Shigar Fort
Fong-Khar
A 17th-century Balti royal palace, restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture into a boutique hotel and museum, which won a UNESCO award.
Shigar Fort, known locally as Fong-Khar, meaning 'palace on the rock', was built by the Amacha dynasty of Shigar in the 17th century. Its timber-and-stone construction blends Kashmiri and Tibetan styles, set against a huge boulder with a stream running through the grounds. In 2004 it was restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and converted into the Serena boutique hotel and a museum. It won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for conservation. Non-guests can buy tickets (around 1,000 rupees) to visit the museum, the carved-wood rooms and the gardens, and can also dine or stay here. It is about 32 km from Skardu, roughly a 40-minute drive.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00 (museum tours)
Nearby sights
- Amburik Mosque
- Blind Lake (Zharba Tso)
- Sarfaranga Cold Desert
- Kharpocho Fort (Skardu Fort)
- Katpana Cold Desert
- Manthal Buddha Rock
- Satpara Lake
- Shangrila Resort (Lower Kachura Lake)