An Impressive Market –Empress Market

Travelling can never be a problem for any one in Karachi because different modes of transportation provide extreme opportunities to visitors and tourists to explore the city. Rikshaws, Buses, Black and yellow colored taxis or ‘Kaali-Peeli’ as they are locally called, are at your service. Besides that, some car service providing companies are also roaming around the city for providing hassle free service to people. But it is highly recommended to walk around ‘Downtown’ alias Karachi and appreciating the architecture of the ancient buildings that stand at every step, as you proceed.

Different styles such as Gothic, Victorian, Indo-Saracenic and contemporary can be seen across the area. And then there is the Empress Market which complete the ‘Culture Square’. Many people from all over Karachi come to this market for shopping, despite its location in one of the most congested areas of the city.

Outside view of empress market -Photo by Zaigham Sajid

The entrance towards the empress market is highly crowded, people busy in buying different things and shopkeepers are calling customers towards their stalls and sell their products. Moreover, the streets and footpaths were fully occupied by ‘patharas’ or local stalls. Two huge metal gates at the entrance of the Empress Market, which once worked but now become jammed and rusty.

Different species displayed in a row at Empress Market’s shop –Photo by Zaigham Sajid

The smell of species, oil, tea, pets, meats and the noise of people make the empress market significant from other markets. Besides that, Empress Msarket is considered to be the one stop shop located in the center of the city.

Empress Market was built between 1884 and 1889 years and was named in honor of Queen Victoria, Empress of India. The market was built on site, which is clearly visible from a distance. Market location also had a historical significance, as it is found on the grounds, where a series of indigenous sepoys (soldiers of the Mughal Empire) is executed after the Indian rebellion of 1857.

The foundation stone of Empress Market was laid by then governor of Bombay James Ferguson in 1884. Built to be visible from a distance, it was arranged around a large courtyard, with four galleries opening into the central space. It was designed by architect James Strachan, the foundations were completed by English firm AJ Attfield and the building was constructed by local firm Mahoomed Niwan and Dulloo Khejoo. This building occupies an area of 130ft by 100ft, with four galleries, each 46ft wide. This market consists of almost 280 shops, and at the time of construction, it was one of the seven markets that existed in Karachi.

It is one of the very few historical buildings which exist in Karachi, and the old clock, placed above the entrance, is a central feature of this building.

From the seasonal vegetable stalls, fresh fruit, Meat and to the dry fruit section everything is available there. An old man with a wooden oil press, ready and willing to devote couple of hours pressing fresh coconut, sesame, and almond, or char maghz oil made for you before your eyes. This market also has numerous pet shops which sell different kinds of birds and other animals. An unending variety of red chilies, sacks full of multicolor pasta and dry fruits from across Pakistan are exhibited in its narrow lanes.

Kaleem ahmed who sells all sorts of lemon inside Empress Market told, you can find each and everything there even the lemons have a lot of types which is not available at the local shops. My father used to do this work and now I continued this. It is not just a market but a small city under one roof.

Kaleem Ahmed at his shop displaying different types of lemon -Photo by Zaigham Sajid

He stated, the building remind us of the old era where people go to the markets and shop what they want. Nowadays, online shopping and super marts are functioning at every corner of the city but Empress market has still have its importance, people came there and shop in a traditional manner where they bargain or negotiate and then purchase and honestly speaking we too like to sell this way. There is no joy in shopping from super markets where the products are usually costly and not even fresh people just pay what the supermarkets assign the price.