Culture & Heritage

Khalifa Aliyar's Old House

This historical house locates just below the Mir's Palace at the south end of the Polo ground with in the Qilha colony. This house has a great significance in the history of Ismailism in Hunza state. It is being described that Mir Silum Khan III during in his exile time in Sriqol met with a Ismaili saint and paid Bayat to accept Ismaili faith. When latter he returned to Hunza he not disclosed it. It is said that Mir expressed his fear in front of the saint that as i am alone so what i will do for the funeral according to my new faith. It is said that the saint assured him that a person will be there when you will be in critical condition. It is said that when Mir was critically ill and was lying in Khalipha Aliyar's house he asked to the people around him to see is there any one coming to Gulmit from North. So the people  saw a person in white dress appeared at Goze (a place north of Gulmit towards the China). It is narrated that when Mir got this news he passed away and was buried in Gulmit. The saint coming on horse performed his funeral according to central Asian Ismaili tradition. The death of Mir is said to 1823/24. For the first time The Chiraghi Roshan, funeral rites was performed here.

For this reason this house is a great cultural heritage for the Ismaili of Hunza. The house still exists but as the owner Late Rahim Shah built a new house and shifted there so this house was not in use. In order to preserve this house the Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association (WTCA) now shifted his office to this house however, they are also not properly using it. It is need of the time that this cultural heritage should be preserved for future reference.

Back to heritage

© copyrights Zulfiqar Ali Khan All rights reserved-2006