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Empress Market
This huge, bustling Pakistani market is
located in Saddar. It is essentially a food
market and sells all manner of products from fruit and vegetables
to fish, poultry
and red meat as well as canned/tinned goods, house wares and
spices. Shopping
there is a real experience although, as the market is very large,
it can be a little
intimidating. We suggest that you make your first visit with a
friend who shops
there regularly.
Coolies (men who for a small fee will
carry all your shopping) wait outside. Many people have a specific
coolie whom they use on every visit. The meat halls can become
unpleasant in the hot season. Many people therefore ask their
coolie to bring their meat/fish order to them while they are
shopping for vegetables etc., to save them having to enter the
meat halls.
Friends can recommend coolies who have
regularly provided them with good meat. The spice hall is worth
visiting (and photographing) with high cone shaped piles of the
various spices. Dried fruits and nuts are always available in
abundance and many of the small grocer stalls occasionally get
imported goods which are not available in the Clifton shops.
Remember, the meat halls close on meatless days although fish and
chicken are still sold.
Bohri Bazaar
Close to Empress market, this bazaar
comprises hundreds of small shops in a maze of narrow streets
which sell a whole variety of goods, ranging from house wares,
pots and pans, crockery, cutlery, plastic items, silk flowers
cottons, sheets, buttons, threads and all sewing requirements. On
the main road is a shop which sells embroidery threads. As it is
easy to get lost here, again we would suggest that you make your
first visit with a friend who knows her way around. Do not forget
to bargain. It is amazing what can be found in this bazaar
including second hand designer label swimsuits!
Zainab Market
This market is a real Aladdin’s cave. It
sells mainly traditional Pakistani handicrafts and has a huge
range of silk paintings, onyx, hangings, bedspreads, Kashmiri
shawls, papier-mâché, etc. Remember that this is where a lot of
tourists shop and the initial price quoted to you could be two or
three times higher then the real price. Bargain hard. One part of
this market also sells cheap ready made western clothes fir
ladies, gents and children shorts, T shirts, leggings blouses,
etc. Although the quality is often not high, they are cheap and
suitable for the hot weather here.
Co-operative Market
This market is slightly further down
Abdullah Haroon Road from Zainab. Shops are located on two levels
and they sell a variety of Pakistani wares, from onyx to brass,
wood carvings, lower quality of other wooden items, men’s clothing
material, shawls, etc. Like Zainab, this market caters to
tourists. Be prepared to bargain.
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