Dir (city)

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Dir دیر
City
Dir Show map of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dir Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 35°12′24″N 71°52′36″E / 35.20667°N 71.87667°E / 35.20667; 71.87667
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District	Upper Dir District
Elevation	1,420 m (4,660 ft)
Population  (2023)
• Total	47,842
Time zone	UTC+5 (PKT)

Dir (Urdu, Pashto: دیر) is a city in the Upper Dir District of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is sometimes known as Dir Khas (Proper Dir) to distinguish it from the district's name, Dir (Upper and Lower).^{[citation needed]} It lies along the Dir River, a tributary of the Panjkora River.^[1] It is at the base of the Lowarai Pass, the main road to Chitral.^{[citation needed]}

Dir was founded in the 17th century.^{[citation needed]} Mullā Ilyās, a 17th-century holy man, is said to have been the founder.^[1] It was the capital of the former princely state of Dir, until its abolition in 1969.^{[citation needed]} The former royal palace is on a hill above the city. Dir was then the capital of the Dir District. When the Dir District was divided in 1996 into Upper and Lower Dir, Dir city and Timergara became its district headquarters respectively.^{[citation needed]} Yusufzay Pashtuns make up the primary ethnic group in the region and in the city.^[1]