The Shigar Fort Residence
The living embodiment of ‘Shangri la'
Built in the 17th century by one of the warring Rajas of Baltistan, the Shigar Fort is a perfectly restored example of the traditional fortress-palace. Home to countless generations of the Amacha Royal Family, it was built to serve as both a refuge and as a celebration the traditional heritage of this ancient Hunza dynasty.
Today, exquisitely restored to its former glory by local artisans using only traditional methods, the Fong-Khar Fort, or ‘Palace of the Rock' offers just 20 guest rooms, all of which are presented with all the richness and intricate beauty of their original incarnation. Additionally, the Residence offers its own restaurant, reception rooms, gardens and gift shop, all of which spearhead an ambitious programme, designed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which is dedicated towards making all the advantages of a socially-responsible tourism programme realizable in the remote foothills of the Himalaya.
The history of the Shigar Fort Residence
The original Shigar Fort Palace was known as Fong-Khar, which in the local Balti language means, ‘Palace on the Rock'. Raised on a rocky pinnacle at the foot of the Karakoram Mountains, a part of the Himalaya, it was built in the early 17th century by Raja Hassan Khan, the 20th ruler of the Amacha Dynasty.
Believed to have originated in the ancient town of Ganish in Hunza, legend has it that the Amacha family arrived as refugees in the Shigar Valley some time in the 11th century. Persecuted in their own lands, the Hamacha tribe survived an attempted massacre by ensuring that a few founding members of their family escaped to found a new dynasty elsewhere. Fleeing through the frozen wastes of the glacial Hispar Pass, one of the highest mountain passes in the world, the survivors arrived in Shigar. Here they built a fort high on the forbidding cliffs of the rocky valley, which is one of only two routes leading into frozen wastes of the high Karakoram Mountains. Known as Khar-E-Dong, the fort became the palace home of the Amacha Dynasty, which ruled their adopted home for 33 generations.
In later years, Khar-E-Dong came under attach from invading Mughal forces, which captured and destroyed it. Re-establishing his rule, Raja Hassan Khan realized he would have to build a new fortified palace to replace the ruins of his old sanctuary. Choosing a site slightly below the old fort, the Raja spared no expense in his efforts to make the new fort both impregnable and impressive. Goldsmiths, sculptors and wood-carvers were brought from Kashmir, a region renowned for the delicacy and beauty of its architecture. Blending their skills with those of the local Balti artisans, they created a unique fusion of Kashmiri detail and stark Balti durability. The end result, which is now acknowledged as one of the finest architectural treasures of historic Baltistan, is a forbidding fortress, which protects within its walls, a palace of rare traditional beauty. High above it, the forbidding ruins of the Khar-E-Dong stand guard over the valley as they have for centuries past.
It was not until the mid 20th century that the Amacha family finally abandoned their ancient home, electing to build a modern palace in a more accessible position. In 1999, the reigning Raja of Shigar, Sahib Mohammad Ali Shah Saba, bequeathed the Fort to the people of Baltistan, while the Aga Khan Trust for Culture undertook the daunting task of restoring it. After five years of painstakingly researched traditional construction and embellishment, and at a cost of $1.4 million USD, the Fort was finally restored to its former glory; every detail of its architecture and decoration having been reconstructed as an exact copy of the original.
Today the Fort stands unchallenged within its own geological fortress, backed by the snow-plumed peaks of ‘the roof of the world'. Raised on a 5-metre plug of rock, barricaded by rocky cliffs and protected by curtain walls of impenetrable rock, it broods over the valley below. Here, however, time has softened the aspect. Over the centuries intricate stone irrigation channels have been built, which have been used to channel the melt waters of the Himalya to the rocky wastes of Shigar. Now, the fort is surrounded with rose gardens and fruit orchards, famous for their apples and cherries.
One of the last surviving relics of an immeasurably ancient kingdom, which legend suggests was the origin of the mythical land of ‘Shangri-la, the lovingly restored ‘Palace of the Rock' operates now as both a museum and a hotel. Four hundred years after it was built, it continues to offer sanctuary and protection for those who travel ‘the roof of the world'. Today, however, the guests of the Raja enjoy a rather different standard of welcome to those of the past. Exclusively privileged, they are invited to treat the palace-museum as their personal domain and live as did the Rajas of the past. Unlike the Rajas, however, they also have marble ensuite bathrooms, WiFi, satellite TV, telephones, 24-hour electricity, a choice of luxury restaurants and a helipad.
The ‘Old House'
The building to the south of the Fort, which is now known as the ‘Old House', once held the palace stables and has been added to substantially over the centuries.
The Amacha Garden
Early in the 20th century, Raja Muhammad Adam Khan, father of the present Raja, carried out some restorative work to the gardens. It was then that some exquisite marble columns were discovered, which had once supported a terrace around a central square pool. Perfectly presented in the style of the high Mughal craftsmen of Kashmir, it is thought that the columns had been brought from an earlier building. Today the Amacha Gardens are a place of peace and tranquility with a central oblong water feature in the traditional style.
The Raja's Mosque
Next to the fort is the Raja's public mosque, a handsome and ornate building of significant antiquity and artistic value. Presented in traditional style, it offers just a single room with four bays, an elegant central column support, and a veranda on the eastern side.
A showcase for socially-responsible tourism and economic development
The restoration of the Shigar Fort acts as a potent illustration of the role that socially-responsible tourism can play in the development of challenged communities. Before its restoration, the abandoned fort stood central to a community facing poverty, lack of education, an extreme environment and extremely limited access to the rest of the world. By using local labour and skills, the AKTC not only generated income within the community, but also facilitated training, education and the creation of employment for the future. By showcasing local arts and crafts in the restoration, the trust also created an ecologically-sustainable tourism industry for the future. Finally, by providing micro-finance for local business and support for the local infrastructure, the project has created both financial self-sustainability and economic viability for the surrounding region.
A delicate balance between past and present, tourism and culture
Finally, the reincarnated Shigar Fort Residence has acted as the foundation stone for a new form of tourism, one that combines the appreciation of a living culture, with the preservation of an ancient heritage. The embodiment of ‘Cultural Tourism, the Fort operates both as a museum and a luxury hotel. Thus, while showcasing the Balti heritage in a manner that is open to all, it also allows those who wish to really live the culture of the past, to do so amid the comforts of the future; thus past meets present: and the fabled land of ‘Shangri-la' comes to life.
