Upper Dir, Pakistan
دیر
Upper Dir is a town of 29,869 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Why visit Upper Dir
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Upper Dir
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Upper Dir
Dir (Urdu, Pashto: دیر) is a city in the Upper Dir District of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is sometimes known as Dir Khas (Proper Dir) to distinguish it from the district's name, Dir (Upper and Lower). It lies along the Dir River, a tributary of the Panjkora River. It is at the base of the Lowarai Pass, the main road to Chitral.
From the Wikipedia article Dir (city) (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship1
History
Dir was founded in the 17th century. Mullā Ilyās, a 17th-century holy man, is said to have been the founder. It was the capital of the former princely state of Dir, until its full incorporation into Pakistan in 1969. The former royal palace is on a hill above the city. Dir was then the capital of the Dir District. When the Dir District was divided in 1996 into Upper and Lower Dir, Dir city and Timergara became its district headquarters respectively. Yusufzay Pashtuns make up the primary ethnic group in the region and in the city.
From the History section of Dir (city) on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Healthcare2
Map of Upper Dir
7 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Saidu Sharif Airport (SDT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 62 km away.
- Kakad Wari Dir Upper 29 km southeast, about 29 min by car
- Thal 45 km northeast, about 45 min by car
- Batwar Salarzai 46 km southwest, about 46 min by car
- Dursh Khela 57 km southeast, about 57 min by car
- Khar 61 km southwest, about 1 h by car
- Mingora 65 km southeast, about 1 h by car
- Bat Khela 66 km south, about 1 h by car
- Maimola 68 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Chitral 72 km north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Inzari 75 km southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- View of Zaimdara in Maidan valley of lower dir, nasar khan, Public domain
- Upper dir - panoramio, Manzoor Ahmad, CC BY 3.0
- Shahi Mosque at the Fort of Nawab Shah Jehan Khan, Sirajullah20623, CC BY-SA 4.0
- DIR -, Rizwan Bhiriya (RB), CC BY-SA 4.0
- ISS025-E-12213 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
Page built November 3, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.