Murree is a hill station, sitting comfortably on top of a small peak in the Himalayan foothills. It’s a popular tourist destination and Pakistanis flock to it in droves in summer in their attempts to escape the blistering heat of the Punjab plains. It is usually ten degrees Celsius cooler than the nearby Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and much cooler than Lahore and Karachi (in Sind province).
The British conquered the area around Murree in the mid-nineteenth century removing it from Sikh rule. They first used Murree as a hill station where members of the Raj military forces could recuperate from the ravages of diseases which were rife on the Indian subcontinent. In fact in its early years, it was called Murree Sanatorium. It was founded in 1851 by Sir Henry Lawrence who was Governor of the Punjab (as this was a century before Partition it included what is now Indian and Pakistani Punjabs). The permanent town was constructed in 1853, and it became the summer capital of the Punjab, but later the British administration switched its summer residence to the hill station of Simla, (now in India).
Lawrence School, also established by Sir Henry is still in existence and is the oldest boarding school in Pakistan. The Murree brewery was also founded at this time; both buildings were in Ghora Galli. The brewery moved to Rawalpindi in the 1920s when there was a problem with the water supply and in the rioting that occurred in 1947-48 after Partition (1947) the Gothic style building in Ghora Galli was burned.
Murree was built along the lines of an English village, with one main street where the shops, restaurants and church are to be found. No Non-Europeans were allowed on the street, and one wonders if that is why the indigenous population now parade up and down its length dressed in all their finery, perhaps unwittingly emulating the doyens of the Raj.
The Mall is a busy, bustling street with a bazaar area under the road, in its basement as it were. You can buy fresh and dried dates, nuts, nimko (Bombay mix) and other souvenirs. For some things Murree is expensive, but you can pick up some bargains in the material shops, if you can fight your way through the women haggling for an even better bargain.
There are carved wooden boxes made from Indian Rosewood (Shisham) and ornamental elephants, as well as small hand drums and other craft items. The beggars lining the streets all communicate with each other via mobile phones, telling each other what business is like, and shoeshine boys who leave their homes for the summer to ply their trade in Murree are unwilling to leave a prospective customer without shining his shoes.
The church which is in the middle of Mall Road can still be seen, but there is only one service a week, usually on a Sunday evening. If you manage to go inside it, you will see plaques commemorating British soldiers and officers who died in Murree. There are also plaques on the roadside leading up to the town commemorating those who died while constructing the zigzag road up the steep mountain.
The road really is steep, as Murree is 7,500 feet above sea level. Because of its elevated position it has superb views, from Kashmir point, you can see the mountains of Kashmir, and from Pindi Point on the opposite side of Murree you can see the Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. At these two points there will be men with eagles and monkeys, whose photographs you can take for a small fee.
If you go along the Mall Road, which is pedestrianized, you can walk to Ghora Galli, then get a jeep or hire a horse to take you to Patriata and the cable car. From the car you may catch a glimpse of a cheetah or monkeys and in winter, the white bears ventures down the slopes nearer to Murree. If you stay near these places, don’t leave your windows open as the monkeys are natural thieves.
The views from the Murree area are truly spectacular and you could imagine yourself in Wales, Scotland, or any mountainous region of Europe, as there are pine forests and oak trees with streams running between them. It’s a really lush, green area, because of the precipitation. Even in August you will find that it rains, sometimes every day, but only for a short while, then the sun comes out and the clouds lift. At other times you walk along the Mall Road in a cloud cover.
You need to book ahead to stay in Murree as it is extremely popular. If you don’t and get a friendly taxi driver who offers to take you to a hotel realize that you will be paying his commission to the hotelier.
The best restaurant in Murree is the one just down Mall Road from the church. You can sit on the first floor and have an excellent view of the parade of people on the road below, and the food is traditional and excellent. Try the Chicken Halim. (Hilary Clinton allegedly found this dish to her liking on one visit to Islamabad, although she didn’t go to this restaurant.)
The hotels look as though they are only one or two storeys high if you enter one from Mall Road, but they are deceptive as they are built into the mountain and so go down for perhaps ten floors. The further down you go, the cheaper the rooms, and the shabbier they become. In one hotel, goats roam along the balconies looking for food.
Murree is 50 kilometres from Islamabad, so you can take a taxi (but agree a price first), or a wagon, which is probably the best option, except that it will leave you at lower Murree and you will either have to walk up the steep hill or persuade a rickshaw driver, to take you to the top, or get a smaller covered wagon. Transport is cheap in Pakistan, so whichever mode of transport you choose won’t break the bank.
Murree is a unique destination in Pakistan, and if you enjoy walking, then this is the place for you. However, you should take care not to disturb those cheetahs.
History of Murree
The British conquered the area around Murree in the mid-nineteenth century removing it from Sikh rule. They first used Murree as a hill station where members of the Raj military forces could recuperate from the ravages of diseases which were rife on the Indian subcontinent. In fact in its early years, it was called Murree Sanatorium. It was founded in 1851 by Sir Henry Lawrence who was Governor of the Punjab (as this was a century before Partition it included what is now Indian and Pakistani Punjabs). The permanent town was constructed in 1853, and it became the summer capital of the Punjab, but later the British administration switched its summer residence to the hill station of Simla, (now in India).
Lawrence School, also established by Sir Henry is still in existence and is the oldest boarding school in Pakistan. The Murree brewery was also founded at this time; both buildings were in Ghora Galli. The brewery moved to Rawalpindi in the 1920s when there was a problem with the water supply and in the rioting that occurred in 1947-48 after Partition (1947) the Gothic style building in Ghora Galli was burned.
Mall Road is Still the Place to be Seen
Murree was built along the lines of an English village, with one main street where the shops, restaurants and church are to be found. No Non-Europeans were allowed on the street, and one wonders if that is why the indigenous population now parade up and down its length dressed in all their finery, perhaps unwittingly emulating the doyens of the Raj.
The Mall is a busy, bustling street with a bazaar area under the road, in its basement as it were. You can buy fresh and dried dates, nuts, nimko (Bombay mix) and other souvenirs. For some things Murree is expensive, but you can pick up some bargains in the material shops, if you can fight your way through the women haggling for an even better bargain.
There are carved wooden boxes made from Indian Rosewood (Shisham) and ornamental elephants, as well as small hand drums and other craft items. The beggars lining the streets all communicate with each other via mobile phones, telling each other what business is like, and shoeshine boys who leave their homes for the summer to ply their trade in Murree are unwilling to leave a prospective customer without shining his shoes.
Remnants of the Past Can Still be Seen
The church which is in the middle of Mall Road can still be seen, but there is only one service a week, usually on a Sunday evening. If you manage to go inside it, you will see plaques commemorating British soldiers and officers who died in Murree. There are also plaques on the roadside leading up to the town commemorating those who died while constructing the zigzag road up the steep mountain.
The road really is steep, as Murree is 7,500 feet above sea level. Because of its elevated position it has superb views, from Kashmir point, you can see the mountains of Kashmir, and from Pindi Point on the opposite side of Murree you can see the Twin Cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. At these two points there will be men with eagles and monkeys, whose photographs you can take for a small fee.
The Cable Car Provides Wonderful Photo Opportunities
If you go along the Mall Road, which is pedestrianized, you can walk to Ghora Galli, then get a jeep or hire a horse to take you to Patriata and the cable car. From the car you may catch a glimpse of a cheetah or monkeys and in winter, the white bears ventures down the slopes nearer to Murree. If you stay near these places, don’t leave your windows open as the monkeys are natural thieves.
The views from the Murree area are truly spectacular and you could imagine yourself in Wales, Scotland, or any mountainous region of Europe, as there are pine forests and oak trees with streams running between them. It’s a really lush, green area, because of the precipitation. Even in August you will find that it rains, sometimes every day, but only for a short while, then the sun comes out and the clouds lift. At other times you walk along the Mall Road in a cloud cover.
Eating Out and Hotels in Murree
You need to book ahead to stay in Murree as it is extremely popular. If you don’t and get a friendly taxi driver who offers to take you to a hotel realize that you will be paying his commission to the hotelier.
The best restaurant in Murree is the one just down Mall Road from the church. You can sit on the first floor and have an excellent view of the parade of people on the road below, and the food is traditional and excellent. Try the Chicken Halim. (Hilary Clinton allegedly found this dish to her liking on one visit to Islamabad, although she didn’t go to this restaurant.)
The hotels look as though they are only one or two storeys high if you enter one from Mall Road, but they are deceptive as they are built into the mountain and so go down for perhaps ten floors. The further down you go, the cheaper the rooms, and the shabbier they become. In one hotel, goats roam along the balconies looking for food.
How to Get to Murree
Murree is 50 kilometres from Islamabad, so you can take a taxi (but agree a price first), or a wagon, which is probably the best option, except that it will leave you at lower Murree and you will either have to walk up the steep hill or persuade a rickshaw driver, to take you to the top, or get a smaller covered wagon. Transport is cheap in Pakistan, so whichever mode of transport you choose won’t break the bank.
Murree is a unique destination in Pakistan, and if you enjoy walking, then this is the place for you. However, you should take care not to disturb those cheetahs.
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