The Murad Khani Bazaar

In 2004 Murad Khani was one of the poorest neighourhoods in Kabul, abandoned following decades of conflict and neglect. Today it has become once again a hectic, bustling and noisy place, hosting an important bazaar. The Abu'l Fazl shrine draws many Shia pilgrims to this quarter, who make up some of the hundreds of thousands of people who visit the market each year.

The market is also extremely compact. From the shrine, a narrow alley leads down to the Kabul river waterfront, where rows of stalls are found. These stalls predominantly sell fresh fruit and vegetables, brought into the city at dawn each morning.

The market is a place of many sights, sounds and smells, from the clinking of the blacksmiths to the pungent aroma of lamb brain and shin, 'kala pacha', a well-known delicacy of the area - alongside bakers, barbers, fortune tellers, tyre recyclers, carpenters, shoe-shiners, jewellers, and many others.

It is not just Shi'a pilgrims who visit these shops. Most of those found sipping tea and chatting with the shop-owners are Murad Khani’s inhabitants, some of whom trace their lineage back to the quarter’s earliest inhabitants in the 18th century.

There are many gathering spots around the neighbourhood: tea-houses, family-run shrines, squares, wells, and gardens. An important part of family life, these locations are often hidden from the main streets.