Myen Haa: a lost identity
The word “haa” in Burushaski means house and “myen” means old. the concept of myen haa has been around for the longest time. Myen haa is traditionally designed to use in all seasons and now is being used only in winter. if we talk about the interior, it’s built on a common basic plan that is of a huge room with a wooden interior, a veranda, a traditional Bukhari or fireplace, and a sunroof designed on a rectangular geometrical pattern commonly known as the lantern roof. Bukhari is a traditional fireplace made out of iron and wood is burned primarily.
In the present time, some people still prefer to keep their old houses for winter uses or as storehouses but now people have reconstructed their old houses into RCC buildings. the times have changed drastically and so has the lifestyle of people for good and bad as we move on to a very relaxing lifestyle but in short because of this poor lifestyle, health issues are on the rise, once Hunza was known for its longevity now it is not the same anymore. unfortunately, the concept of myen haa is being lost as people are disconnecting from their roots for an even much easier and more comfortable lifestyle, and for this people are not to be blamed its just how times have changed.
In some cases, since it snows a lot in Hunza, people who still have myen haa shift to that in winter, and everyone lives together for the next few months next to the warmth of the fireplace. That also symbolizes togetherness and harmony between the family. the word “shul” in burushaski means love, so the concept of love and togetherness used to be very strong back in the days but now the “shul” within the family or the strength within the community itself has weakened and this idea of a myen haa creates a chance for them to come together and sit around the Bukhari. Bukhari is a traditional fireplace, it is made of stone but iron is used mostly.
Growing up abroad, I haven’t seen a lot of the culture of Hunza, so every little thing that I come across amazes me. during the last winter of 2022, I spent more than 2 months, observing how life worked out in winter and how people made it past the harsh weather despite the living conditions with very limited facilities. I must admit, life is quite hard in the north, especially in winter with limited access to electricity and water taps all frozen up the struggle is real. Electricity and water are two main basic needs which the people are deprived of even in times like these, how the world has progressed and we are stuck here even years after. what inspired me to write about the myen haa was my maternal grandparents’ home in Hunza. I haven’t been to a lot of old houses but my grandparent’s house stuck with me for the longest time. it’s a myen haa with a veranda only enclosed completely with no windows but a small thick wooden door. the veranda has wooden carvings, a stone Bukhari and a lantern roof the only source of light in the room, these were the typical ideal winter houses. the type of material mattered a lot as well. usually for wood carvings timber was used. for construction and carving planes, pine, apricot, and mulberry.
Another interesting element is the lantern roof in myen haa, it has an enclosed structure with no windows so the lantern roof, in short, is a roof carved in such a geometrical pattern of rectangular panels that lets enough sunlight in to light up the whole room. this concept of lantern roof is still being followed in newly built homes now for designs only since it looks very aesthetic but back then the concept is linked to natural light. this idea is believed to be borrowed from Kashmir.
Everything wooden in the room is carved with patterns, that were believed to be an integral part. I can’t imagine the amount of hard and patience it took the workers to craft their art onto the wood. From wooden cabinets to doors everything is carved and covered in patterns. These craftsmen are known as “chake ustad” locally. they do all kinds of woodwork.
If we move on to the material used to construct these buildings, the materials found are stones, soil (‘adobe’ blocks or ‘pisé’ rammed earth), and timber (softwoods and hardwood ). these materials were used and are still used to construct simple houses. Houses were built in clusters, that was the way of structural planning people had in the past which was good in way that everyone lived next to each other and together. in our previous article, we learned these tribes lived in clusters, so one main reason to build houses on such a structure is so that the tribes could stay together, in harmony and it would create a sense of security. this truly did exist for the longest time. a joint family system existed and it was accepted but gradually people started moving away and now no two brothers live in the same house anymore, the love and harmony and the unity most of all in the community has vanished completely, but then again times have changed, and so have priorities, people are not to be blamed. our lifestyles and habits have changed drastically and so have our moral values.
What is amazing about these old structures is the material. Wood and stone are use-bale even after demolishing a building, the same material can be used somewhere else, and this is how 500 years old buildings have survived. in short, they stand as the main old buildings. In an interview with a businessman based in Hunza, while talking about the material used in his hotels to which he replied wood and stone are the main elements and he opted for these mainly so that he could take those materials with him to build something else when the existing one gets demolished and this is no simple wood we are talking about it involves wooden material bleats 100 years old and slowly the use of this sort of wood is becoming inaccessible because we are almost out of it.
Moving on to the interior of the myen haa usually we see a traditional step up with floor mattresses and carpets and embroidered cushions which the locals cherish a lot. One of the common practices regarding these embroidered cushions is when a girl is to be wed, in her dowry embroidered cushions are a must here in the north.
Overall myen haa is a cozy warm room, cozy enough to survive the harsh winters but what bothers me the most, is that the real issue is that people are disconnecting from their culture. we are losing the art of wooden carvings, and old houses but at what cost? it is an integral part of our culture if we do not take steps to preserve our indigenous culture we will lose our culture at some point
The concept of myen haa has always bothered me throughout my recent trip and I strongly hope that our community will come together and work towards preserving our heritage.
Source : Karakoram: Hidden Treasures in the Northern Areas of Pakistan by AKTC
Picture courtesy: Sabia hayat @khemore @hayatsabia on Instagram
Read more about the traditions, culture of Hunza, and poetry stayed tuned me. to connect with me catch me on Twitter @lostsoup101 or Instagram @_tales_of_thelost. bringing you indigenous stories straight from the mighty mountains of the north! along with my passion for writing, I love taking pictures too.
