Hunza Businesses

Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro
The ruins of the huge city of Moenjodaro – built entirely of unbaked brick in the 3rd millennium B.C. – lie in the Indus valley. The acropolis, set on high embankments, the ramparts, and the lower town, which is laid out according to strict rules, provide evidence of an early system of town planning.

Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol
The Buddhist monastic complex of Takht-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins) was founded in the early 1st century. Owing to its location on the crest of a high hill, it escaped successive invasions and is still exceptionally well preserved. Nearby are the ruins of Sahr-i-Bahlol, a small fortified city dating from the same period.

Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore
These are two masterpieces from the time of the brilliant Mughal civilization, which reached its height during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan. The fort contains marble palaces and mosques decorated with mosaics and gilt. The elegance of these splendid gardens, built near the city of Lahore on three terraces with lodges, waterfalls and large ornamental ponds, is unequalled.

Historical Monuments of Thatta
The capital of three successive dynasties and later ruled by the Mughal emperors of Delhi, Thatta was constantly embellished from the 14th to the 18th century. The remains of the city and its necropolis provide a unique view of civilization in Sind.

Rohtas Fort
Following his defeat of the Mughal emperor Humayun in 1541, Sher Shah Suri built a strong fortified complex at Rohtas, a strategic site in the north of what is now Pakistan. It was never taken by storm and has survived intact to the present day. The main fortifications consist of the massive walls, which extend for more than 4 km; they are lined with bastions and pierced by monumental gateways. Rohtas Fort, also called Qila Rohtas, is an exceptional example of early Muslim military architecture in Central and South Asia.

Taxila
From the ancient Neolithic tumulus of Saraikala to the ramparts of Sirkap (2nd century B.C.) and the city of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.), Taxila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus that was alternately influenced by Persia, Greece and Central Asia and which, from the 5th century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D., was an important Buddhist centre of learning.

Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
The mosque and its vast courtyard are raised upon a platform which is approached from the east by a handsome flight of 22 steps an upstanding gateway of traditional Moghal type. The entrance which is a double storey edifice is elaborately decorated with framed and carved panelling on all its facades. At the four corners there are square minarets surmounted by pseudo-pavilions of red sandstone with white marble cupolas. At the four corners of the courtyard are the tall octogonal minars (towers). Four smaller minarets, also octogonal, are attached to the corners of the prayer chamber. Above them rise three grand bulbous marble domes. The red sandstone of the building is decorated externally with unobtrusive lines and patterns in white marble inlay. The embellishment of the prayer chamber in the interior and exterior with Zanjira interlacing and flowers with their spidery tendrils, and treated in bold relief, is a unique work of unsurpassed beauty and workmanship in Moghal architecture. The inscription on the gateway indicates that it was built in A.H. 1084 (1673-74 A.D.).

Wazir Khan's Mosque, Lahore
Covering an overall area of 279 ° x 159', the mosque is entirely constructed in cut and dressed bricks laid in kankar lime with a scanty sprinkling of red sandstone in the gate and the transept. The courtyard is divided into two parts : the upper part is about 6" higher than the lower with the ablution tank in the middle. The courtyard is flanked on its east, north and south sides by 32 small hujras of different sizes. The prayer chamber on the west side is divided into five compartments by massive piers bearing wide, four centred arches and each compartment is crowned by a dome. At the northern and southern ends of the prayer chamber, a small room has been contrived in the central portion while on the eastern end there is a gallery opening into the spiral staircase lending to the roof. The main structural features of distinction are the four corner minars (minarets), the five domes and transept at the entrance gate on the east. According to two inscriptions, the mosque was built in A.H.

Tombs of Jahangir, Asif Khan and Akbari Sarai, Lahore
Jahangir's tomb The Monument, a single storey structure, square in plan, consists of a platform with tall octagonal corner towers and a projecting entrance bay in the middle of each side. The exterior of the monument including the lowest stage of the towers, has a red sandstone facing with rich panel decoration inlaid with marble decorative motifs. The four corner towers, with white marble cupolas, rise in five stages to a height of 100 feet with a zigzag inlay of white and yellow marble : the building is divided into a series of vaulted compartments. The interior is embellished with floral frescoes, delicate inlay work (pietra dura) and brilliant marble intersia of various colours. The marble cenctaph with its delicate and colourful pietra dure is engraved with the ninety-nine attributes of Allah. Asif Khan's tomb The tomb, an octagonal structure with a high bulbous dome stands in the centre of a vast garden divided into four squares once set with reservoirs, fountains and pathways. The exterior was originally adorned with rich stone inlay work and the interior decorated with very bold stucco tracery, tile mosaic and ghalibkari. The high bulbous double dome was originally covered with marble veneering. Akbari Sarai The series of tombs called Akbari Sarai, is situated between the tombs of Jahangir and Asif Khan. The open courtyard of the Sarai is flanked on all sides by a raised terrace where are built rows of small cells, numbering 180, fronted with a verandah and a common open passage. The corners of the Sarai are graced by burjis. The Sarai has two stately gateways of usual Mughal style, one on the north and the other on the south. These gateways are beautifully decorated with frescoes and ghalibkari. From the decorative elements, the style of the structure and the size of bricks, the Sarai and the entrance gatoway to the tomb seem to have been built in the same period apparently parts o single building complex of Shah Jahan's Tomb. To the west of the Sarai in the middle of the row of cells is a mosque with three splendid domes. It is graced with red sandstone facing decorated with inlay work.

Hiran Minar and Tank, Sheikhupura
Constructed in brick, the minar (tower) is circular and tapers towards the top, which is flat, with a parapet wall. There are 210 square holes on the outer surface of the minar, arranged at regular intervals i~ 14 rows. A spiral straircase consisting of 108 steps has been provided ins-.de the minar. Along6ide the staircase, there are 11 ascending rectangular arched openings provided for air and light The minar is divided into six tiers of different height. The base of each tier has projected moulding and the lowest tier has an arched opening for an entrance. The entire exterior as well as interior of the minar has lime plaster, apparently with some floral or lineal fresco paintings. The thick lime plaster applied over the surface of the lowest tier has been divided into decorative panels or arched niches and horizontal bands in high relief. Facing the grand minar on the east side is a big tank with a causeway leading to the octagonal baradari (pavilion) built in the middle There is a square pavilion at each corner with a gateway to the baradari. The tank is rectangular in shape, each side has a ramp and a parapet wall and is flanked by four staircases of 8 6teps. During Mughal days, a channel was cut from the Aik rivulet and connected with the tank at its north-west corner ; in addition, an elaborate system for filling up the tank with rain water from the catchment area was devised. The main gateway to the baradari is a rectangular vestibule with a pointed arch flanked by four other similar but smaller openings, built one upon the other. Inside the vestibule are two platforms. The inner walls have been decorated with recessed niches, while the soffit of the domeshaped ceilings has honeycomb decoration. The two flights of 13 stops cons-tructed at both the corners lead to the roof. The outer and inner sur-face has been plastered in the usual way and decorated with fresco paintings. A causeway, standing on 21 pointed arched pillars, connects the main baradari with the gateway. A square-shaped projected platform has been provided in the middle of thc causeway. In the centre of the tank has been erected an octagonal platform with a low parapet wall on all sides. Over the platform stands the beautiful baradari in the same plan, The baradari was constructed under the orders of the Emperor Jahangir in 1620 A.D. for use as a royal residence.

Tomb of Hazrat Rukn-e-Alam, Multan
The tomb, built in 1320-24 A.D., lies inside Multan Fort. This elegant building is an octagon in plan with a diameter of 15' 9ù and a side measuring 20’6". It is the first octagonal tom in the South Asia subcontinent. The special features in the construction of the Shrine are the tapering walls, horizontal wooden beam embedded at the exterior of brick work and a wooden frame built with horizontal and vertical beams. One of the main important features of the Shrine is the carved wooden Mehrab, a delicate and intricate piece of work, which is the earliest specimen of its kind in the whole South Asian Sub-continent. The structure is built entirely in red brick, the whole exterior elabora-tely decorated with glazed tile panels in string-courses and merlons. The colours used are Indian blue, persian blue and white, which contrast with the red of the finely dressed bricks. The enamelled tiles of this tomb are of a special type having relief patterns, raised from half an inch to two inches from the background. The second storey, also octagonal, is elaborately decoratod with geometric, floral and arabesque designs. It is further beautified by calligraphic motifs, brick design in relief pattern of caustic tiles and ornamental brick work.

Rani Kot Fort, Dadu
The fortification wall of the gigantic fort of Rani Kot is 35 kms in length and connects barren hills. The fort was built in the first quarter of the l9th century. The fortification wall, which follows the natural contours of the hilly area, has solid semi-circular bastions at intervals. The fortification wall runs on three sides of the area, while on the northern side the lofty peaks of the higher hillocks serve as a wall. A small fortress, about 5-6 miles inside the main gate, appears to have been the royal residence for the ruling family of Mirs. The double door gate lies on the south of the fortress. Inside the gate two nitches are decorated with floral designs and carved stones. The whole architecture of the fort is restricted to stone and lime.

Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta
The mosque, a heavy brick structure of simple construction built upon a stone plinth, with heavy square pillars and massive walls, is centered around a courtyard 169' X 97'. The prayer chamber is of a similar size. Both are covered by large domes. On the north and south two aisled galleries open by means of arcades onto the courtyard. Ninety three domes cover the entire structure, and are probably the cause of a remarkable echo, which enables the prayers in front of the Mibrab to be heard in any part of the building. The mosque contains the most elaborate display of tile-work in the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent. The two main chambers, in particular, are entirely covered with them. Their domes have been exquisitely laid with a mosaic of radiating blue and white tiles. Stylish floral patterns, akin the seventeenth century Kashi work of Iran, decorate the spandrels of the main arches and elsewhere geometrical designs on square tiles are disposed in a series of panels.

Chaukhandi Tombs, Karachi
The Chaukhandi graveyard spreads over an area of two square miles and contains tombs of certain warriors of Saloch families settled in this area some time during the 17th and 18th centuries A.D. Owing to the scarcity of dated inscriptions on Chaukhandi tombs, it its difficult to assign exact dates to them. 5i.le tombs are built on raised platforms in a pyramids form with decorative stone slabs covered in relief with human and figurative designs. Most of the tombs represent family graveyards and only a few are placed under pillar canopies finished in Hindu style. The carvings on some of the male graves show a horseman with his arms; shield, sword, bow and arrow. The carvings on women’s graves represent ornaments such as bracelets, necklaces, rings, anklets, etc. Also in case of male graves, a boss shaped projection provided at the northern end intends to hold the turban of the deceased.

Archaeological Site of Mehrgarh
The archaeological site of Mehrgarh consist of a number of low archaeological mounds in the Kachi plain, close to the mouth of the Bolan Pass. Located next to the west bank of the Bolan river, they are some 30 kilometres from the town of Sibi. Covering an area of some 250 hectares, most of the archaeological deposits are buried deep beneath accumulations of alluvium although in other areas ‘in situ’ structures can be seen eroding on the surface. Currently exposed excavated remains at the site comprise a complex of large compartmental mud-brick structures. Built of hand-formed plano-convex mud bricks, the function of these sub-divided units is still uncertain but it is thought that many were for storage rather than residential. Mounds, MR3 & MR1 also contain formal cemeteries, parts of which have been excavated.

Archaeological Site of Rehman Dheri
The archaeological site of Rehman Dheri consists of a rectangular shaped mound covering some twenty two hectares and standing 4.5 metres above the surrounding field. The final occupational phase of the site is clearly visible on the surface of the mound by eye and also through air photographs. It consisted of a large walled rectangular area with a grid iron network of streets and lanes dividing the settlement into regular blocks. Walls delineating individual buildings and street frontages are clearly visible in the early morning dew or after rain and it is also possible to identify the location of a number of small-scale industrial areas within the site marked, as they are, by eroding kilns and scatters of slag. The surface of the mound is littered with thousands of shreds and artefacts, slowly eroding out of room fills.

Archaeological Site of Harappa
The archaeological site of Harappa consists of a series of low archaeological mounds and cemeteries to the south of a dry bed of the Ravi river. Although covering a full extent of 150 hectares the property and its buffer zone comprises eight mounds and two cemeteries – the remainder being buried deep beneath the surrounding agricultural land or the modern village of Harappa. A modern sign posted network of concrete paths links most of these mounds. The site’s sequence stretches from the fourth to the second millennium BC and whilst there are a limited number of open sections, the only exposed structures, on mound AB and F, date to the third millennium. There are a number of historic structures scattered across the property including an un-conserved Gupta period temple, a partially conserved mosque, the recently excavated foundations of a Mughal serai and the ruins of a colonial police station. Modern purpose built structures are located close to mound E being adjacent to the access road. These include a museum (currently being enlarged), rest house, police house, public toilets, snack bar and children’s play area, store rooms in addition to the complex housing the Harappa Archaeological Research Project other modern features include a small cemetery to the east of mound AB. A modern reconstruction of a Bronze Age city wall and gate has been constructed on the southern edge of mounds E and ET alongside the access road.

Archaeological Site of Ranigat
The famous Buddhist archaeological site of Ranigat, is located in Tehsil Totalai, District Buner, N.W.F.P. The remains of Ranigat are scattered in the valley along the ridge in an area. The Buddhist monuments at Ranigat had attracted the attention of many researchers like Sir A. Cunningham an eminent Archaeological Surveyor who visited the site in 1848. Later on , the site was visited by H.W. Bellew in 1864, H.H. Cole, Curator of Ancient Monuments of India who conducted here small scale excavations. In December 1881, A. Stein also carried out survey of this historic site. In 1898, M.A. Foucher visited Ranigat site who noticed that the site was destroyed through illegal diggings by treasure hunters. The site in question is declared as a protected antiquity in terms of Antiquities Act, 1975 by the Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Pakistan. A joint Pakistan-Japanese team is carrying out a project sponsored by the Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Pakistan; UNESCO and Japanese Trust Fund with the experts input from the University of Kyoto. Excavated area of the site is mainly divided in to four sectors i.e. east area, south area, southwest area and west area. All the excavated area is already protected with barbed wire fencing. A number of facilities, site protection and development works i.e. approach road, stepped path, existing barbed wire fencing partially replacing with G.I. wire netting and iron bar panels, visitor shed, watchman shelter, shelter over stupas, main entrance gate, benches, boards , storm water collecting tank and complete eradication of wild growth in some portion of the site including proper dressing to eliminate water stagnation/storm water drainage have been carried out and provided.

Shahbazgarhi Rock Edicts
The Shahbazgarhi rock edicts are cut into the surface of two large boulders on the side of a small rocky outcrop in the Vale of Peshawar. The record fourteen edicts of the Mauryan emperor, Asoka (r. c. 272-235 BC) and represent the earliest irrefutable evidence of writing in South Asia. Dating to middle of the third century BC, they are written from right to left in the Kharosthi script. The presence of Kharosti suggests that the influence of Achaemenid rule in this region, the province of Gandhara, outlived the short Alexandrian interlude of the fourth century BC. The fourteen major edicts recorded at the site present aspects of Asoka’s dharma or righteous law. The edicts are located beside one of the ancient trade routes connecting the Vale of Peshawar with the valley of Swat, Dir and Chitral to the North and the great city of Taxila to the South East.

Mansehra Rock Edicts
The Mansehra rock edicts are cut into the surface of three large boulders on the side of a rocky outcrop close to the city of Mansehra. They record fourteen edicts of the Mauryan emperor, Asoka (r. c. 272-235 BC) and represent the earliest irrefutable evidence of writing in South Asia. Dating to middle of the third Century BC, they are written from right to left in the Kharosthi script. The presence of Kharosthi suggests that the influence of Achaemenid rule in this region, the province of Gandhara, outlived the short Alexandrian interlude of the fourth century BC. The fourteen major edicts recorded at the site present aspects of Asoka’s dharma or righteous law. The edicts are located besides one of the ancient routes connecting the Vale of Peshawar to the regions for Kashmir, Gilgit and Central Asia in the north and to the great city of Taxila in the south.

Baltit Fort
Baltit Fort is situated in Karimabad, once was capital of the state of Hunza, now Tehsil Headquarter of District Gilgit. It is approached by Karakuram Highway from Gilgit, the capital of Northern Areas, Pakistan. The Baltit Fort stands on a artificially flattened spur below the Ulter Glacier. Strategically located with a commanding view of the Hunza Valley and its Tributaries, its inhabitants controlled the seasonal trans-Karakuram trade between south and Central Asia. The Baltit Fort is rectangular in plan with three floors and stands on a high stone plinth Fig-I. Whilts the ground floor consist mainly of storage chambers, the first floor is oriented around as open hall. A staircase leads to the second floor which was mainly used during the winter months and contains an audience hall, guest room, dining hall, kitchen and servants quarters. A further staircases leads up to the third floor which is partly open to the elements and contains the summer dining room, audience chamber, bedroom and reception hall. Inhabited by the Mir, or ruler of Hunza until 1945. The conservation work carried out in the 1990 indicated that the core of the structures, a single defensive timber and stone tower, had been built in the eight century A.D. This tower was augmented by additional towers and linked by a single story construction consisting of small rooms and sub-surface storage chambers. The complex was then later expanded by the addition of a second, and then a third floor. The structure’s stone walls, built in an area of frequent seismic movements, were provided with a traditional internal framework of timber for greater stabilisation.

Tomb of Bibi Jawindi, Baha'al-Halim and Ustead and the Tomb and Mosque of Jalaluddin Bukhari
The proposed property consists of 5 monuments at the South-West corner of Uch Sharif- representing the town’s most exceptional architecture. The oldest are the fourteenth century AD tomb and mosque of the Central Asian Sufi Jalaluddin Bukhari. The brick-built tomb measures 18 meters by 24 meters and its carved wooden pillars support a flat roof and it is decorated with glazed tiles in floral and geometric designs. The ceiling is painted with floral designs in lacquer and its floor covered with the graves of the saint and his relatives an interior partition provides purdah for those of his womenfolk. Its mosque consists of a hall, measuring 20 meters by 11 meters, with 18 wooden pillars supporting a flat roof. It was built of cut and dressed bricks and further decorated, internally and externally, with enamelled tiles in floral and geometric designs. These structures were joined by a series of domed tombs; the first is said to have been built for Baha’ al-Halim by his pupil, the Suharwardiya Sufi saint Jahaniyan Jahangasht (1307-1383 AD), the second for the latter’s great grant daughter, Bibi Jalwindi, in c.1494 and the third for the latter’s architect. They all have three tiers, an octagonal base supporting a zone of transition surmounted by a dome and are richly decorated with carved timber, cut and moulded brick, and blue and white faience mosaic tiles. The basement walls taper and are supported by 8 engaged tapering corner towers. The eroded nature of the three clearly allows their profile, construction and decorated interiors to be seen.

Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam
The tomb of Shah Rukn-i-Alam was built by the Tughluq ruler of Delhi, Ghiyas-ud-din (r. 1320-1325), between 1320 and 1324 AD. Although probably intended as a mausoleum for is own dynasty, it was presented to the family of the renowned Sufi saint following the latter’s death. The three-tier structure stands within its own compound at the north-western edge of the Fort. It is octagonal in shape with an interior diameter of 15 metres and the first tier’s 4 metre thick walls assisted by 8 engaged corner towers or buttresses with a clear slope, support an 8 metre octagon surmounted by a dome with a diameter of 15 metres. The 35 metre high structure is constructed in red brick with a visible framework of beams of shisam wood. The exterior is further ornamented with the use of carved brick and wood as well as blue and white faience mosaic tiles with raised relief patterns. The octagon is decorated with geometric, floral and arabesque designs and calligraphic motifs. The interior, although originally plastered, is bare and the sarcophagus of the saint is surrounded by those of 72 of his descendants. The saint is still revered today and his tomb is the focus of the pilgrimage of over 100,000 pilgrims from all over South Asia who visit and commemorate his memory. The carved wooden mehrab is though to represent the earliest example of its category.

Port of Banbhore
The Site of Banbhore is located on the Northern Bank of Gharo Creak, 65 Kilometre East of Karachi. It has a sequence from the first century BC to the thirteenth century AD. Whilst its earlier phases are waterlogged, the site’s surface remains represent the best preserved early Islamic urban form in South Asia and the region’s best preserved mediaeval port. The port’s plan consist of five main zones, the most impressive of which, a 10 meters high mound, stand on the shore of the creek itself. Measuring 610 by 305 meters, the mound is delineated by a 3 meters wide limestone fortification wall with 46 rounded bastions and 3 gates. The latter appear to be connected to a grid-iron arrangement of streets. An interior wall divides the mound into a Western and Eastern Sector, with the floor plans of major structures preserved on the surface of the latter half. These largest of these have been identified as a mosque, administrative quarter and serai or inn. The ground plan of its stone-built mosque is particularly well preserved and consisted of a square, plan measuring 34 by 35 meter with a central open courtyard surrounded by cloisters. The Western cloister formed the prayer hall and its flat roof was supported by 33 wooden pillars resting sandstone bases. There was no trace of a mehrab, but an inscription dating to 727 AD, (some 16 years after the conquest of Sindh by the Arab General, Muhammad Bin Qasim), indicates that this is the best preserved example of an early mosque in the region – others having been rebuilt. Indeed, the evidence of the reuse of carved stone from earlier Hindu structures, suggests that the site had undergone a major shift in cultural and ritual focus. Beyond the walls there are two substantial, unfortified suburbs to the East and the North West, both consisting of the eroded remains of mud brick structures. The mound’s North Eastern corner abuts a large artificial tank or reservoir – the port’s drinking supply – and a large industrial area stretches along the latter’s western edge with evidence of textile processing, glass-making, glazing and metallurgy. The presence of the industrial sector and the port’s wealth of imported ceramic and metal goods, in combination with its strategic siting at the mouth of the Indus, reinforces the pivotal role of Banbhore linking the international Indian Ocean traders with the resources of the interior. Its role ended when the Indus shifted in the eleventh century AD and the creek silted, underlying the role that nature has played in shaping the heritage of the delta.