Thoqsi Khar mosque Khaplu

Situated on top of a huge rock, this mosque offers a panoramic view of the Khaplu valley. According to the local people, this mosque was once part of a large fort complex called Thoqse Khar. In the Tibetan language, Thoq means upper summit, and Khar means castle or palace. Thoqse Khar, therefore, translates to castle on the summit or the high palace. The construction of this now -extinct fort is said to have been commissioned by Raja Salim Alday, around the end of the first millennium of the Christian Calendar. It was later destroyed by the Dogras during their conquest of this region in 1840s. However, the nearby community took charge of this mosque later on. According to Raja Tahawar Ali Khan, this mosque was re- constructed by Raja Bhram (rai) of Khaplu at the beginning of the 14th century CE Bhram (rai) was the first convert Muslim Raja in the region. There is also an interesting story of the two brothers who came from Chilas to settle in this area. The first brother, Badaqpa Thor, constructed a house at Thoqse Khar, and the second, Badoqpa Chur, irrigated the Chorbat valley. Initially, this mosque functioned as a family mosque. It later became the mosque of Thoqse Khar. This is a single-floor structure built on a raised stone platform, and constructed with local materials like timber, stone, and mud. The mosque consists of a small prayer room with verandahs on three of its sides, facing the north, east and south.