Centuries-old mosque in Thall draws crowds of tourists

DIR: The centuries-old mosque in Thall, which is the gateway to the picturesque Kumrat valley in Upper Dir district, is a unique masterpiece of architecture that has been attracting droves of tourists.

The Jamia Masjid in Thall situated on the bank of River Kumrat was built of wood and stones and it still looks beautiful.

The local people say the mosque was built in the 19th century and was damaged by the fire in 1950.

Gul Akbar, a resident of Thall, said the mosque was rebuilt in 1953.

He said big wooden pillars carried by the local people on their shoulders were used in the construction of the mosque.

Beautifully decorated with different flowers and other hand-made art enhanced its grandeur.

The mosque has a two-storey building. The eye-catching scenery of lush green fields in the surroundings can be seen from the second floor of the mosque. One is also captivated by the crystal clear water flowing in the River Kumrat.The tourists said that the mosque was a masterpiece of architecture.

Aqib Khan, a resident of Karachi, said that he and his friends visited the Kumrat valley and also stayed for a few moments to watch the mosque.

“The beauty of this mosque has fascinated us,” he remarked.

He said that he found Kumrat valley a beautiful place. “Kumrat is a piece of heaven on the earth,” he said.

Another tourist said that he was wondering as to how the huge pillars had been brought on shoulders as it was almost an impossible task.

ArsalanBhatti, resident of Lahore, said that they visited Kumrat valley and enjoyed the snowfall. He said the people of Kumrat were cooperative and hospitable.

Meanwhile, tourists are coming in large numbers to enjoy the snowfall in Kumrat.

Tourists from various areas and cities of Pakistan now visit Kumrat valley in winter to enjoy the snowfall and the natural beauty.

They said that though Kumrat was known as a tourist destination for summer, it looked more beautiful in winter, adding that watching the snowflakes come down in dense forests was the real treat.

They said that people should also visit Kumrat valley in winter.

The hoteliers are also happy as a large number of tourists are visiting Kumrat in the winter. They said that they now also earned a handsome amount in winter season.

Shaukat Ali, a hotel owner, said that in the past no one visited Kumrat in winter, but now the situation had changed.

The visitors said that the Tourism department should focus on the development of Kumrat valley by building roads abs improving infrastructure to attract more tourists.