Muztagh

Muztagh is a toponym used in Central Asia to denote ice mountains, a term that appears in several names within the Karakoram and surrounding ranges. The word is derived from Turkic languages, with muz meaning ice and tagh meaning mountain, and it is commonly found in Uyghur, Kazakh, and related linguistic areas.

Geographically, Muztagh appears in the names of major peaks and subranges in the Karakoram. Notable examples include Muztagh Ata, a high peak in the Xinjiang region of China that forms part of the western Karakoram and is one of the range’s most prominent summits. In Pakistan, the Baltoro Muztagh is a subrange of the Karakoram in Baltistan, within which lie several famous peaks, including K2 and Broad Peak; Muztagh Tower is another notable peak in this subrange. The Baltoro Muztagh is part of the broader Karakoram spine that runs through northern Pakistan and into the region’s glaciated terrain.

The use of Muztagh in place names reflects historical linguistic influence across Central Asia, where Turkic, Persian, and Tibetan linguistic zones converge. In mountaineering literature and geographic references, the term is encountered as a descriptive element that identifies high, ice‑covered mountains within the Karakoram and adjacent ranges.