Baltit Fort is situated in the valley of Hunza in Pakistan. Erected on prime of a hill it overlooks the complete valley. The fort was constructed some 600 years ago. It is totally made of stones, supported by timber beams and plastered over with sun-dried mud. Elders of Hunza inform that a Balti princess was married with the King of Hunza. She brought Balti masons and artisans to develop this fort as a dowry item. The fort remained the palace and family house of the Kings until 1960 when a witch came to reside in it. The royal household shifted to a new granite palace. The fort has been nicely kept. It maintains a museum, library and a good restaurant. The credit goes to the Agha Khan Trust for Culture.
Baltit Fort is 3-storey creating with 53 rooms. The principal gate opens into a dark hall or corridor on the ground floor. There are guest rooms, kitchens, storerooms, prisons and living rooms attached to this corridor. A wooden staircase goes up by means of a square opening in the floor above.
The second floor has family members apartments, reception rooms, royal court, arms depot and guards’ chambers. A balcony presents a fascinating view of the valley. One more ladder requires to the roof. This is the very best spot to view the renowned peak of Rakaposhi that rises straight out of cultivated fields and reaches 7788 meters in the sky. Behind the fort, the Korakoram rises in a series of needle-sharp peaks. The most renowned of them is lady’s finger. Locals also contact it Bulbuli’s peak, after a legendary Hunza princess. The peak is so steep that even snow can't sustain on its leading. As a result, the black peak stands in contrast with its snow covered neighbors.
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