{{Short description|Mountain pass on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border}} {{More citations needed|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox mountain pass | name = Broghil Pass | native_name = {{nativename|prs|کوتل بروغیل}} | photo = Mountain passes of Afghanistan2.png | photo_caption = Mountain passes of Afghanistan | elevation = {{cvt|3798|m|ft}} | elevation_ref = | traversed = | map = Karakoram#Afghanistan#Gilgit Baltistan#Pakistan#Pamir | map_caption = Location of the Broghil Pass within the greater Karakoram region | label_position = bottom | coordinates = {{Coord|format=dms|display=it}} | location = Afghanistan-Pakistan border | range = Hindu Kush | topo = | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 12 | mapframe-wikidata = yes }}
'''Broghil Pass''' ({{langx|khw|بروغل ان}}'';'' {{langx|Ur|درۂ بروغل }}) is a high mountain pass crossing the Hindu Kush mountain range along the Pakistan–Afghanistan Border, connecting Upper Chitral District of Pakistan with Wakhan District of Afghanistan. It is at an elevation of {{cvt|3798|m|ft}}.
Sarhad Broghil is the nearest town in Afghanistan from the pass.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-189931 |title=400 Families in Wakhan, Badakhshan Lack Access to Clean Drinking Water |work=TOLOnews |date=26 July 2024 |access-date=2025-03-13}}</ref> The road is being improved as of early 2025.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2025/03/13/morrd-inks-agreement-for-gravelling-of-wakhan-road/ |title=MoRRD inks agreement for gravelling of Wakhan road |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=13 March 2025 |access-date=2025-03-13}}</ref>
== History == Although the ultimate etymology is uncertain, Broghil is suggested to have been derived from two Khowar words, ''baṛa'' (lit. high) and ''gol'' (lit. valley) or ''guṛ'' (lit. ravine), translating into high valley or ravine.<ref>{{Cite web |author= پروفیسر اسرار الدین |author-link= |date=17 February 2023 |title=چترال کے مختلف مقامات کی لوک تاریخ (قسط اول): پروفیسر اسرار الدین |url=https://chitraltimes.com/%da%86%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%84-%da%a9%db%92-%d9%85%d8%ae%d8%aa%d9%84%d9%81-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%aa-%da%a9%db%8c-%d9%84%d9%88%da%a9-%d8%aa%d8%a7%d8%b1%db%8c%d8%ae-%d9%82%d8%b3%d8%b7 |access-date=4 September 2025 |website=چترال ٹایمز |language=Ur}}</ref> A tributary of Wakhan River flows across Broghil, forming a narrow ravine.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Afghanistan/susuAQAAIAAJ?hl=en |title=Afghanistan |date=2007 |publisher=Lonely Planet |isbn=978-1-74059-642-8 |pages=170 |language=en}}</ref> Broghil is a relatively low pass. It was closed for about three months each winter because of snow, but for much of the rest of the year it was passable even for cart traffic.
It is one of the four major mountain passes entering Chitral District; the others are the Dorah Pass from Badakshan Province of Afghanistan, Shandur Top from Gilgit, and Lowari Top from Upper Dir District.
== European migration == According to the National Geographic Genographic Project, Broghol Pass appears to be the route used by the ancestors of all modern Western Europeans to reach Europe. Modern Europeans carrying the M45 genetic marker crossed Broghol and then turned west; M45 further mutated to become M173 and then M343, which is carried by 70% of the population of England.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www9.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html |title=Atlas of the Human Journey - the Genographic Project |website=www9.nationalgeographic.com |access-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060326213734/https://www9.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html |archive-date=26 March 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
== In popular culture== * The 1985 comedy movie Spies Like Us depicts Dan Aykroyd crossing the Broghol Pass on a mountain yak.
==See also== *Broghil Valley National Park
==References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110810112606/http://www.broghil.com/ Broghil, Chitral, Pakistan] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060326213734/https://www9.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html National Geographic Genographic Project]
== Further reading == * ''The Gilgit Game'' by John Keay (1985) {{ISBN|0-19-577466-3}} * ''The Kafirs of the Hindukush'' (1896) Sir George Scott Robertson * ''Khowar English Dictionary'' {{ISBN|0-923891-15-3}}
{{Mountain passes of Pakistan}}
Category:Mountain passes of Afghanistan Category:Wakhan Category:Mountain passes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Category:Landforms of Badakhshan Province