Khaplu

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City in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

title: "Khaplu" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-ghanche-district", "baltistan"] description: "City in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan" topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-ghanche-district" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaplu" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Khaplu
settlement_type	City administered by Pakistan
native_name	ཁཔ་ལུ།
nickname	Shyok valley
image_skyline	{{Photomontage
photo1a	View of main entrance of Khaplu Palace.jpg
photo2a	Side view of Chaqchan Mosque.jpg
photo2b	Khaplu thoqsikhar.jpg
photo3a	Khaplu District.jpg
size	250
position	center
spacing	Number indicating width of spacing between the images (default: 1)
color	Color of spacing between the images (default: black)
border	Number indicating width of border surrounding the montage (default: 1)
color_border	Color of border surrounding the montage (default: black)
text_background	Color of background behind text (default: #F8F8FF)
image_caption	Clockwise from the top: Khaplu Palace, Thogsikhar, Karakoram Range and Chaqchan Mosque
pushpin_map	Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan
pushpin_label_position	bottom
pushpin_map_caption	Location in Pakistan
pushpin_mapsize	300
	subdivision_type
subdivision_name	Pakistan
subdivision_type1	Autonomous territory
subdivision_name1	Gilgit Baltistan
subdivision_type2	Baltistan division
subdivision_name2	Ghanche
subdivision_name4
leader_title	Deputy Commissioner
leader_name	Adeel Haider Baryar (PAS)
leader_title1
established_title
established_title2
established_title3
established_date3
unit_pref	Imperial
area_land_km2
area_blank1_sq_mi
population_as_of	2023
population_footnotes
population_total	83,000
population_density_km2	auto
population_density_blank1_sq_mi
timezone	PST
utc_offset	+5
timezone_DST	GMT+6
utc_offset_DST	+6
coordinates
elevation_footnotes
elevation_m	2600,
elevation_ft	8500
	postal_code_type
postal_code	16800
website	Khaplu Valley, Skardu
::

| name = Khaplu | other_name = | settlement_type = City administered by Pakistan | official_name = | native_name = ཁཔ་ལུ། | nickname = Shyok valley | motto = | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a =View of main entrance of Khaplu Palace.jpg | photo2a =Side view of Chaqchan Mosque.jpg | photo2b =Khaplu thoqsikhar.jpg | photo3a =Khaplu District.jpg | photo3b = | size = 250 | position = center | spacing = Number indicating width of spacing between the images (default: 1) | color = Color of spacing between the images (default: black) | border = Number indicating width of border surrounding the montage (default: 1) | color_border = Color of border surrounding the montage (default: black) | text = | text_background = Color of background behind text (default: #F8F8FF) | image_caption = Clockwise from the top: Khaplu Palace, Thogsikhar, Karakoram Range and Chaqchan Mosque | image_flag = | flag_size = | image_seal = | seal_size = | image_shield = | shield_size = | image_blank_emblem = | blank_emblem_type = | blank_emblem_size = | mapsize = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan | pushpin_label_position = bottom | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Pakistan | pushpin_mapsize = 300 | subdivision_type = Administering country | subdivision_name = Pakistan | subdivision_type1 = Autonomous territory | subdivision_name1 = Gilgit Baltistan | subdivision_type2 = Baltistan division | subdivision_name2 = Ghanche | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | government_footnotes = | government_type = | leader_title = Deputy Commissioner | leader_name = Adeel Haider Baryar (PAS) | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | established_title = | established_date = | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | established_title3 = | established_date3 = | area_magnitude = | unit_pref = Imperial | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_total_sq_mi = | area_land_sq_mi = | area_water_sq_mi = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_km2 = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_blank1_title = | area_blank1_km2 = | area_blank1_sq_mi = | population_as_of = 2023 | population_footnotes = | population_note = | population_total = 83,000 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_sq_mi = | population_metro = | population_density_metro_km2 = | population_density_metro_sq_mi = | population_urban = | population_density_urban_km2 = | population_density_urban_sq_mi = | population_blank1_title = | population_blank1 = | population_blank2_title = | population_blank2 = | population_density_blank1_km2 = | population_density_blank1_sq_mi = | timezone = PST | utc_offset = +5 | timezone_DST = GMT+6 | utc_offset_DST = +6 | coordinates = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = 2600, | elevation_ft = 8500 | postal_code_type = | postal_code = 16800 | area_code = | blank_name = | blank_info = | blank1_name = | blank1_info = | website = Khaplu Valley, Skardu | footnotes = Khaplu (Urdu: , pronounced: [xəpluː]; Balti: ཁཔ་ལུ།), also spelt Khapalu, is a city that serves as the administrative capital of the Ghanche District in Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, within the disputed Kashmir region. Located 103 km east of Skardu, Khaplu was historically the second-largest kingdom in Baltistan under the Yabgo dynasty and played a key role in guarding the trade route to Ladakh along the Shyok River, near its confluence with the Indus.

Khaplu is a popular base for trekking into the Hushe Valley, which provides access to the high peaks of Masherbrum, K6, K7, and Chogolisa. The city is home to the 700-year-old mosque, Chaqchan Mosque, founded by Ameer Kabeer Syed Ali Hamadani (RA). Other notable tourist sites include Ehlie Broq, Hanjor, Thoqsi Khar, Kaldaq, and the Shyok River.

History

Khaplu existed as an independent kingdom since the disintegration of Tibetan Empire in the 10th century CE. The rulers of Khapalu used the Tibetan title of Cho ('master'), in addition to the well known Turkish title of Yabghu. According to tradition, Ali Hamdani arrived in Khaplu in the late 14th century and converted locals to Islam. To this day, mosques and khanqahs attributed to him exist in the region.

The first mention of the former small kingdom called Khápula is in Mirza Haidar's work Tarikh-i-Rashidi, which lists the Khaplu district of Balti(stan). Khaplu was also very well known in the 17th and 18th centuries due to its close political and family ties with the royal family of the neighbouring country of Ladakh.

The first European to visit Khaplu was probably Captain Claude Martin Wade, who mentioned "Chílú" in 1835 in an essay in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. Subsequently, William Moorcroft and George Trebeck wrote in their 1841 book:Travels in the Himalayan Provinces of Hindustan and the Punjab in Ladakh and Kashmir in Peshawar, Kabul, Kunduz and Bokhara From 1819 to 1825 (in two volumes)Part II, p. 264 "Kafalun is a province west of Nobra, on the left bank of the Shayuk." Godfrey Vigne was in the area in 1835–1838.

Alexander Cunningham, who did not visit Baltistan, published a brief geographical description of Khaplu and a genealogy of its rulers in 1854. Thomas Thomson travelled there in November 1847 and briefly described a place of remarkable beauty. Jane Duncan reached Khaplu in 1904 and stayed there for three weeks. De Filippi, who reached Khaplu in 1913, characterized the site as follows: "It is, perhaps, the loveliest oasis in all the region."Khaplu – off the beaten path, by Sumaira Jajja, The Sun, July 27, 2014 Further information on Khaplu was included in a travel report by Arthur Neve.

Geography

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Haldi_Cones,_Khaplu.jpg" caption="[[Haldi Cones"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Khaplu_District.jpg" caption="Khaplu lies at the base of the [[Karakoram Range]]."] ::

In contrast to Skardu and Shigar, the territory of Khaplu was not focused on a single large river valley, but was instead spread over the three valleys of Shayok, namely on the territory of the present town of Khaplu, the valley of Thalle River, and the Hushe/Saltoro Valley. The area around the mouth of the river in the Thalle Shayok formed the western border of the kingdom.

Today Ganache district, whose administrative centre is located in Khaplu, covers Balghar and Daghoni in addition to the mouth of the Indus in Shayok. It includes the former Kingdom of Kiris as a military bulwark against incursions of the Skardu and Shigar. In Haldi, in eastern Hushe/Saltoro Tal, was another fortress.

Tourism

Raja Palace is a beautiful building and the last and best Tibetan-style palace in Pakistan. Khaplu Khanqah is attributed to Mir Mukhtar Akhyar and was built in 1712 AD/1124 AH.

Khaplu is the gateway to Masherbrum Peak, K-7, K-6, Chogolisa for mountaineers and Gondogoro la, Gondogoro Peak, Saraksa Glacier, Gondogoro Glacier, Masherbrum Glacier, Aling Glacier, Machlu Broq, Thaely La, Daholi lake, Kharfaq Lake, Dongsa View Point and Dongsa Chair lift Kuru, Ghangche Lake and Bara Lake for trekkers. There is rafting on the Shyok River and rock climbing places like Biamari Thoqsikhar and DowoKraming (hot spring). Dongsa Rock Kuro (Dongsa viewpoint)

Architecture

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Khaplu-96.jpg" caption="Khaplu in autumn."] ::

The most important religious monuments in Khaplu are the 14th-century Chaqchan Mosque and the Khanqa prayer hall. The latter was built in 1712 by Sayyed Mohammad, a saint of the Islamic Nūrbkahshīya sect, whose Astana grave monument is in the immediate vicinity. The Astana grave monument has been restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Pakistan and thereby saved from total disintegration.

Transport

Khaplu is only approachable by road. The normal road into Khaplu is a link road from the Skardu Valley. Four or five other roads link to Kashmir, Ladakh and Yarqand.

References

Bibliography

Shridhar Kaul: Ladakh through the Ages, towards a New Identity. Indus Publishing 1992, (restricted online copy (Google Books))
Sarina Singh, Lindsay Brown, Paul Clammer, Rodney Cocks, John Mock, Kimberley O'Neil: Pakistan & the Karakoram Highway. Lonely Planet 2008, , pp. 292–293 (restricted online copy (Google Books))

References

Ali, Nahida. (2023-04-16). "A Descriptive Study Of The Culture And Environment Of Khaplu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan". Journal of Positive School Psychology.
{{GEOnet2. 32FA8813C33E3774E0440003BA962ED3. Khapalu (Approved), [[National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency]]
(27 July 2014). "Khaplu – off the beaten path".
(2003). "History of Civilizations of Central Asia, Volume V". UNESCO Publishing.
Halkias, Georgios T.. (2015). "Islam and Tibet {{snd}} Interaction Along the Musk Routes". Oxford Centre of Buddhist Studies.
Rieck, Andreas. (1995). "The Nurbakhshis of Baltistan – Crisis and Revival of a Five Centuries Old Community". Die Welt des Islams.
p. 410
Wade, Claude Martin. (1835). "Notes taken by Captain C. M. Wade, Political Agent at Ludiána, in 1829, relative to the Territory and Government of Iskárdoh, from information given by Charágh Ali, an agent who was deputed to him in that year by Ahmad Sháh, the Gelpo or ruler of that country". Journal of the Asiatic Society.
Part 2, pp. 317ff
p. 28ff)
p. 210ff
p. 99ff
"District Headquarter Khaplu – A historical settlement".
History of Baltistan, Hassan Hasnu
Baltistan in History, Banat Gul Afridi
Baltistan aik nazar, usaf Abadi

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