麻豆APP

Mirpur Old City view.

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Mirpur Old City Ruins

 Mirpur is the capital of the Mirpur district located in Azad Kasmir, Pakistan. It is the 2nd largest city of Azad Kashmir and the 74th Largest city in Pakistan.

Mirpur City lies at 459 meters or 1,506 feet above sea level and is linked with the main Peshawar-Lahore Grand Trunk Road at Dina Tehsil.

It is the headquarters of Mirpur District, which has two subdivisions: Mirpur and Dadyal. Mirpur is now one of the largest cities in Azad Kashmir.

Here are some of the fascinating facts about Mirpur Old City Ruins;

1. Mirpur was an ideal place for the construction of boats

Jhelum River where boats were constructed in the old Mirpur city. By Nedianmak.

Since Mirpur lies between where the Jhelum River meets the heavily forested foothills of the Pir Panjal mountains and above the plains of the largely treeless Punjab, it was an ideal spot for the construction of the boats used to carry goods from the Himalayas down the five rivers of Punjab to the Indus River and onto the seaports in the Indus delta.

Traders have been operating from there across the Indian Ocean for over three thousand years.

Most of the crew on the boats trading up and down the Punjab and Indus River system were drawn from Mirpur, as training as a boat builder was a necessary prerequisite for becoming a boatman.

2. British Dominion led to the construction of the modern railway

Khandwa Railway Station (Central Railway) from Bombay to Karachi. By Kamaal,

During the modern period of the Dogra principality, a British dominion, the thriving river trade diminished due to the construction of railway lines from Bombay and Karachi into the interior of Punjab.

Moving goods by modern rail lines was both cheaper and quicker, and hundreds of Mirpuri boatmen found themselves out of a job.

3. Murpir has a humid subtropical climate

Mirpur has a humid subtropical climate. The average annual temperature is 25.1 掳C. The average annual rainfall is 1,380 millimeters or 54.3 inches.

Since it is in the extreme south of Jammu and Kashmir, the city has a climate that is extremely hot during summer, making it very similar to the Pakistani areas of Jehlum and Gujar Khan.

Mirpur is the breadbasket of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and has a climate similar to that of the neighboring Potohar in Punjab.

4. Mirpur city was founded by Ghakar  Miran Shah Ghazi

The city of Mirpur itself was founded in around 1640 AD or 1050AH by the Ghakhar chief Miran Shah Ghazi.

The Imperial Gazetteer of India Provincial Series Kashmir and Jammu (1909) reports that “it is said to have been founded by Miran Shah Ghazi and Sultan Fateh Khan”.

An alternate view is that the city was founded by Mira Shah Gazi and Gosain Bodhpuri, both regarded as saints. The word ‘Mir’ was taken from the name of the former and ‘Pur鈥� from the latter.

5. Pahari Potohari language is dominant in  Mirpur

The dominant language spoken in Mirpur is the Pahari Potohari language which is also named the Mirpuri language.

Although now due to the vast immigration to England, English is also becoming popular. Many institutions have started spoken English courses currently. Urdu is also spoken but Mirpuri is mostly preferred by the inhabitants.

There are words like kutha for where, kiyaan for why, Miki for I, mara for my, Julian for going, etc. Mirpur is a part of Kashmir but the very little population of it knows the Kashmiri language.

6. Islamic is the major Religion

Modernized Khari Sharif mosque in Mirpur, one of the ancient mosques. By Sarmad Mahmud

The religion of the majority in Mirpur city is Islam. They follow mostly the practices of the Punjabi Potohari culture due to the closeness with the Potohar plateau.

Islamiyat is a compulsory subject till the graduation level. Mirpur has a very famous darbar they visit occasionally, that is the shrine of Baba Peer Shah Ghazi and Mian Mohammad Baksh who were famous Sufi saints.

They have named this darbaar as Chechiyaan Darbaar or Khari Shareef. People of Mirpur have a firm belief that if one wants some prayer or wish to be accepted, he or she must promise to give some money, give a daaig or put a chadar on the shrine of Peer Shah Ghazi once the wish is granted.

Not only the people of Mirpur but people from Punjab also believe this and visit this place wholeheartedly.

7. There are many restaurants and food stalls

A fruit and food joint in Mirpur.

People in the said city have the same taste as that Punjabis. They like the same spicy dishes like biryani, pulao, korma, etc.

But the most famous and favorite dish of Mirpur is laal labia with white rice.  There are many restaurants, food stalls, and stands on the road selling this dish by the name 鈥渢he chaaval鈥� or 鈥渓obia chaaval鈥� and people from all social classes be it a lower class person or an elite class Chaudry likes being here and eating this dish.

Even ex-pats from the UK love this dish and try it every time they visit Mirpur.

8. Festival celebrations were held in the old Mirpur city

Eid Milad un Nabi: This event is celebrated on the 12^th Rabi ul Awal according to the lunar calendar. It is the date of birth of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W).

In Mirpur, this religious festival is celebrated with high enthusiasm. People all over the city decorate their houses with lights and other decorations.

Every person from an old man to a schoolboy participates in it. Other festivals include; the Urs celebration of Baba Peer Shah Ghazi and elections.

9. CNG rickshaws were a popular mode of transport

Compressed Natural Gas auto rickshaws are a very popular mode of transport for short routes within the city.

The city’s transport system links it to a number of destinations in Azad Kashmir notably Bhimber, Jalan,  and Khoi Ratta, and to major cities in Pakistan as well as including services to, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

There is no railway station in Mirpur. The closest station is in Dina. The promise of a rail extension to Mirpur has not been fulfilled.

10. The city has been developed industrially and in infrastructure

A developed Mirpur city. By Sadafriyan

The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has successfully developed Mirpur industrially and promoted private investment in a diverse economy: foam, polypropylene, synthetic yarn, motorbikes and scooter, textile, vegetable oil (ghee), wood and sawmills, soap, cosmetics, marble, ready-made garments, matches and rosin, turpentine.

The economy of Mirpur generated the economy of Azad Kashmir. However, much of the infrastructure still needs improvement so that high-quality products can be obtained.