Shigar

Shigar lies along the river of the same name in Baltistan, north of Skardu. Its rulers, known as the Amacha, held one of the region's mountain principalities. Their fortified palace, Fong Khar, takes its name from the rock on which it stands; its carved timber displays influences from both Kashmir and Tibet. An older fort occupied the cliff above it.

In 1532 the army of the Yarkand ruler Abu Said Khan invaded Shigar on its way towards Kashmir. Later in the century the ruler Haydar Khan opened the Braldo pass and exchanged ambassadors with Yarkand. In the seventeenth century the Amacha ruler Hassan Khan recovered his throne with Mughal assistance and brought craftsmen from Kashmir to build the palace. Carpenters, stone carvers and other artisans helped give the fortress its richly decorated appearance.