Baltistan & Hunza - Conservation and Development Projects

Conservation and Development Projects1

2Baltit Fort looks out over the HunzaValley and the upper Karimabad village.C O N S E R VA T I O N A N DD E V E L O P M E N T P R O J E C T SREL ATE D PROJ ECTS :In the Hunza Valley, the Aga KhanDevelopment Network (AKDN) hasimplemented or supported a varietyof community-based projects. Theseinclude the restoration and re-use ofBaltit Fort; rehabilitation of the historicvillages of Karimabad, Ganishand Altit; construction and runningof schools, including a higher secondaryschool for girls; branches of theFirst MicroFinance Bank; health units;safe water and sanitation projects forgreater Karimabad, Ganish, Altit andother communities; support for theKarimabad Town Management Societyand other organisations dedicated tosustainable development; mini-hydroelectricplants that supply electricityin remote villages; tourism facilitiesincluding the Baltit Inn and Gilgit SerenaInn; income-generating activitiesand savings programmes; and kilometresof new or repaired irrigationcanals, bridges and other infrastructure.In addition, AKDN institutionshave planted over 10 million treesand brought 33,000 new hectares ofagricultural land under cultivation inGilgit.When it began working in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, in 1992, the AgaKhan Trust for Culture’s restoration and revitalisation activities became themost visible part of a broad area development programme undertaken by agenciesof the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Encompassing cultural,economic and social development, the programme included microfinance, agriculturalprogrammes, health, education, the introduction of clean-water suppliesand sanitation facilities, construction of mini hydro-electric plants, theimprovement of public open spaces, community-driven village rehabilitationand house renovation.Baltit Fort, the Trust’s first project (undertaken by the Historic Cities SupportProgramme), was completed in 1996. The Hunza Valley settlements of Karimabadand Ganish, and projects in Baltistan, were completed in subsequentyears. While the Trust provided the technical expertise, much of the labourand material was provided by the communities themselves. In addition to restorationefforts, the Trust also focused on reviving traditional skills, generatingnew employment opportunities and providing training in the jobs needed for achanging economy.To sustain improvements in the quality of life brought about by these projects,Town Management Societies were charged with defining future strategies andcreating local institutions capable of operating and maintaining restored landmarkbuildings and settlements. New local NGOs have also been groomed torevive and market traditional local crafts, such as weaving, embroidery, woodcarvingor gemstone production.Local communities have regained interest and pride in their local heritage. Traditionalhousing that had been at risk of being abandoned has been restored, upgradedand reoccupied. In the process, residents have shown that maintaininglocal building traditions can go hand in hand with improved living standards.This lesson has not been lost on other communities. The rehabilitation movementhas now spread to other parts of the Northern Areas, and many historicvillages, such as Altit, Shigar and Khaplu, have been or are being upgraded withassistance from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

3BALTIT FORTK A R I M A B A D , H U N Z AConservation projects in the Hunza Valley began with the 700-year-old BaltitFort and eventually encompassed the traditional settlements in Karimabad.Baltit Fort was described by a visitor in 1979 as “a labyrinth of dark, smelly,dusty rooms” with decaying roofs pierced by holes and cracked walls thatleaned precariously outside foundation lines. Yet it was undoubtedly a masterpieceof craftsmanship and thoroughly adapted to climate and function.Restoration work began on the Fort in 1992 and was completed in 1996. Ithas since become a local history museum and cultural centre.The villages and neighbourhoods around the Fort, which were in danger ofbeing deserted in favour of new construction, have been rehabilitated with theactive participation of residents. In most cases, the traditional houses havenow been reoccupied. The key to this successful revitalisation effort has beenthe introduction of contemporary living standards, including piped water andsanitation systems. To plan future strategies for the growth and developmentof the town, a Town Management Society has been set up with the assistanceof the Trust.In Hunza, Old Karimabad traditionalsettlement and housing clusters.

4Altit Historic SettlementLibraryWater Treatment PlantA L T I T , H U N Z AJamat KhanaSanitation PlantOld ShopsGovernment DispensaryAltit FortWhite ApricotNew Beacon High SchoolDJ SchoolPolo GroundKisar InnOld HouseTreatment PlantAltit village settlement and fortbuilt on a cliff high above theHunza river.The same phenomenon of desertion had occurred in Altit, a village located atthe foot of the 900 year-old Altit Fort. Nearly a third of the homes had beenabandoned. New construction was using up valuable arable land.In an attempt to address this phenomenon and pre-empt the socio-economicconsequences expected from a tourism boom, conservation efforts at Altitproceeded in reverse order: the village rehabilitation before the Fort. As inKarimabad, the introduction of water and sanitation facilities has proven vitalto the revitalisation of the traditional settlement.The conservation strategy for Altit Fort developed in 2004 calls for preservation“as found”, that is, basically as an empty shell. Most conservation worksrelate to mending structural defects, stabilising and repairing existing walls,replacing some roofs, treating wood decay and providing appropriate lighting.

5Open SpaceG A N I S H , H U N Z AOswa Public SchoolCommunity PondCourtyardImam BargahBudinkutz MosqueGovernment SchoolShaikutz MosqueKuyokutz MosqueRapikutz MosqueKuyokutz MosqueYarikutz MosqueJataqMamorokutz MosqueConservation in Ganish has centred on historically important spaces such asthe jataq, a traditional communal space used for public meetings, ceremoniesand festivals. The use of this space had long been abandoned and the fourexceptional mosques around the jataq were in a near state of collapse.Restored community pondand surroundings in the centreof Ganish village.The Trust restored the mosques and the public space using methods developedin the conservation of Baltit Fort and Karimabad. Restoration also involvedthe remaining towers and gates of the original fortifications. The communitypond or “pharee” was also rebuilt and the village guesthouse was restored.Today, the Ganish Khun Heritage and Social Welfare Society manages the conservation,rehabilitation and maintenance of the village, as well as a wide rangeof social projects. Sales of entrance tickets to the complex generates incomefor the collective use of the community.

6Garden HouseS H I G A R , B A L T I S T A NAmacha GardenShigar Fort sits directly on a four-metrehigh boulder at the foot of a cliff overlookingthe Indus valley. Below, theentrance through the fortified tower.Chinpa SettlementKhlingrong MosqueRaja’s New HouseRaja’s MosqueOld HouseShigar FortHalpapa SettlememtRoad to K-2Old BazarFort RoadP.W.D. Rest HouseAstana SettlementRoad to SkarduShigar HospitalKhanqah-e-MuallahPolo GroundThe restoration of the Shigar Fort/Palace and its conversion into the “ShigarFort Residence” builds on a process that began with previous efforts in theHunza Valley. However, while it builds on these earlier efforts, it also representsa pioneering approach that stresses a more active adaptive re-use.Featuring guest rooms that highlight the heritage of the region, the project ismeant to bring cultural and economic objectives together in a way that sustainsthe operations and maintenance of the Fort while providing a catalyst for economicimprovement in the area.The broader development project in Shigar includes restoration of mosquesand the rehabilitation of the settlements of Chinpa, Halpapa and Khlingrong,including upgrading of water and sanitation systems. The fifteenth centuryAmburiq Mosque was restored to demonstrate that conservation of badly damagedmonuments was feasible.

7K H A P L U , B A L T I S T A NKhaplu Palace, picturedin photo but not seenon the map, is anothercandidate for restorationin Baltistan.MosqueAKCSP ProjectHunduli SettlementMosqueBanpi SettlementSchoolHealth FacilityKhanqah SettlementSchoolTombKhaplu KhanqahTombAstanaMosqueREL ATE D PROJ ECTS :In the Khaplu area, the Trust has also undertaken restoration of the historicastana (shrine and tomb) of Syed Mir Muhammad, in Khanqha Settlement,and is studying rehabilitation of Khaplu Fort. The astana restoration includedthe removal of the complete upper part of the building, moving the remainingstructure back into place and replacing missing timber elements.The Trust also selected the Hunduli village as the location for a demonstrationproject that would exhibit low-cost improvements, including social services,in individual dwellings and public spaces. These improvements were to beundertaken with local labour and materials (with appropriate technical assistance).The objective was to show that old homes could be re-adapted to newrequirements – thereby preserving the heritage of the region – and that publicspaces could be revitalised in a cost-effective manner. The project is alsointended to revive traditional carpentry and construction techniques throughhands-on training and to develop innovative uses of traditional materials.In Baltistan, the Aga Khan DevelopmentNetwork (AKDN) has workedon hundreds of community-basedprojects: restoration and re-use ofseveral sites, including Shigar Fort, theastana of Syed Mir Muhammad and thesettlements of Chinpa, Halpapa andKhlingrong; drinking water and sanitationsystems; infrastructure projectsincluding improvement of irrigationcanals, bridges, roads, water supplies,and community centres; disaster-mitigationmeasures; microfinance and income-generatingactivities centred onapricot oil processing, carpentry andgemstones; and forestation projectsthat have planted over 8 million trees.

8AGA KHAN TRUST FOR CULTUREHistoric Cities Support Programmewww.akdn.org