Main image: Omer Wazir, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting There
You can easily travel to Qissa Khwani by Car by Daewoo Coach,
The Qissa Khwani Bazaar is located at Qissa Khawani Road near the Dilber market in Peshawar. You can go there using local transport or taking a taxi.
By roads: Khyber Pukhtankhwa (KP) is different province and cities of Pakistan by a large network of roads. You can reach KP by Bus, Car, Coaches, and Daewoo from different parts of the country. It is mainly connected with capital of Pakistan (Islamabad) by Motorway M-1 and Via National Highway.
By Train: You can also use the train from other parts of the country to reach Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Which can enter Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through different areas.
By Car: You can still travel in your car from any province of Pakistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for which you can use Main GT Road and M-1 Motorway.
What to Expect
Since ancient times, Qissa Khwani Bazaar remained famous for many reasons. There are many inns and cafes. It is also home to various shops of clay pots. Many of the clay pots get imported from different cities of Pakistan. First, the pots are given shape with clay and later intrinsic designs are made over them to enhance their beauty. The next most sold items are brass items. They include vases, lamps, decoration pieces, and many kitchen utensils.
Qissa Khwani’s primitive and archaic culture magnetize tourists’ attention before visiting its food restaurants and Qehwa shops where they swap tales of ancient culture, music and traditional norms by enjoying aroma of mouthwatering food cuisines including Chappal Kabab, Mutton Karahi, fried fish, chicken roast, Kabli Pulao, Kulfi-Falooda (dessert) along with famous Qehwa (green tea).
Your visit here can be worthy in the shopping of splendid clay pieces and in enjoying tea or kahwah in a restaurant. Besides tea shops, it is also popular for different types of foods and cuisines. You can relish fried tikkas and fresh naans that are of quality for lunch or dinner.
History
On 23 April 1930, nearly 400 unarmed protesters were shot dead by soldiers of the British colonial government in the Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre. The massacre triggered protests across British India and catapulted the newly formed Khudai Khidmatgar movement into prominence.
The Street of Storytellers, locally known as Qissa Khwani Bazaar, is one of the most commercially-active historical sites in Peshawar. The name of this place entails a very unique history as it remained a pit stop for traders and travelers belonging to different parts of the continent to gather and swap stories. From selling spices and black tea to trading silver and gold, the market served as a business hub for merchants from all over Asia in ancient times.
A place that was once used to be a hub of black and green tea cafes has now transformed into a market based on a cluster of shops selling electronics and clothing items. Though time has changed a lot of things about this place, Qissa Khawani bazaar still boasts a nostalgic look with narrow alleys and age-old structures that serve as a constant reminder of its noteworthy historical importance.
Facilities Available
- Local guides are available
- People of Peshawar are very hospitable
- PC Hotel, Shelton’s Rezidor Peshawar,Fort Continental Hotels, Hotel Gateway, Emaraat Hotel, Green’s Hotel Restaurant, and famous Restaurant of Peshawar Nisar Charsi Tikka
- Qissa Khwani Bazaar can be easily accessible thought local transport and can book a car on rent.
- Tourism Department helps the Tourist/ Visitors through providing broachers in both Urdu and English languages. The local Police and the local Guides can speak multi languages (i.e local languages, Urdu, English and some of them can speak Chinese also).
- There is a bus stand in Qissa Khwani Bazaar for public transportation.
- Filling stations are available in which includes Petrol and Diesel.
- Taxis are available in on daily rent basis.
- Shops are available.
- You can easily travel to Qissa Khwani Bazaar in BRT bus service is a comfortable service for the tourist. The BRT buses run from Chamkani to Karkhanay a total distance of 26 Kilometer with 31 stations.
