Shigar
شگر
Town
Shigar, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan
Shigar, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan
Shigar is located in Gilgit Baltistan
Shigar
Shigar
Location in the Karakoram region
Coordinates: 35°25′25″N 75°44′20″E / 35.42361°N 75.73889°E / 35.42361; 75.73889
ProvinceGilgit–Baltistan
DistrictShigar
Elevation
2,230 m (7,320 ft)
Time zoneUTC+5:00 (PST)

Shigar (Urdu: 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.[1]

History

According to tradition, Syed Ali Hamdani arrived to 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.[2]

Tourist attractions

Doko bridge in Shigar
Clouds over Shigar Valley
Bhasha Valley
Bhasha Valley

Popular tourist attractions in the town include:

Climate

Shigar has a cold desert climate (Köppen: BWk).[3]

Climate data for Shigar, elevation: 2,289 m (7,510 ft), 1982–2012 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3) 		2.2
(36.0) 		8.9
(48.0) 		16.2
(61.2) 		21.8
(71.2) 		26.8
(80.2) 		30.3
(86.5) 		30.0
(86.0) 		25.0
(77.0) 		18.4
(65.1) 		10.9
(51.6) 		3.5
(38.3) 		16.1
(61.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.2
(22.6) 		−3.0
(26.6) 		3.9
(39.0) 		10.6
(51.1) 		15.4
(59.7) 		19.9
(67.8) 		23.4
(74.1) 		23.0
(73.4) 		18.1
(64.6) 		11.4
(52.5) 		4.3
(39.7) 		−1.6
(29.1) 		10.0
(50.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −9.9
(14.2) 		−8.1
(17.4) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		5.0
(41.0) 		9.1
(48.4) 		13.0
(55.4) 		16.5
(61.7) 		16.1
(61.0) 		11.3
(52.3) 		4.4
(39.9) 		−2.2
(28.0) 		−6.6
(20.1) 		4.0
(39.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 18
(0.7) 		17
(0.7) 		29
(1.1) 		22
(0.9) 		23
(0.9) 		6
(0.2) 		7
(0.3) 		8
(0.3) 		9
(0.4) 		5
(0.2) 		3
(0.1) 		12
(0.5) 		159
(6.3)
Source: Climate-Data.org[3]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ "Shigar valley". Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  2. ^ Rieck, Andreas (1995). "The Nurbakhshis of Baltistan — Crisis and Revival of a Five Centuries Old Community". Die Welt des Islams. 35 (2): 159–188. doi:10.1163/1570060952597761. ISSN 0043-2539 – via JSTOR.
  3. ^ a b "Shigar climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Shigar weather averages - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
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