Baba Ghundi Astana

Baba Ghundi was an Ismaili Muslim saint who migrated to Hunza to preach Islam. He is presumed to initially have hailed from the region of Ghund in Afghanistan, and is believed to have died in the Chupursan valley in upper Hunza, where he was buried. The local community constructed a tomb for him, both as a testament to their faith and a symbol of the high regard in which they held the Baba Ghundi`s work towards propagating the message of Islam. The personality of Baba Ghundi and his tomb are both regarded by the locals as having a miraculous character, and many anecdotes to this effect have made their way into the folklore of the region. Mir Muhammad Nazim Khan, the ruler of Hunza, structurally restored the 19 Astana in 1926 CE. It was restored again in the 1960s by Mir Muhammad Jamal Khan, the son and successor of Mir Nazim. The tomb is square in shape and built with dressed stones. The building includes a central entrance arch and low to height towers on each of its four corners. It is surrounded by houses built for pilgrims.