Shigar Fort
Seventeenth Century Palace Of The Amacha Rulers Of Shigar, Restored By The Aga Khan Trust For Culture And Opened As A Heritage Hotel And Museum In 2004 · Shigar, Gilgit-Baltistan
Shigar Fort, called Fong Khar, the Palace on the Rock, was built in the seventeenth century by the Amacha rajas who ruled the Shigar valley, north of Skardu on the road toward the Baltoro. It sits against a great boulder at the edge of the village, a building of timber and stone in the Tibetan-influenced style of Baltistan, with carved wooden balconies, a mosque and a garden. By the 1990s it was falling down. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored it with local craftsmen and traditional techniques, and in 2004 it reopened as a heritage hotel and museum; the restoration won international awards and became a model for others across the region. Staying here, in rooms that were once the royal quarters, is one of the best heritage experiences in Asia; non-guests can tour the museum rooms. In the village are the fourteenth-century Amburiq mosque, one of the oldest in Baltistan, restored by the same team, and the Sarfaranga cold desert lies on the road from Skardu. It is quiet, green and very beautiful.
Shigar town, Shigar District, north of Skardu, Shigar, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
The fort operates as a hotel all year, with rooms booked in advance. Non-guests can visit the museum and parts of the building on a guided tour for a fee during the day. Shigar is about forty minutes to an hour by road from Skardu. Winter is cold and quiet; the hotel may operate reduced services.