Description

Murree is the largest of the resort towns of the Galyat and adjoining and proposed tehsil Circle Bakote district Abbottabad region and is a tehsil of the Rawalpindi District. It was originally established at 7,000 feet during the British Raj, but today it is situated at an altitude of 2,300 m (8,000 ft) above sea level.

From the center of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area, Murree is reachable by a well-conditioned main road in a scenic journey of about two hours through densely wooded hills. During the clear spring and autumn, the snow-capped mountains of Kashmir can be seen. Dazzling twilight and cloud effects are a daily feature during the July and August rains. Most of the familiar fruits of Britain, including cherries, raspberries, and strawberries, thrive locally, and the hill station still has a distinct flavour of British times. There is a church, built in 1857, in the centre of the town, which is still in use. Many of the houses above and behind the church are still standing, often as hotels in various states of repair. Old restaurants like "Sams' on the Mall Road have been replaced by fast food shops and franchises. Some old accommodation like the Rich Villa Inn and Gulberg Hotel have completely disappeared. A typical hotel usually provides a Motel type accommodation with breakfast and communication access. Newly built hotels are also accessible.

Murree has expanded since 1947 much faster than its infrastructure can sustain. Securing water and electricity supplies has been a constant challenge. The jam-packed bazaar has burned down a number of times in the last century. The growth of tourism and a construction boom have left bare hills in their wake.

The best time to visit is from May to November.

History

Murree is an example of the hill stations set up by the British in the hills of Hazara and Galyat during the mid 19th century. Founded in 1851 by the Governor of Punjab, Sir Henry Lawrence, Murree was originally established for the British troops garrisoned on the Afghan frontier in Rawalpindi.

The permanent town of Murree was constructed at Sunnybank in 1853. The church was sanctified in May 1857, and the main road, The Mall, was built. Opposite the Church were established the most significant commercial establishments, the Post Office, general merchants with European goods, tailors and a millinery. Until 1947, access to the Mall was restricted for non-Europeans.

Until 1876, Murree was the summer headquarters of the [Punjab] Local Government, which was later moved to Simla.

The railway connection with Lahore, the capital of the Punjab Province, made this a place of frequent resort for Punjab officials. The villas and other houses erected for the accommodation of English families gave it a European aspect. It was described in the Gazetteer of the Rawalpindi District, 1893-94:

"The sanitarium of Murree lied in north latitude 33 54' 30" and east longitude 73 26' 30", at an elevation of 7,517 feet above sea level, and contained a standing population of 1,768 inhabitants, which was, however, enormously increased during the season [May-November] by the influx of visitors and their attendant servants, and shopkeepers. Part of the station, especially the Bhurban, Rawat, Osia, Dewal, and adjoining Circle Bakote 1st Union Council Birote, are also well wooded and pretty."People who plan to go to Murree, usually also go to Nathia Gali, Ayubia, Dunga Gali, Khaira Gali, Changla Gali, Patriata, Bhurban, Abbottabad and Thandiani.