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12.04.2020 update

Where is Shimshal Pamir?

I have been travelling to Shimshal Pamir, located beyond Shimshal village, since 2009. It is not at all easily accessible and the lodging is located at altitudes exceeding 4,700m (15,420 ft). The mountain scenery and expansive natural vista is amazing but also, the traditional life of the Wakhi  people is fascinating as well. Shimshal is well known for their KUCH, the great migrations with their cattle, which you can also experience when you go to this special place.

 

Where is Shimshal Village?

Shimshal village was only recently connected by jeep road in 2003, in the upper Hunza valley. Located just near the boarder between Pakistan and China, it is just east of the Khunjerab Pass. If you take the Karakoram Highway north, passing through the heart of Hunza, Kalimabad, then you take the Attabad Lake tunnel, and on to Passu Village through 60 kilometers of dirt road…then you reach Shimshal Village. Prior to 2003, you would have had to walk the long trek, but now you can access this road with 4WD vehicle. Nonetheless, this road was once a trekking route with very steep canyons and great views of the Mulungutti Glacier, which extends out from Shimshal Village.

 

Shimshal Village

The village is located in a valley at an altitude of 3,000m (9843 ft). Until 1973 the Mir of Hunza were taxing dairy products and livestock in this area. It became part of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1973 and part of the Shimshal land was designated Khunjerab National Park. In 2003, a road was connected to the area and life became a little easier but sadly, the youth have started migrating out to the city. Several guest houses in the village and a small hydroelectric facility provides power, although not very reliably. In recent years, there are an increasing tourist population attracted usually to the opportunities for mountain trekking.

 

Heading to Shimshal Pamir

Following the long, snow-covered winter, the villagers will start to graze their animals in late May. Livestock is the most important thing for making their livelihood. They take their yaks, goats and sheep graze in the summer pastures. This traditional big migration is called the Kuch, when they travel long distances to the ‘Pamir’ or summer pastures.

 

During the summer months, the women of the village are usually responsible for caring for the livestock and making the dairy products. Unfortunately, this tradition is rapidly being lost in modern times. Men may take various work either taking cattle to even more remote locations, working in towns or as porters and mountain guides.

 

Travelling on the Karakoram Highway from Islamabad, it is way beyond Kalimabad and Passu far into the mountain passes. Even deeper into the mountains past Shimshal village, you will walk into Shimshal Pamir.

It may take some time to get there, but it is a place where you can get a real feel of mountain life and their traditional way of life dependent on their animals.

 

Photos & text: Mariko SAWADA

※Photos were taken between 2009 and 2012 at Shimshal Village & Shimshal Pamir

※This is updated based on an article first uploaded in March 2011 for the Blog “Salaam Pakistan.”

 

Category : ◆ Gilgit-Baltistan > - Shimshal
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05.04.2020 update

Priest King of Mohenjodaro (National Museum of Pakistan, Karachi)

The great excavation of the Mohenjodaro mainly took place between 1922 – 1931. Many of Pakistan’s national treasures that were excavated before Pakistan’s independence in 1947, are stored in museums in Britain and India, but there are some valuable pieces still located in Pakistan.

One of the masterpieces that is housed at the National Museum of Pakistan is the “Priest King” of Mohenjodaro.

Mohenjodaro is the largest city of central Pakistan’s Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished between 2500 BC to 1800 BC. This Indus Valley Civilization was the oldest found in South Asia that eventually developed into the northwestern Indian subcontinent around the Indus River Basin. Archeologists from around the world are slowly revealing the significance of the life of the Indus Valley, but many mysteries remain unrevealed.

Despite the three other languages of ancient civilizations (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Mesopotamian and Chinese texts) already having been deciphered, the characters of the Indus language have not been deciphered yet. It shrouds the origins of their religion and history in mystery, but perhaps the biggest riddle is what caused their decline.

This statue of the Priest, housed in the National Museum of Pakistan in Karachi, is said to be a key in revealing the past relationship of the Indus Valley Civilization’s connection with Mesopotamia, based on the shape of the statue.

“Priest King” – Mohenjodaro :   Made from white soapstone, the modest size measures 17.5 cm high and 11 cm wide. During the excavation in 1927, it was unearthed from what was probably a noble’s house, a large building from the DK area.

 

The statue is adorned with a headband with a three-leaf pattern and was given the auspicious name of “Priest King.”

In fact, it is unclear if that is on display at Karachi’s National Museum is real or a replica. According to one theory, the real one is stored in a special vault for preservation, but when you ask the museum guard, they will tell you it is the original ‘real’ thing. So even this is wrapped in the mystery of the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

Photo & text: Mariko SAWADA
Visit: Feb 2020, Karachi, Sindh

※Photography inside the Museum is generally restricted. Large bags are also not allowed to be brought inside.

※This article was originally published as part of an article in “Salaam Pakistan” uploaded in September 2015.

 

Category : - Karachi > ◆ Sindh > ◇ Museum of Pakistan
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29.03.2020 update

(video) Soaring Over the Magnificent Mud Volcanoes

In late February 2020, Balochistan coastal tour series ended in this season. The temperature during the day has also become much higher.

“Makran Coast and Mud Volcano” drone footage taken in this season.

 

Video & Text : Maiko SAWADA

Visit : Nov2019 -Feb2020, Makran Coast, Balochistan

 

 

Category : = Video clip Balochistan > - Mud Volcano > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > - Hingol National Park > ◆ Balochistan > - Makran Coast
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23.03.2020 update

Necropolis of Mian Nasir Mohammad Kalhoro

On the way along the Indus Highway, a villager showed us the second largest in Sindh, the Necropolis of Mian Nasir Mohammad Kalhoro.

 

This group of tombs of the 17th Century Sindh Clan, from the Kalhoro Dynasty, is made up of groups of tombs for the royal families, priests, and on the outside, surrounded by the villagers’ tombs. It makes me wonder if perhaps this is how the World Heritage Site, Makli Hills might look if it was still expanding.

 

The graveyard is an interesting atmosphere, but the visitors also took in a good view from the Indus Highway of the ‘inland Sindh.’ It is a nostalgic and warm place to see this side of Pakistan.

 

Are they carrying wheat? Between the cars and trucks, there are donkey drawn carts carrying goods.

 

You can only see this kind of scene during the harvest season, the wheat being carted by the donkeys.

 

Harvesting from the fields. After the wheat harvest, the rice harvest begins.

 

This small truck is loaded down with luggage and people as it is heading towards a village out of the city. These Sindhi villagers kindly exchange smiles with us as they pass.

 

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA

Visit: Nov 2019, Necropolis of Mian Nasir Mohammad Kalhoro, Dadu, Sind

Category : - Monument / Heritage of Sindh > ◆ Sindh > ◇ Heritage of Pakistan
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16.03.2020 update

(video) Rohtas Fort – Legacy of Sher Shar Suri

Rohtas Fort is one of the six World Heritage Sites in Pakistan.

A fortress built by Sher Shah (Founder of Sur Empire, a short-lived empire from 1539 to 1555)  who built the transportation networks that served as the foundation for Mughal empire.

Sher Shah built ” The Grand Trunk Road “between Kabul and the Punjab Plain and built Rohtas Fort on it’s middle way.

Aerial view of Lotus Fort by dronefootage.

 

Video &  text : Mariko SAWADA

Visit : Feb 2020, Rohtas Fort, Punjab

Category : = Video Clip Punjab > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > - Monument / Heritage of Punjab > ◆ Punjab > ◇ Heritage of Pakistan
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10.03.2020 update

The largest city in Pakistan, Karachi’s Empress Market

Karachi is not the capital city, but it is the largest city in Pakistan with a population of 16 million but it is said to unofficially be home to 20 million people. In the past, Karachi was an unsafe place due to ethnic conflicts and crime, but in recent years that has changed and things are starting to settle down.

It has transformed itself from a town that was dirty, poor and a place you didn’t want to look at to a really fashionable place with elite neighborhoods. If you compare it to Islamabad, the people are more open minded and the daily cost of living is cheaper so the people who live in the rural areas like  Hunza would rather come to Karachi.
Karachi’s historic and exotic bazaar is the Empress Market.

 

The name “Empress” comes from the market being built between 1884 and 1889, during the reign of the British Indian Empire, so it was named in honor of Queen Victoria.
Located in Saddar, the open air building and clock tower are visible from afar.

The historic architecture is beautiful backdrop for the market.

 

This specialist makes all kinds of oils from various things like coconuts and sunflower seeds.

 

Some young boys in the vegetable market.

 

A boy delivers us some Chai tea from the back of the market.

 

A man cuts pieces of meat off for a kitten. Near the meat market, there are so many cats.

That reminds me that I saw an article in 2015 saying that illegal wildlife sales were happening in this market. Just a few days ago, I saw people catching raptors illegally on the Balochistan coast and trying to sell them to the rich Arabs. It would be nice if the Pakistani Wildlife Department would work harder to stop these activities.

 

All around the market, there is the hustle and bustle of traffic in Saddar.

If you compare it to before, the security is much better, but it’s still important to be careful about keeping your valuables and cell phones safe.

 

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Visit: Feb 2020, Empress Market, Karachi, Sindh

Category : - Karachi > ◆ Sindh
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04.03.2020 update

Gadani Ship Breaking Yard

Have you ever wondered what happens to ships at the end of their service? …used to be that they would sink into the sea in the past, but now parts are often being dismantled and reused where possible. In postwar Japan, there was a rush to build ships, but these warships became unnecessary and various countries were dismantling them. Now the countries dismantling them are mostly in SE Asia. In Gadani they practice a technique called beaching. During the high tide, the boats will be hauled up on the sandy beach and then cut down for the steel and other recyclable parts.

According to the past records, the shipyard takes up about 10 kilometers of the Gadani shoreline and in the 1980’s there were 30,000 people working there, making it the largest in the world.
In 2016, there was a huge accident causing many casualties, so many new laws and regulations requiring insurance for the workers was enforced by the new government. When we visited, there were only a few shipyard businesses operating at that time.

 

At 2 PM, after his lunch break, this worker is getting back to work.

 

Huge coastal oil tankers and cruise ships are taken apart using manual labor.

 

We observed from afar so as not to get in the way as they worked.

 

The shore of Gadani…several ships on the exhausted shore.

When we visited the shipyard, there were demolition yard workers who seemed to be local Baloch people, as well as Pashtuns from far away Swat Valley. These hard-working Pashtun men left a lasting impact as they looked so strong, bright and masculine in such a harsh working environment.

 

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA
Visit: Nov 2019, Ship breaking yard of Gadani, Balochistan

Category : ◆ Balochistan
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27.02.2020 update

Mohenjodaro

This is the ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization, the city of Mohenjo-daro (also Moenjodaro).

It is the site of the largest urban archeological settlement, with its most active period between 2500 to 1800 BC. It is believed that up to 40,000 people inhabited this area, in the east is a fortified section (There is a Gandhara stupa, Ritual bath believed to have been used for religious ceremonies, bathing or purifying, and for political gatherings) and divided on the western side (there were houses for the nobles, shops and commoners homes also). So far, only 10 percent of the area has been excavated, and scattered all around are unexcavated mounds.

Meaning “Mound of the Dead people” in Sindhi the local language, back in the old days, this burial place was a site that locals were afraid to come close. In 1921 an Indian archeologist excavated the site calling it the “2nd and 3rd Century Gandhara” but upon exploring it, they had uncovered a city ruins of the Indus Valley Civilization, much older than they thought.

Extensive excavations were carried out by the Archeological Survey of India (A.S.I)  during the British India period until 1947. In 1980 it was designated a World Heritage Site. It is still unclear what might have caused the decline of the city. During the survey, a seal was discovered, but because the text of the Indus script that is engraved on the seal has not been deciphered yet, the true name of the town is unknown.

 

This Mohenjodaro  SD Area’s Gandhara Stupa, which dates back to 2nd or 3rd Century AD. There is a monastery surrounding the area which is built using bricks from the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

The famous “Great bath” area is 12m x 7m and 2.5m deep, and there are remain of  waterproofing on the elaborate wall made of bricks. It is said  that some religious ceremony was held here.  The stepped ghats (terraces) descending to the surface of the water are supposed to lead to Hindu features later.

 

A sewage system in the SD Area. It is covered with limestone rocks. Some of the DK area is built entirely underground.

 

This is also the sewage system in the SD area. Water from the Great Bath and other dwellings are directed through this channel to the Indus river. During that time, the Indus River ran very close to the town of Mohenjo-daro.

 

In the corner of this DK area home, is a “Rubbish Bin.” Similar efforts for “Trash collection” areas are also seen in the SD areas as well. Unfortunately, this concept of managing their garbage wasn’t carried into modern pakistan.

 

In the Urban DK area, an aristocratic house was a two story building, with access to the well even from the second floor.

 

“The Old Street” as it is called is the Main Street. On both sides it was lined with shops.

Recently, many domestic tourists of Pakistan have increased in visiting this site. Particularly at sunset, you will see many people.

Unfortunately, the time I visited Mohenjo-daro it was too cloudy to catch a good sunset. But my personal recommendation is to visit early in the morning, when you can enjoy “the deserted city of Mohenjo-daro.” without other tourists.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Visit: Feb 2020, Nov 2019,  Mohenjo-daro, Sindh

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Category : - Mohenjodaro > - Monument / Heritage of Sindh > ◆ Sindh > ◇ Heritage of Pakistan
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21.02.2020 update

(video) Hidden Jewels on the Makran Coast – Captivating Mud Volcano

We could travel to more remote areas of the breathtaking shoreline along the Makran Coast. In the winter of 2019, the active Mud Volcanoes were unforgettable. It was amazing to see the mud bubbling up at your feet! I have seen Mud Volcanoes before, but this was a new experience all together!

Video & Text : Mariko SAWADA
Visit :Nov 2019, Makran Coast, Balochistan

Category : = Video clip Balochistan > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > - Mud Volcano > - Hingol National Park > ◆ Balochistan > - Makran Coast
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16.02.2020 update

(video) Bird’s Eye View of Princess of Hope & Buzi Pass

Traveling from Kund Malir to Ormara, just off of the Makran Coastal Highway you will find the Buzi Pass.
Just near the Kund Malir Beach, the famous “Princess of Hope” will greet you. Even though I cannot see the princess in the shape, if you happen to be there on a weekend in the afternoon, you will see many local tourists surrounding the Princess.
Enjoy the magnificent view of Buzi Pass and nature’s art landscaping using erosion.

Video & Text : Mariko SAWADA
Visit :Nov 2019, Makran Coastal Highway, Balochistan

Category : = Video clip Balochistan > ◆ Video Breathtaking Views of Pakistan > - Mud Volcano > - Hingol National Park > ◆ Balochistan > - Makran Coast
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