Daman-e-Koh
Daman-e-Koh is a viewing point and hill top garden north of Islamabad and located in the middle of the Margalla Hills. Its name is a conjunction of two Persian words, which together means foot hills. It is about 2400ft from sea level and almost 500ft from the city of Islamabad. It is a popular destination for the residents as well as the visitors to the capital.
Daman-e-Koh is a midpoint for tourists on their way to the higher view point Pir Sohawa which is located at the top of Margalla Hills at an elevation of about 3600ft. There is a plan to construct a chairlift from Daman-e-Koh to Pir Sohawa. Monkeys are a common sight during winter. Cheetahs are frequently reported to descend from higher hills of Murree during snowfall.
Airblue Flight 202 crashed near here on July 28, 2010.
Panoramic view of Islamabad
The Southern spot is the main attraction as it provides a panoramic view of Islamabad. The visitors experience a unique view of Faisal Mosque, the newly constructed Seventh Avenue (Islamabad) and Rawal Lake.
Telescopes are installed for keen observers. There is also a large sign installed showing an original map of Islamabad.
Redevelopment
In 2007, Capital Administration & Development Division, under the leadership of Kamran Lashari further developed the viewpoint by upgrading the restaurant, widening the car-parking and providing other necessary facilities including electric-powered cars to facilitate access for tourists between northern and southern spots.
References in literature
Daman-e-Koh is described in the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
Gallery
Islamabad Map
View of Seventh Avenue from Daman-e-Koh at night
Peacock at Daman-e-Koh
View of Islamabad from Daman-e-Koh
View of Faisal Mosque from Daman-e-Koh
See also
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Damn-e-Koh, Islamabad. |