Murree

This article is about the city. For the district, see Murree District. For the brewer of Murree Beer, see Murree Brewery. For the cargo ship wrecked in 1989, see MV Murree.

Murree
مری
City
Clockwise from top: Sunset over Murree's Holy Trinity Church, Murree, General Post Office, view of the valley and Mall Road, colonial-era Mall in central Murree, Patriata's Gondola Lift
Nickname(s): 
The Depot (British Raj), The White City
Murree is located in Punjab, Pakistan
Murree
Murree
Location in Punjab
Murree is located in Pakistan
Murree
Murree
Location in Pakistan
Coordinates: 33°54′15″N 73°23′25″E / 33.90417°N 73.39028°E / 33.90417; 73.39028
Country Pakistan
ProvincePunjab, Pakistan Punjab
DistrictMurree
TehsilMurree
Government
 • MNA (NA-51)Raja Usama Sarwar (PML-N)
 • Deputy Commissioner MurreeAgha Zaheer Abbas Sherazi
Elevation
2,291.2 m (7,517.1 ft)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total
352,329
Time zoneUTC+5 (PKT)
Postal code
47150
Union Councils8

Murree (Punjabi, Urdu: مری) is a mountain resort city, located in the Galyat region of the Pir Panjal Range, within the Murree District of Punjab, Pakistan. It forms the outskirts of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan area, and is about 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Islamabad. It has average altitude of 2,291 metres (7,516 ft). The British built this town during their rule to escape the scorching heat in the plains of Punjab during the summer.[2][3]

Construction of the town was started in 1851 on the hill of Murree as a sanatorium for British troops. The permanent town of Murree was constructed in 1853 and the church was consecrated shortly thereafter. One main road was established, commonly referred to even in modern times, as the "Mall Road". Murree was the summer headquarters of the colonial Punjab Government until 1876 when it was moved to Shimla.[4][3]

Murree became a popular tourist station for British citizens of the British Raj. Several prominent Britons were born here including Bruce Bairnsfather, Francis Younghusband, Reginald Dyer[5] and Joanna Kelley.[6] During the colonial era, access to commercial establishments was restricted for non-Europeans. Such establishments included Lawrence College, Murree.

Since the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Murree has retained its position as a popular hill station, noted for its pleasant summer weather. Many tourists visit the town from the Islamabad-Rawalpindi area.[7] The town also serves as a transit point for tourists visiting Azad Kashmir and Abbottabad.[8][9] The town is noted for its Tudorbethan and neo-gothic architecture. The Government of Pakistan owns a summer retreat in Murree, where foreign dignitaries including heads of state often visit.[10][11]

  1. ^ "Punjāb (Pakistan): Province, Major Cities, Municipalities [sic] & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.city population.de.
  2. ^ "A British town in the hills: Book on Murree launched". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 12 November 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Chisholm (1911).
  5. ^ "Murree Culture | Murree History". www.world66.com. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Kelley [née Beadon], Joanna Elizabeth (1910–2003), prison administrator". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/89897. Retrieved 25 June 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. ^ "Rain, tourists cause traffic jams in Murree". Dawn (newspaper). 10 July 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Independence Day: Festivity plans finalized for Murree". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 4 August 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  9. ^ Asghar, Mohammad (14 August 2015). "Pakistanis not free to go to Murree on Independence Day". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Nawaz, Tajikistan President meet in Murree". Dunya TV News website. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  11. ^ "PM House rejects Imran's Murree 'home renovation' claim". Pakistan Today (newspaper). 9 May 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2021.