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Daman-e-Koh is a viewing point and hill top garden north of Islamabad and located in the middle of the Margalla Hills. Its name is a conjunction of Urdu & Persian words: Daman, which means center and Koh, which means hill. Daman-e-Koh therefore meaning center of the hill. It is about 2400ft from sea level and almost 500ft from the city of Islamabad. It is a popular destination for the residents as well as the visitors to the capital. Daman-e-Koh is a midpoint for tourists on their way to the higher view point Pir Sohawa which is located at the top of Margalla Hills at an elevation of about 3600ft. There is a plan to construct a chairlift from Daman-e-Koh to Pir Sohawa. Monkeys are a common sight during winter. Cheetahs are frequently reported to descend from higher hills of Murree during snowfall.
Panoramic view of Islamabad
The Southern spot is the main attraction as it provides a panoramic view of Islamabad. The visitors experience a unique view of Faisal Mosque, the newly constructed Seventh Avenue (Islamabad) and Rawal Lake.
Telescopes are installed for keen observers. There is also a large sign installed showing an original map of Islamabad.
Redevelopment
In 2007, Capital Development Authority, under the leadership of Kamran Lashari further developed the viewpoint by upgrading the restaurant, widening the car-parking and providing other necessary facilities including electric-powered cars to facilitate access for tourists between northern and southern spots.
References in literature
Daman-e-Koh is described in the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
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