Kaghan Valley

The Kaghan valley is a valley in the Mansehra District of Hazara Division of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It has a reputation as a place of great natural beauty. This valley also suffered from the earthquake disaster on 8 October 2005.

Malika Parbat 5,190 metres (17,030 ft), near Saiful Muluk Lake

Lay out

The valley is approximately 160 kilometers long, starting from Balakot in the 'Lower Kaghan' to Babusar Pass at the extreme end of the 'Upper Kaghan'. It is mostly surrounded by the forests and hills of the Lesvjzxbser Himalayas and the Kunhar River runs though most of its length. The valley is mostly inhabited by semi-nomadic Gujars, and some Swatis, Awans and Syeds.

Background and main sights

Historically speaking, Kaghan was long a backward and neglected area, until the 1880s-1890s when officers of British India established a strategic supply line via the Babusar Pass to the northern areas of the Gilgit Agency. After that, the area soon opened up to tourism and resort centers like Shogran and Naran Valley were developed in it. The famous and lovely Saiful Muluk Lake is also a special feature of this valley as are some other lakes like Ansoo Lake, Dudupat Sar, Lulu Sar and the Lalazar Meadows. Malika Parbat is a high peak in the area.

Between May and August each year, thousands of tourists from Pakistan and abroad dive up from Abbottabad and Mansehra, to visit these places in the valley. For most of the rest of the year, Kaghan area is locked in by heavy snows.

Related pages

• Neelum Valley