Gilgit, strategically located is a vast valley around the point where the Gilgit and Hunza River meet beyond the Great Himalayan Range .. It was bound from the North on one side by the Karakoram Range and on the Western side by the Hindu Kush. Its location particularly later in history was one of immense importance once the Great Game started between Tsarist Russia and Imperial Britain.
The Gilgit Game
Rakaposhi Peak as seen from the Gilgit Valley. Pic Courtesy Wikipedia