At the mouth of the Shigar valley, on the old route towards K2, stands a fort built against a huge boulder. Local people call it Fong-Khar, the palace on the rock. It was built in the 17th century by Raja Hassan Khan of the Amacha dynasty, who ruled Shigar for generations.
Like other Balti buildings, it mixes thick stone walls with carved wooden balconies, beams and pillars. Some of its woodwork was brought from older buildings and is beautifully decorated.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture restored the fort, and it opened in 2004 as a heritage hotel with a small museum, so visitors can sleep inside a Balti palace.
