Chitral چترال
Ataliq bazaar, Chitral
Chitral Location within Pakistan
Coordinates: 35°53′N 71°48′E / 35.883°N 71.800°E / 35.883; 71.800
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Municipal Corporation	1969
Area
• Total	14,850 km2 (5,730 sq mi)
Elevation	1,100 m (3,600 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	20,000
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Area code(s)	0943
Website	http://www.chitraltoday.net (Chitral Today) www.chitraltimes.com

Chitral (Urdu: چترال‎, Khowar: چھترار; also known as Chetrar), translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River (also called Chitral River), in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, 25,289 ft (7,708 m) high. It has a population of 20,000, while the district (of 14,833 km² or 5,727 sq mi), has a population of 300,000. The altitude of the valley is 3,700 ft (1,100 m).

Geography [edit]

The easiest access to Chitral, other than by air, is in the southwest along the Chitral or Kunar Valley from Jalalabad. This route is open all year and provides direct access to Kabul. However the Pakistan–Afghanistan border (Durand Line) prevents this being used as an internal route to Peshawar and the south. The other routes are over mountain passes. To the south, the 3,200 metres (10,500 ft) Lowari Pass leads 365 kilometres (227 mi)) to Peshawar. In the north, the easiest route during summer runs over the 3,798 metres (12,461 ft) Broghol Pass to Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor; however, during winter this route is usually closed. To the east, there is a 405 kilometres (252 mi) route to Gilgit over the 3,719 metres (12,201 ft) Shandur Pass. In the west, the 4,300 metres (14,100 ft) Dorah Pass provides an additional route to Afghanistan. The territory is home to rare falcons and the snow leopard, and is cut off by snow from the rest of the country for six months a year, a problem soon to be relieved by the completion of the Lowari Tunnel which will reduce transit time to Chitral as well as allow the district to be connected to the rest of the country even during the cold winter months.

Climate [edit]

In contrast to more southerly valleys of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chitral has a dry Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with almost no rainfall during the very hot summers. Precipitation occurs mainly from spring thunderstorms brought about by western frontal systems. In the winter the night time temperature occasionally drops to −10 C. Winter snowfall in the town can be quite heavy with an accumulation of up to two feet being quite common, at higher elevations snowfall can reach as high as 20 metres (70 ft)^{[citation needed]}.

Chitrali Takht [edit]

In the Khot Valley there are big wooden carts called Charpai, locally known as Takht, which are kept at baithaks. You can find these Takhts in all chowks, baithaks and houses. Normally peoples sit on Takhts in the evening and on holidays. There they discuss their daily personal, social and political issues in a friendly environment. The biggest Takht of the world is found in Khot Valley Chitral, Pakistan.

Location [edit]

Chitral District is situated in Malakand Division, lying along the Afghanistan border. It is connected with the Dir District via the Lowari Pass.

Languages [edit]

Languages of Kyber Pakhtunkha.jpg

The general population is mainly of the Kho people, who speak the Khowar language (or Chitrali), which is also spoken in parts of Yasin, Gilgit and Swat. Chitral is also home to the Kalash tribe, who live in Bumburet and two other remote valleys southwest of Chitral town.

The Norwegian linguist Georg Morgenstierne wrote that Chitral is the area of the greatest linguistic diversity in the world. Although Khowar is the predominant language of Chitral, more than ten other languages are spoken here. These include Kalasha-mun, Palula, Dameli, Gawar-Bati, Nuristani, Yidgha, Burushaski, Gujar, Wakhi, Kyrgyz, Persian and Pashto. Since many of these languages have no written form, letters are usually written in Urdu or Persian.

Administration [edit]

The district is administratively subdivided into six sub tehsils which contain a total of 24 Union Councils:^[2] Chitral is represented in the National Assembly^[3] and Provincial Assembly by one elected MNA and two elected MPAs respectively who represent the following constituencies:^[4]

Towns [edit]

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2013)

Except for Chitral town and a number of rapidly growing bazaar towns along the main roads, the population is rural, scattered in more than 1200 villages in the deep narrow valleys of the Booni, Drosh and its tributaries.

There are many notable natural and cultural spots around Chitral. Among them are:

• Kalash Valley
• Shandoor
• Ayun Valley
• SeenShali
• Garam Chashma
• Sonughour
• Booni
• Charun Oweer
• Prayet
• Reshun

Charun-Oweer [edit]

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article titled Charun-Oweer. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2013.

Charun-Oweer is a beautiful isolated village 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Koragh above Charun in the Mastuj Tehsil of District Chitral. The road to Charun-Oweer splits from the Chitral-Mastuj Road at the end of Koragh/start of Charun^{[clarification needed]}. Charun-Oweer takes its name from Charun-Over, since it is over (above) the village of Charun. It lies at about 7,500 feet (2,300 m) above sea level. Charun-Oweer is surrounded by River Mastuj and Jeenal-Kouch^{[clarification needed]} to the north, Booni River to the northeast. Chakasto-Zoum and Booni-zoum^{[clarification needed]} to the East which furthers extends to Harchin, Laspur and Shandoor after crossing Booni Glacier. To south is Pawasun which further extends to Reshun-Gol. To the lies the village of Charun and on crossing River Mastuj and River Mor-khow are Bombagh and Khosht respectively. This part was targeted by war-mongers^[who?] from Badakshan and nearby areas who attacked Charun-Oweer and took along all the livestock^{[citation needed]}. The remains of places where the villagers used to hide their stores supports it^{[clarification needed]}. Charun-Oweer is inhabited by different tribes including Murad-baigey, Khoshahmadey, Moghlekey, Mughley,Shaghotey and Mashoque. Charun-Oweer has two government primary level schools one for boys and girls each, a public school, and a middle school for girls. A dispensary facility has recently been provided.

Division of Malakand [edit]

Chitral district was officially split into Malakand Division in 1969. Until 2000 both districts continued to he administered by a single deputy Commissioner stationed at Chitral in Chitral Town, as funds were not available to provide the accommodation needed at Chitral town by government departments at a district headquarters.

Population [edit]

The main tribe, the Khow, speak Khowar. Chitral is also known for the famous Kalash tribe polytheist native inhabitants that ruled the region for centuries later invaded by "Khow". The Kalasha reside in an enclave of three remote valleys west of Ayun, which is 10 miles (16 km) down^[vague] from Chitral town. The Chitral culture is Islamic and contrasts considerably with the urban cities of Pakistan as well as the adjacent district of Gilgit. Women are nearly invisible except to their male relatives and other women. They avoid walking the streets of the town, so men or children do most of the shopping. Travel requires the company of a close male relative and sometimes the wearing of a burqa.^[5] There is also a sizeable population of Nuristanis, Tajiks and Uzbeks most of whom arrived from Afghanistan in the late 1980s.^{[citation needed]}

Sport [edit]

Unlike the rest of Pakistan where cricket dominates, polo, which was first introduced by Balti king Ali Sher Khan Anchan^[6] when he conquered Chitral, is the most watched sport, and soccer is the most played sport .^{[citation needed]} A number of sport festivals and tournaments are held throughout the year, including the Shandur polo tournament held at the highest polo ground in the world. Around 15,000 people travel to Shandur for the tournament, which lasts around a week.^{[citation needed]}

Chitral has also produced some national players such as Muhammad Rasool who plays for the national football team. There are many football clubs in Chitral.

Newspapers [edit]

• Chitral News
• ChitralToday (chitraltoday.net)
• Awaaz-e-Chitral
• Chitral Times
• Chitral Vision
• Weekly Chitral

Educational institutions [edit]

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2013)

• Qutaiba Public School Chitral Denin
• Chitral Model College Chitral
• Government Commerce College, Shahi Masjid Road, Chitral, affiliated with University of Malakand
• Government Technical and Vocational College, Garum Chassma Road, Chitral
• Government Degree College, affiliated with University of Malakand
• Government Girls Degree College, affiliated with University of Malakand
• Government Centennial Model High School
• Government Centennial Model School for Girls
• Singoor Public School
• Chitral Public School & College (Chitral's first English Medium School)
• Langlands School and College, formerly known as Sayurj Public School
• Pamir Public School
• Iqra Model School
• Islamia Model School Bombagh
• Aga Khan School
• Terichmir Model School
• Al-Nasir Community Based School, Garam Chashma
• Chamber of Commerce College, Garam Chashma
• Al-Nasir Cbs School and Degree College, Garam Chashma
• Aga Khan Higher Secondary School (Chitral and Kuragh)
• Injigan Ideal Public school (Garum chashma)

History [edit]

Buddhist and Hindu period [edit]

Chitral was a Hindu country before the extension of Islam, and traces of Buddhism are also found.^[7]

A British garrison, sent from Gilgit to oversee the smooth transition of power to the heir apparent after a ruler was murdered, was besieged in Chitral Fort for over a month in 1895.^[8] Frontier corps public school Drosh $ Chitral also working in chitral since 1992.

See also [edit]

• Chitral (princely state)
• Chitral District
• Badshah Munir Bukhari
• Chitral Airport
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Languages of Chitral
• State of Chitral

Notes [edit]

References [edit]

• Decker, D. Kendall (1992). Languages of Chitral. 
• Durand, Col. A. (1899). The Making of a frontier. 
• Leitner, G. W. (First Reprint 1978). Dardistan in 1866, 1886 and 1893: Being An Account of the History, Religions, Customs, Legends, Fables and Songs of Gilgit, Chilas, Kandia (Gabrial) Yasin, Chitral, Hunza, Nagyr and other parts of the Hindukush, as also a supplement to the second edition of The Hunza and Nagyr Handbook. And An Epitome of Part III of the author’s The Languages and Races of Dardistan. New Delhi: Manjusri Publishing House. 

External links [edit]

Wikivoyage has travel information related to: Chitral

• http://chitraltoday.net/about-chitral/
• Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
• Culture and Tradition of Chitral

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