CHILAS Part of the Silk Road, to the north, Chilas connects to Tashkurgan and Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, via Gilgit, Aliabad, Sost and the Khunjerab Pass
Driving towards Chilas there are beautiful views of Nanga Parbat, though I have possibly the worst picture ever taken of it - book me for events
More than 50,000 Buddhist petroglyphs and inscriptions line the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan. They are concentrated at ten major sites between Hunza and Shatial, but more have been found near Skardu and Shigar
These were sitting in the open on the side of the road for anyone to see.. or vandalize - left by various invaders, traders and pilgrims who passed along the trade route. The earliest date back to between 5000 and 1000 BC, showing single animals, triangular men and hunting scenes in which the animals sometimes are larger than the hunters
These carvings were pecked into the rocks with stone tools and are covered with a thick patina that proves their age. Later - mostly Buddhist - carvings were sometimes executed with a sharp chisel
A new dam being constructed in the Diamer district is set to submerge and destroy this open air museum and pieces of cultural history
