The finest of the astanas in Baltistan is the Astana of Syed Mir Muhammad in Khanqah settlement, which was in an already advanced state of deterioration in June 1999.

Khanqah is one of the eight old settlements in Khaplu town situated at a height of 2,600 meters, which are still inhabited. Khanqah is now home to 40 families.

The physical form of the villages themselves, and the individual buildings and monuments and sites within them, constitute Baltistan’s built heritage. Baltistan’s heritage has a quite high profile and its outstanding quality is out of proportion in comparison with the humble villages that contain it.

AKCSP has placed special emphasis on the upgrading of community buildings, such as the village mosque or imambargah to attempt developing a cultural sensitivity and awareness among the village community, while at the same time fostering basic level conservation skills.

Syed Mir Muhammad was a successor of Amir Kabir Syed Ali Hamdani, the first Muslim preacher in Baltistan. Syed MIR Muhammad Settled in Khaplu and helped to spread Islam through his conduct and teachings. The local community and his descendants built the Astana about 300 years ago in memory of the saint they venerated, adjacent to the Khaplu Khanqah (large mosque having enclosures of meditation).

This project ever since its completion over three years ago has triggered a community-oriented process in Khaplu to upgrade and improve individual building in the surrounding traditional settlements.

There is a greater awareness about use of traditional materials and acknowledgement of maintaining and improving buildings in their villages. The community members realize that such buildings can be revitalizing through simple technical inputs.

One of the most important impacts has been the request by the local community to AKCSP to help it extend the Khaplu Khanqah in keeping with its original character. Earlier the community was planning to extend the structure by using modern building materials such as concrete and iron and steel.

The Khaplu community has established the Khaply Town Management and Development Society, with its objective being planning instruments that will bear the community’s consensus stamp and take into account the accumulated wisdom of ages inherited by the community. Traditionally, Baltistan’s communities have had an ecologically balanced relationship with their land resources.

The dying craftsmanship of woodwork, both carvings and jallie (unique to the region) are being revived. A proper woodcraft workshop is training new apprentices. This effort will also help in reviving the handicraft tradition in Baltistan while generating incomes.

This project is a significant milestone in nurturing local institutional development, demonstrating rehabilitation benefits, increasing sense of ownership for significant architectural heritage, creating a resource base for a continued and largely self-reliant management of cultural heritage and natural environment and hands-on training and revival of old skills.

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