By Azal Zahir for Nation Pakistan
We owe the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) a huge debt for restoring our original heritage and for showing us that nothing is impossible.
If heaven has an abode, it is in Gilgit Baltistan. If heaven is a desert and has a river running through it, it is Skardu. Expansive valleys carpeted with white silt, surrounded by gargantuan, barren mountains. Clear water that allows you to see through to the depths of the lake, and trees bearing fruit like you will never see in cities or farms. There is an untouched purity and simplicity there that will take over all your senses. The real world is a faraway place, and you are finally lost in that magical escape you usually go to within the crevices of your mind.
We owe the Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) a huge debt for restoring our original heritage and for showing us that nothing is impossible. The Serena Hotel chain has taken over the historic Shigar Fort (locally known as Fong-Khar) and Khaplu Palace (or Yabgo Khar), preserved them in their splendour and added to them modern day touches.
Ismailimail 