Shigar

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Shigar

| official_name =

| native_name = {{lang|ur|{{Nq|شگر (Balti ཤི༌གར།) }}}}

| native_name_lang =

| other_name =

| settlement_type = Town

| image_skyline = Shigar, Skardu.jpg

| image_caption = Shigar, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

| nickname =

| motto =

| map_caption =

| pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan

| pushpin_label_position = bottom

| pushpin_mapsize =

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the Karakoram region

| coordinates = {{coord|35|25|25|N|75|44|20|E|region:PK-GB|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name =

| subdivision_type1 = Province

| subdivision_type2 = District

| subdivision_type3 =

| subdivision_type4 =

| subdivision_name1 = Gilgit–Baltistan

| subdivision_name2 = Shigar

| subdivision_name3 =

| area_water_km2 =

| elevation_m = 2230

| population_density_blank1_km2 =

| population_density_blank1_sq_mi =

| population =

| website =

| footnotes =

| timezone = PST

| utc_offset = +5:00

}}

Shigar ({{Langx|ur|شگر}}) is the headquarter of its namesake district and tehsil in the Baltistan division of Gilgit-Baltistan region in northern Pakistan. It is located on the bank of the Shigar River in the most remote part of the region. It is a popular site for tourists and trekkers and contains many historical buildings of architectural significance associated with several different communities.

The town is inhabited almost exclusively by the Balti people of Tibetan descent. Almost 65% of the population belongs to the Shia sect of Islam, 26% to the Norbakhshi sect and the remaining to the Sunni sect. Via the Shigar Valley, it is the gateway to the Karakoram mountain range, which has five eight-thousanders, including K2.{{cite web |url=http://www.skardu.pk/shigar-valley |title=Shigar valley |access-date=2015-01-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110001217/http://www.skardu.pk/shigar-valley |archive-date=10 January 2015 |df=dmy-all }}

History

The local ruling dynasty of Shigar prior to the Dogra conquest was known as Amāchas, who traced their descent from the Ayash dyansty of Hunza and like them used the title of Tham.{{cite book |last1=Dani |first1=Ahmad Hasan |author1-link=Ahmad Hasan Dani |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AzG5llo3YCMC |title=History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume V |date=2003 |publisher=UNESCO Publishing |isbn=92-3-103876-1 |location=Paris |pages=235–46 |chapter=The Pamirs, Badakhshan and the Trans-Pamir States (Part 2: The Trans-Pamir States) |access-date=2 May 2024}} The principal source of information regarding the Amāchas is the Shigarnamah, written in 1752 CE. Ahmad Hasan Dani derives the etymology of Amācha from the Sanskrit amātya, meaning minister.{{Cite book |last=Dani |first=Ahmad Hasan |author-link=Ahmad Hasan Dani |url= |title=History of Northern Areas of Pakistan |date=1991 |publisher=National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, Quaid-i-Azam University |isbn=978-969-415-016-1 |edition=2nd |location=Islamabad |pages=229–232 |language=en |orig-date=1989}} The founder of the dynasty was one Cha Tham, a Hunza prince. According to tradition, Syed Ali Hamdani arrived in Shigar in the late 14th century and converted the locals to Islam. To this day, mosques and khanqahs attributed to him exist in the region.{{Cite journal|last=Rieck|first=Andreas|date=1995|title=The Nurbakhshis of Baltistan – Crisis and Revival of a Five Centuries Old Community|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1570060952597761|journal=Die Welt des Islams|volume=35|issue=2|pages=159–188|doi=10.1163/1570060952597761|issn=0043-2539}} Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi (d. 1525) came to Shigar during the reign of Amācha ruler Ghāzitham II. During the reign of Abdullah Khan, Shigar was invaded in 1532 by the Sultan Said Khan, the ruler of Yarkent Khanate. Shigar was conquered in 1634 by Abdal Khan, the ruler of Skardu, but Amāchas regained power with the help of Mughal forces. The last ruler of Shigar was Haidar Khan during whose rule Baltistan was conquered by Zorawar Singh, in 1842.

Tourist attractions

File:Doko bridge.jpg

File:Cloudy Shigar.jpg

File:Wheat field at Bisil.jpg

File:Ganchan Peak, Bisil.jpg

Popular tourist attractions in the town include:

Climate

Shigar has a cold desert climate (Köppen: BWk).{{Cite web|title=Shigar climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Shigar weather averages |via=Climate-Data.org|url=https://en.climate-data.org/asia/pakistan/gilgit-baltistan/shigar-322604/|website=en.climate-data.org|access-date=2020-05-30}}

{{Weather box|location = Shigar, elevation: {{convert|2289|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1982–2012 normals

|name=Shigar weatherbox

|width = auto

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan high C = -0.4

|Feb high C = 2.2

|Mar high C = 8.9

|Apr high C = 16.2

|May high C = 21.8

|Jun high C = 26.8

|Jul high C = 30.3

|Aug high C = 30.0

|Sep high C = 25.0

|Oct high C = 18.4

|Nov high C = 10.9

|Dec high C = 3.5

|Jan mean C = -5.2

|Feb mean C = -3.0

|Mar mean C = 3.9

|Apr mean C = 10.6

|May mean C = 15.4

|Jun mean C = 19.9

|Jul mean C = 23.4

|Aug mean C = 23.0

|Sep mean C = 18.1

|Oct mean C = 11.4

|Nov mean C = 4.3

|Dec mean C = -1.6

|Jan low C = -9.9

|Feb low C = -8.1

|Mar low C = -1.0

|Apr low C = 5.0

|May low C = 9.1

|Jun low C = 13.0

|Jul low C = 16.5

|Aug low C = 16.1

|Sep low C = 11.3

|Oct low C = 4.4

|Nov low C = -2.2

|Dec low C = -6.6

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 18

|Feb precipitation mm = 17

|Mar precipitation mm = 29

|Apr precipitation mm = 22

|May precipitation mm = 23

|Jun precipitation mm = 6

|Jul precipitation mm = 7

|Aug precipitation mm = 8

|Sep precipitation mm = 9

|Oct precipitation mm = 5

|Nov precipitation mm = 3

|Dec precipitation mm = 12

|unit precipitation days = 1 mm

|source = Climate-Data.org

}}

Gallery

File:Road to Shigar.jpg|All roads out of Shigar, such as the one to Skardu pictured here, pass through rugged mountainous terrain.

File:Khilingrong Mosque Shigar 2015-04-10.jpg|Khilingrong Mosque at Shigar

File:Ready for Polo at Shigar.jpg|Polo is enjoyed by local Pakistanis in Shigar.

File:GulabPurBridgeShigar.jpg|Gulabpur Bridge

File:Sunset at Bisil village.jpg|Bisil sunset, Bhasha Valley, Shigar

File:Bisil village Shigar.jpg|Bisil, Bhasha Valley, Shigar

File:Shigar River at Zil Bhasha.jpg|Shigar river, Zil Shigar

File:Bhasha Valley, Shigar.jpg|Shigar Bhasha Valley road

File:Tisar village Shigar.jpg|Tisar village, Shigar Valley

References

Category:Populated places in Shigar District

Category:Baltistan