in 1842. It was ceded to Jammu in 1846. Gilgit's inhabitants drove their new rulers out in an uprising in 1852. The Khushwakhte Dynasty of Yasin led the people of Gilgit to drive out the Dogras. After Yasin was conquered by the Katur Dynasty of Chitral the power of the Khushwakhte was crushed. The rule of Jammu was restored in 1860 but was never fully secured. Gilgit came under British rule in 1889, when it was unified with neighboring Nagar and Hunza in the Gilgit Agency. When British rule came to an end in 1947, the region was handed over to Kashmir but another local uprising led to its accession to Pakistan. Its status is today disputed between the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistani Province of Azad Kashmir, both of which claim them as part of the disputed state of Kashmir. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... BrāhmÄ« refers to the pre-modern members of the Brahmic family of scripts, attested from the 3rd century BC. The best known and earliest dated inscriptions in Brahmi are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka. ... For other uses, see Silk Road (disambiguation). ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Sanskrit ( संस्कृतम् ; pronunciation: ) is an Indo-European classical language of India and a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. ... The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra (Sanskrit: प्रज्ञापारमिताहृदयसूत्र Prajñāpāramitā Hridaya SÅ«tra; Chinese: 般若波羅蜜多心經, Buōrèbuōluómìtuó xÄ«njÄ«ng; Japanese: Hannya Shingyo;Korean: Pannya shimgyŏng) is a well known Mahāyāna Buddhist sutra. ... Claudius Ptolemaeus (Greek: ; c. ... Xuanzang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century. ... 1810 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A Sikh man wearing a turban A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a religious faith originating in the Punjab. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Katur Dynasty is the ruling family of Chitral Pakistan. ... Chitral, or Chitrāl, is the name of a town (35° 53 N; 71° 48 E), valley, river, district, and former princely state in the Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... India is subdivided into twenty-eight states, six union territories and the National Capital Territory. ... Jammu and Kashmir (Kashmiri: جۄم تٕہ کٔشِیر ज्वम त॒ कॅशीर, Urdu:جموں Ùˆ کشمیر, Hindi:जम्मू और कश्मीर) (often abbreviated as Kashmir), is the northern-most state of Republic of India, lying mostly in the Himalayan mountains. ... Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Urdu: آزاد کشمیر), is part of the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, along with the Northern Areas. ...

Geography

Only a part of the basin of the river Gilgit is included within its political boundaries. There is an intervening width of mountainous country, represented chiefly by glaciers and ice-fields, and intersected by narrow sterile valleys, measuring some ioo to 150 m. in width, to the north and north-east, which separates the province of Gilgit from the Chinese frontier beyond the Muztagh and Karakoram.

Overview of the Karakoram Highway

The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest international road in the world. ...

Tourism and transport

Gilgit city is one of the two major hubs for all mountaineering expeditions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Almost all tourists headed for treks in Karakoram or Himalaya ranges arrive at Gilgit first. Many tourists choose to travel to Gilgit by air since the road travel between Islamabad and Gilgit by Karakoram Highway takes nearly 24 hours, whereas the air travel takes a mere 45-50 minutes. Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... Located in the mountainous regions of Gilgit, Ladakh & Baltistan, Gilgit and Baltistan are in Pakistan, the Karakoram is one of the great Himalayan mountain ranges, with many of the highest and most daunting peaks of the world. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest international road in the world. ...

Road transport

Gilgit lies about 10 km off the Karakoram Highway. The KKH connects it to Chilas, Dasu, Besham, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Islamabad on the South. In the North it is connected to Karimabad (Hunza) and Sust in the Northern Areas and to the Chinese cities of Tashkurgan, Upal and Kashgar in Xinjiang. The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest international road in the world. ... The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest international road in the world. ... // History Geography Climate Economy Civic administration Transport Utility services Demographics People and culture Media Education Sports External links Further reading References ... Mansehra is city located in Mansehra District. ... Abbottabad is the principal city of the Abbottabad District in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ... Karimabad is the capital of Hunza in Kashmir, Pakistan. ... Sust is a small town in Gojal region of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ... This article is about the town on the Silk Road in western China. ... Location of Kashgar Kashgar (Uyghur: قەشقەر/K̢ǝxk̢ǝr; Chinese: 喀什; Hanyu Pinyin: , 39°28′N 76°03′E), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Xinjiang (Uyghur: (Shinjang); Chinese: 新疆; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى (Shinjang Uyghur Aptonom Rayoni); Simplified Chinese: 新疆维吾尔自治区; Traditional Chinese: 新疆維吾爾自治區; Pinyin: Xīnjiāng Wéiwúěr Zìzhìqū), is an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO) offers passenger road service between Islamabad, Gilgit, Sost and Tashkurgan, and road service between Kashi and Gilgit (via Tashkurgan and Sust) starts in summer 2006. However, the border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass (the highest border of the world) is open only between May 1 and October 15 of every year. During winter, the roads are blocked by snow. Even during the Monsoon season in summer, the roads are often blocked due to landslides. The best time to travel on Karakoram Highway is Spring or early Summer. Islamabad (Urdu: اسلام آباد, abode of Islam), is the capital city of Pakistan, and is located in the Potohar Plateau in the northwest of the country. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... This article is about the town on the Silk Road in western China. ... There are multiple meanings of Kashi: Benares (a. ... Gilgit is a region in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, bordering the Chinese region of Xinjiang. ... This article is about the town on the Silk Road in western China. ... Sust is a small town in Gojal region of the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass on the northern border of Pakistan with China. ... Monsoon in the Vindhya, a mountain chain in central India A monsoon is a (wind) pattern that reverses direction on a seasonal basis. ... The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest international road in the world. ...

A PIA F27 that flies to Northern Areas regularly

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x727, 75 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F27 Pakistan International Airlines destinations Gilgit Airport ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x727, 75 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Pakistan International Airlines Fokker F27 Pakistan International Airlines destinations Gilgit Airport ... Pakistan International Airlines (also known as PIA), is the national flag carrier of Pakistan operating passenger and cargo services around the world. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ...

Air transport

Pakistan International Airlines flies a Fokker F27 5-7 times weekly between Gilgit Airport and Islamabad International Airport and the flight is one of the most scenic flights of the world as its route passes over Nanga Parbat and the mountain's peak is higher than the aircraft's cruising altitude. These flights, however, are subject to the clearance of weather and in winters, flights are often delayed by several days. Pakistan International Airlines (also known as PIA), is the national flag carrier of Pakistan operating passenger and cargo services around the world. ... F27-300M Troopship The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner designed and built by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. ... Gilgit Airport is a small domestic airport, located at Gilgit, Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... Islamabad International Airport (IATA airport code: ISB) is located in Islamabad, Pakistan. ... Nanga Parbat (also known as Nangaparbat Peak or Diamir) is the 9th highest mountain on Earth and the 2nd highest in Pakistan. ...

Hospitals

There are two major hospitals in Gilgit proper. The first is the DHQ or District Head Quarters which is the general hospital for the city. The Gilgit Eye Hospital is the other major hospital. It was started in 1995 by several foreign families. It is generally considered the best eye hospital in the entire Northern Areas.

A Dance at Gilgit by G. W. Leitner, 1893

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1932x1376, 549 KB)Published in G. W. Leitners book, Dardistan in 1866, 1886, and 1893. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1932x1376, 549 KB)Published in G. W. Leitners book, Dardistan in 1866, 1886, and 1893. ...

References

• "The Gilgit Game" by John Keay (1985) ISBN 0195774663
• Drew, Frederic. Date unknown. The Northern Barrier of India: a popular account of the Jammoo and Kashmir Territories with Illustrations. Reprint: Light & Life Publishers, Jammu. 1971.
• Jettmar, Karl, 1980. Bolor & Dardistan. National Institute of Folk Heritage, Islamabad.
• Knight, E. F. 1893. Where Three Empires Meet: A Narrative of Recent Travel in: Kashmir, Western Tibet, Gilgit, and the adjoining countries. Longmans, Green, and Co., London. Reprint: Ch'eng Wen Publishing Company, Taipei. 1971.
• Leitner, G. W. 1893. Dardistan in 1866, 1886 and 1893: Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush, as also a supplement to the second edition of The Hunza and Nagyr Handbook. And An Epitome of Part III of the author's “The Languages and Races of Dardistan. First Reprint 1978. Manjusri Publishing House, New Delhi.
• Muhammad, Gulam. 1980. Festivals and Folklore of Gilgit. National Institute of Folk Heritage, Islamabad.
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

This page is about the town of Hunza in northern areas of Pakistan. ... Encyclopædia Britannica, the 11th edition The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911) is perhaps the most famous edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

See also

• Gilgit Airport
• Karakoram Highway
• Northern Areas

Gilgit Airport is a small domestic airport, located at Gilgit, Northern Areas, Pakistan. ... The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest international road in the world. ... Shown in green is the Kashmiri region under Pakistani control. ...

External links

• Pakistan's Northern Areas dilemma
• Gilgit Map
• Silk Road Seattle (The Silk Road Seattle website contains many useful resources including a number of full-text historical works)
• Blog on Baloristan
• Blog on Gilgit
• Gilgit Eye Hospital
• Northern Areas Development Gateway
• The Mountain Areas Conservancy Project

Provincial and Territorial Capitals of Pakistan
Sindh: Karachi | Punjab: Lahore | North West Frontier Province:Peshawar | Balochistan:Quetta
Northern Areas: Gilgit | Federally Administered Tribal Areas:Peshawar | Azad Kashmir:Muzaffarabad
Islamabad Capital Territory: Islamabad