Our journey began with the decision to forego private transportation and take the ‘scenic route’. This meant walking from our office to the nearest orange line train station, and taking the metro train all the way to Anarkali station. The reason was three-fold.

First, it helped us avoid getting stuck in traffic on the way. Second, it saved us from having to find a place to park your car as the Bazaar itself has no space for parking. And third, it passes through areas we may not normally get the opportunity to visit and see, exposing us to the different colors of Lahore.

Using public transportation for one part of the trip necessitates its repeated use. Upon arriving at the Anarkali station, we chose the most local form of transportation for our next destination, rickshaws. While there is no shortage of rides to hail in the area, in today’s age that was no longer our only option. To get an idea of the acceptable rate, we referenced a few ride-hailing apps and finally settled on one that was the most reasonable. This proved to be a good decision as the more we delved into Anarkali Bazaar, the narrower the streets got.  

If you’re someone who hasn’t visited any part of old Lahore before, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. At first glance, visual differences between modernized areas of the city and the Bazaar become starkly apparent. Having witnessed over 200 years of the city’s history, Anarkali Bazaar boasts many architectural and infrastructural gems that have modern-day architects baffled. Our first find was the Tomb of Qutb-ud-Din Aibak, one of the better-known heritage sites in Anarkali. Our interest was piqued by the stone slabs engraved with Arabic text that framed the different entrances to the tomb. Though the slabs themselves were separate pieces, the engraving flowed seamlessly through the entire piece, curving with the arch of the doorway and still maintaining its shape.

From the courtyard of the tomb, we spotted the roof of an old church now repurposed by local inhabitants and the spire of an old Hindu temple. With such irrefutable evidence of past coexistence staring down at us, we were inspired to discuss everything from the influence of religion on architecture to the displacement of families post-partition.

An interesting divide that became apparent as we explored the terraces of the Hindu temple was the willingness of its inhabitants to let strangers wander outside and sometimes inside their homes. A polite request and informal conversation was all it took to gain closer access to the inside of the structure. This provided the opportunity for a new topic of conversation - the plundering and defacing of buildings to substitute physical acts of aggression against a group of people.

Standing in the center of a place so rich in history and culture, it's difficult not to appreciate what was and question what is.

The experience of shopping in the heart of Anarkali Bazaar is unlike anything you’ll experience at the city’s modern shopping centers. Our next stop was Bano Bazaar. It's easy to lose your way as you navigate through the labyrinth that is the shopping district of Anarkali. With clothing stalls on one side, jewelry on the other, shoes up ahead and an assortment of handicrafts all around, we ended up spending more time here than anywhere else on our trip.

We walked in with only one goal in mind, to fully immerse ourselves in the buying and selling culture. So we were clear on the why, but not the what and the how. After scrutinizing every bag and greeting every shop owner on our way, we finally found something that caught our eye. A shop, tucked cozily between others, twice its size, selling interesting jewelry items sourced both locally and globally. This is where we learned the key to shopping in old Lahore; haggling. You can haggle for almost everything, if you know how. The experience was as fun for the shopkeeper as it was for us when we left with 8-9 odd items having brought the price down by almost 40%!