Kalashi - a mysterious people living in the mountains of Pakistan

The blue-eyed and often fair-haired inhabitants of the Chitral River Valley, flowing in the Hindu Kush mountains, are strikingly different from their closest neighbors. Customs, religious preferences, appearance and features of life make them completely different from the people of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. It is interesting that their closest neighbors are sure that these mysterious people are descendants of the army of Alexander the Great.

Kalash belong to the Dardic group of peoples that are of Indo-Aryan origin. Despite the legends about the army of Alexander the Great, the Kalash people themselves in their legends say that their ancestors came to the Chitral valley from the neighboring southern region and crowded out the other peoples who lived here. The size of this unique people is small - only about 6,000 people.

It is interesting that Kalash strikingly differ from their neighbors not only in appearance, but in their customs and traditions. This is especially true for women. Representatives of the fair sex are allowed to choose husbands for themselves: other residents of this mountain region cannot even dream of this. Moreover, if something does not suit the wife, she can divorce her husband at will. True, there is one condition: her future husband must pay double the ransom paid for the bride by her first husband.

Interestingly, along with fair-haired and blue-eyed representatives of the people, among the Kalash there are also dark-haired, who are less likely to get into the frame. This was the reason for the formation of the theory that the Kalash are the descendants of the European conquerors. Although their skin is noticeably lighter, their eyes are often blue. Scientists who carried out a comprehensive study of the genetic characteristics of the people became interested in this phenomenon. The conclusions of geneticists will disappoint lovers of everything mysterious and ancient: Alexander of Macedon and his army, most likely, have no direct relation to Kalash. DNA analysis showed that Kalash are not much different from their Indo-Afghan neighbors. Blond hair and eyes are inherent in about half of the Kalash population. Researchers attribute this feature to the lack of pigmentation due to an isolated lifestyle, although they acknowledge that the percentage of fair-haired people among Kalash is incomparably higher than among neighbors.

Against the background of the difficult situation in Pakistan, the well-being of the Kalash raises serious concerns. But their folk tradition says that Kalash will exist as long as women wear traditional dresses. And they really wear them. Photos of these beautiful women in colorful dresses are not vestments on the occasion of the arrival of guests or a national holiday. Colorful outfit, beads, hairstyle and national headdress - here women look like this every day. And it is likely that for this reason Kalash survived to this day.