Historical Places in Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir, the “free” part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan, has a long and rich history. The region was once home to the Buddhist Gandhara civilization, and later became an important center of Hindu and Muslim learning. In more recent history, Azad Kashmir was a key part of the struggle for independence from British rule in India.
There are many historical places to visit in Azad Kashmir. One of the most popular is Muzaffarabad, the capital city. Muzaffarabad was founded in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, a general in the Mughal army.
The city’s old quarter is full of narrow streets and traditional architecture. Another must-see historical site in Muzaffarabad is Red Fort, built in 1657 as a fortress to protect the city from invaders. Another important historical place in Azad Kashmir is Rawalakot, which was once the capital of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir.
Rawalakot is now a picturesque hill station, surrounded by forests and mountains. There are several historic buildings and monuments worth visiting here, including Raja ka Talab (the royal pond), Pir Chanasi (a holy shrine), and Baghsirai Temple (a Hindu temple). If you’re interested in exploring Azad Kashmir’s history and culture, there are plenty of great places to visit!
Azad Kashmir Places Name Azad Kashmir, also called simply Azad Jammu and Kashmir or AJK, is a region administered by Pakistan as an autonomous territory. The territory lies west of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir, and was previously part of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir.The name “Azad” means “free” in many languages, including Urdu, Persian, Pashto, Arabic, Hindi and Punjabi. Pakistan controls the northern half of the territory while India controls a small area in the south known as the Sudharam sector.
Most of Azad Kashmir’s inhabitants are ethnic Pakistanis who speak various dialects of Punjabi and Pashto as their first language; however Urdu is also widely spoken due to its status as Pakistan’s national language. There are several major tourist attractions in Azad Kashmir which include: Muzaffarabad: The capital city of Azad Jammu & Kashmir is situated at 3322 feet above sea level.
It is 138 miles from Islamabad on Highway N-35 (old Karakoram Highway). Muzaffarabad district has an area of 1,645 square miles making it larger than some countries like Bahrain (755 sq mi), Luxembourg (999 sq mi) etc. It is bounded by North Waziristan Agency & Bannu District (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in the west; Rawalakot & Neelum districts in north east; Athmuqam & Leepa valley in north east; Kotli District & Mirpur city in south east while on its southwest lies Khurshidabad Tehsil Headquarters with Samahni Valley beyond that.
Pir Chinasi: Just 30 kilometers away from Muzaffarabad towards northeast lies one great tourist attraction i-e Pir Chinasi at an altitude of 9500 feet or 2900 meters. From here one can have a bird eye view not only over Muzaffarabad but almost two third area of AJK . This place can be approached both from muzaffarabad through Murree Expressway or via Neelum road through Kel .