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Saddar Shopping
Saddar is by far the
largest shopping
area in Karachi with
every imaginable
(and barely
imaginable), item
available. The
historical Bazaar is
a composite of
famous smaller
bazaars and markets.
Carpet Shopping
Pakistan offers some
of the best handmade
carpets in the
world, and Karachi
carpet shops sell
some of the finest
that can be found in
Pakistan.
Experienced and
skilful craftsmen
produce many carpets
based on Iranian
designs using old
color combinations
as well as more
subdued mellow
colors suitable for
Western taste and
decor. Apart from
Pakistani carpets
you will also find a
selection of
Iranian, and Afghani
carpets.
You will find many
shops selling good
quality hand-knotted
Pakistani carpets as
well as tribal
gilims (hand-woven,
naturally dyed wool
carpets). Carpets
can be found in all
sizes and designs
which can be packed
for you for easy
transportation.
There are several
carpet shops on
ground floor of
Hotel Metro pole and
in its vicinity on
Abdullah Haroon Road
(Victoria Road) and
Merewether Road. If
you proceed on
Abdullah Haroon
Road, near Zainab
Market, you will
find a concentration
of carpet shops.
Be prepared to
bargain, sometimes
you can get quite a
bargain!
Zainab Market
Located on Abdullah
Haroon Road
(Victoria Road), a
market particularly
favored by tourists,
Zainab Market offers
a variety of goods
in its narrow
walkways. Likened to
a "real Aladdin's
cave," in its
cabinet-sized shops
you will find onyx
and wood gift items,
embroidered
hangings, bedspreads
and cushion covers,
Kashmir shawls and
Peppier Mache items,
all available at
bargain prices. In
one part of the
market you will find
a variety of
low-priced ready
made western clothes
for men, women and
children. Many of
the shops are
stocked with
designer-labeled
items; mostly
tee-shirts and jeans
etc. rejected for
export, which find
their way into this
market; hence before
purchasing, look for
defects.
If you are
interested in
antique silver and
traditional vintage
embroidery items,
Zainab Market's
Kanahiyya Lal is
famous for his
collection.
APWA Handicrafts
This shop is located
on Abdullah Haroon
Road (Victoria Road)
and is a haven for
good quality
handicrafts. You
will find
embroidered table
linen, cushion
covers, hand-woven
durries, metal and
marble knick knacks,
and many other items
that will be of
interest to visitors
from abroad. The
shop is run by All
Pakistan Women's
Association which is
the oldest
non-governmental
organization engaged
in the uplift of
women. The proceeds
from sale are
invested in APWA's
projects for
empowerment of
women.
Mehboob Bakhsh
Market
This is another
market where a
variety of colorful,
embroidered cloth is
sold. You may not
wish to make a
purchase, but the
experience of
walking through the
endless number of
shops, all
displaying
glittering gold
thread embroidery is
a treat. Since
almost all
sales-persons are
men, while fabric or
clothes being sold
are for women, you
will find the
amusing spectacle of
men demonstrating
how a particular
sari or gold
embroidered fabric
will look, by
wrapping sarees
around themselves.
Towards the back
entrance, you will
find shops selling
hand-crafted items:
beautiful marble
containers, jars,
decorative items,
chess pieces, etc.
Saddar
Cooperative Market
This Market, located
opposite the General
Post Office on
Abdullah Haroon Road
(Victoria Road),
sells a host of
handicrafts
consisting of brass,
onyx and wood items.
It also stocks
shawls and men's
clothing and has
several tailoring
shops.
Another part of this
Market is known as
Saddar Electronics
Market and will be
of interest to those
who are keen on
electronics goods.
There is a large
variety of every
imaginable
electronic item sold
here. The
underground market
near the traffic
lights close-by
deals with
cassettes, CDs,
watches and
calculators etc.
Hotel Paradise
Market
Hotel Paradise (or
Paradise Market as
it is commonly
known), is part of
Saddar Bazaar area.
Paradise Market is a
paradise indeed for
brides-to-be, and
their relatives.
Shops here sell
colorful, gold
embroidered fancy
cloth—Pakistani
women love to get
decked up for
weddings! In some
shops, you can also
order embroidery of
specific design on a
fabric of your
choice. A few shops
also sell fabric for
western style men's
suits.
Bohri Bazaar
The most famous
shopping area of
Karachi is known as
Bohri Bazaar. The
bazaar continues on
either side of Raja
Ghazanfar Ali Road
(Somerset Street),
with scores of shops
spread over a large
area in a maze of
narrow streets.
Because of the large
variety available
here it is one of
the most popular
shopping areas for
purchase of
ready-made garments
for men, women and
children. You can
also find, second
hand clothes; laces,
ribbons, edgings of
all widths and
designs; gold thread
embroidered designs;
shoes particularly
khoosas (traditional
elaborately worked
shoes); beautiful
mirror embroidered
waistcoats;
embroidered cushion
covers, bed and
pillow covers;
imitation fashion
jewelry; wigs and
hair accessories;
watches and bangles;
cutlery and crockery
and many many more
items......
Tit Bit Book Store.
Opposite Bohri
Bazaar, on Dr.
Daudpota Road (Frere
Street), is this
tiny book shop. It
mostly sells a wide
variety of second
hand books and
magazines at
incredibly low
prices. The shop is
so small that only
one customer at a
time can be
accommodated.
Zaibunnisa Street
Since the
British-colonial
period, Zaibunnisa
Street (Elphinstone
Street), has been
considered the most
important shopping
street, since it was
lined with
fashionable shops
stocking luxurious
imported goods which
provided all the
needs of British
military and
civilian residents.
Today, it is just as
important a shopping
area, catering to
the needs of the
affluent middle
class. You will find
a large number of
jewelry shops; even
if you do not intend
to buy jewelry these
shops are worth
visiting just to
enjoy the variety of
the beautifully
crafted jewelry
items.
Among the shops you
will find Banaras
Silk House with
stocks of hand-loom
silks and
gold-thread sarees;
London Watch Company
selling handcrafted
silver and German
silver items as well
as a variety of
watches and clocks;
many shoe shops such
as English Boot
House, Bata,
Service, Fitrite
etc.; Jalal Din
House located
close-by is a haven
for fabric lengths
in a vast array of
colors and designs;
facing the main road
is A. Moosajee's,
the famous shop
selling fabric for
men's clothes, from
the finest lengths
for western-style
trousers,
three-piece suits,
and shirts to simple
shalwar-qameez
outfits; Moosajee's
also provides
tailoring service
for men's western
style suits.
A shop which
provides a high
standard of
merchandise is
Sanaullah Department
Store; here you will
find a large variety
of men's and women's
clothes including
specially
manufactured sarees
and shalwar-qameez
outfits, make up
items, ties and
woolen cardigans
etc. On this road is
also located
Jafferjee & Co., the
original shop of
leather accessories
which stocks
excellent gifts
items, such as
wallets, handbags,
telephone diaries,
briefcases, belts,
key chains etc. You
will find another
Jafferjee's in
Clifton as well.
Royal Silk Palace
has an array of
hand-loom raw silk
in vibrant colors.
Other shops worth
looking at are
Kashmir Art Emporium
for beautifully
embroidered shawls
and Kashmiri
hand-knotted
carpets, Bokhara
Palace for quality
hand-woven carpets.
Located on the same
road is Panorama
Shopping Plaza,
which has many shops
on the first floor
selling leather, and
fur jackets as well
as shoes. Mushk
Mahal, located on
ground floor, sells
a range of itr
(traditional
perfume).
There are several
sidewalk stalls
selling paintings
reproductions,
second hand books,
optical frames, dry
flower arrangements
etc.
Empress Market
This historic
British-colonial
building in
Indo-Gothic style,
with its 140 feet
high distinctive
tower, is one of the
most prominent
landmarks of
Karachi. The
building was built
as a market for
fresh meat,
vegetables and fruit
and until 1947 was
surrounded by open
spaces known as
Empress Market
Gardens.
Later, however, the
open spaces were
occupied by a host
of small cabin shops
which surrounded the
market on three of
its sides. Today,
there are hundreds
of shops which sell
an incredible
variety of goods.
Because of its
central location and
reasonably priced
merchandise, the
market is frequented
by people from all
walks of life.
Although the market
has not been well
looked after, it
retains its
nineteenth century
flavor. You will be
amazed at the range
of goods available
here—for every
imaginable item is
on sale here.
Anything that you
cannot find
elsewhere will be
found in this
remarkably alive and
bustling
marketplace. Among
the favorites are
the spice halls
displaying mountains
of spices, dried
fruit and nuts
displayed for
effect.
The historic Empress
Market is worth a
visit, even if you
are not interested
in purchasing rare
vegetables or fruit,
freshly ground
wheat, maize or gram
flour, or freshest
of fish.
You will find many
coolies (quti)
prepared to carry
your purchases, at a
small fee.
Old City Bazaars
Saddar Shopping
Tariq Road Shopping
Clifton & Zamzama Shops
Jummah Bazaars
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