Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley
This sprawling hilltop pilgrimage town celebrates Kashmir’s ‘patron saint’ Sheikh Nuraddin-Wali (1377–1438). His shrine is covered by a vast new mosque with a nine-storey minaret, which replaced a structure that burnt down during unrest in 1995.
Nuraddin's best known disciple was a Kishtwari prince who converted to Islam and ended his days as a holy man in a cave at Aishmuqam.
16.71 MILES
Over 15km around, Dal Lake is Srinagar's jewel, a vast sheet of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the…
15.99 MILES
This distinctively spired 1730s Muslim pilgrim hall is Srinagar’s most beautiful mosque. It was constructed without any nails, and both frontage and…
19.2 MILES
Of all Srinagar's Mughal gardens, Nishat Bagh is arguably the most appealing, with beautiful water features that frame a lovely lake panorama. It's on…
17.02 MILES
On the strategically and spiritually significant Koh-e-Maran hill, north of the city centre, is this powerful qila (fort), which dates to the 6th century…
15.58 MILES
On top of thickly forested Shankaracharya Hill, this small Shiva temple is built from hefty blocks of ancient grey stone. Previously known as Takht-i…
27.28 MILES
The impressive ruins of this 8th-century Sun Temple built by King Lalitaditya sit in peaceful, well-tended gardens on a hill above Mattan. The site feels…
16.45 MILES
Looking like the movie set for an imagined Central Asian castle, this mighty 1672 mosque (built on an earlier 1394 construction) forms a quadrangle around…
18.89 MILES
Backing onto Dal Lake north of the Old City, this large, white-domed 20th-century mosque enshrines Kashmir’s holiest Islamic relic, the Moi-e-Muqqadas,…
14.38 MILES
It's worth visiting this richly endowed historical museum for its fine 7th-century Buddhist statues, Mughal paper mache work, 4th-century tiles from the…
14.5 MILES
A few colonial-era half-timbered buildings remain along the northern towpath of the Jhelum River. The most splendid example is the former British…
14.74 MILES
Beside the Srinagar–Jammu highway in Awantipora, 30km south of Srinagar, lies the chunky ruins of the 9th-century Avantiswamin Temple. The stone blocks…
15.58 MILES
On top of thickly forested Shankaracharya Hill, this small Shiva temple is built from hefty blocks of ancient grey stone. Previously known as Takht-i…
15.85 MILES
For guests, the first-row houseboats can prove noisy and lacking in privacy. However, as an attraction they collectively form Srinagar's signature image.
15.99 MILES
This distinctively spired 1730s Muslim pilgrim hall is Srinagar’s most beautiful mosque. It was constructed without any nails, and both frontage and…
16.01 MILES
Unlike most typical Kashmiri wooden spired mosques, Pather Masjid is a heavy Mughal stone structure, built by Nur Jahan in 1623. The road-facing side is…
16.14 MILES
Much of Srinagar's fresh produce is brought in from 'floating gardens' and landed at this tiny dock, making for photogenic scenes.