Anarkali Bazaar (
Punjabi, ) is a major
bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. Anarkali also serves as a neighbourhood and union council of
Data Gunj Buksh Tehsil of Lahore. It is situated in the region that extends from the south of
Lahori Gate of the
Walled City
The following cities have, or historically had, defensive walls.
Africa Algeria
* Algiers
* Ghardaïa
* Timimoun
Egypt
See List of Egypt castles, forts, fortifications and city walls.
* Al-Fustat
* Cairo
* Damietta
Ethiopia
* Harar
Libya
*Apo ...
to across the
Mall Road.
The bazaar was listed in the
2020 World Monuments Watch by the
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and training ...
to highlight the urgent need for its
preservation
Preservation may refer to:
Heritage and conservation
* Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible
* ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
and protection, since it is currently endangered due to neglect.
History

The Anarkali bazaar is one of the oldest surviving markets in the
Indian Subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
, dating back at least 200 years. It derives its name from the nearby
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...
thought to be that of a
tawaif
A ''tawaif'' () was a highly successful courtesan singer‚ dancer‚ and poet who catered to the nobility of the Indian subcontinent, particularly during the Mughal era. Many tawaifs (" nautch girls" to the British) were forced to go into pro ...
named
Anārkalī, who was 'chased out of town' by order of the
Mughal Emperor
Akbar
Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
for having a love affair with his son,
Prince Salīm, who would later become Emperor
Jahāngīr. Anarkali is reportedly buried in a building of Civil Sectt. Lahore, which is adjacent to Anarkali Bazar.
Bazaar
Shops in Anarkali sell textiles, garments, jewellery, and many other items.
The bazaar is now divided into two sections: the 'Old Anarkali Bazaar' and the 'New Anarkali Bazaar'. The former is noted for its
traditional food
Traditional foods are foods and Dish (food), dishes that are passed on through generations or which have been consumed for many generations. Traditional foods and dishes are traditional in nature, and may have a historic precedent in a national ...
items, and the latter for its traditional handicraft and embroidery. Within the New Anarkali Baazaar are markets known as Bano Bazaar, Dhani Ram Road, Jan Muhammad Road, Aabkari Road, Paisa Akhbar, Urdu Bazar, Aibak Road and
Paan Gali. New Anarkali Bazar is also famous for halwa puri of Ghosha-e-Shireen, Zafar & Imam Din; nihari of Waris and siri paye of Nasir.
The mausoleum of
Sultan Qutb ud-Din Aibak of
Mamluk Sultanate
The Mamluk Sultanate (), also known as Mamluk Egypt or the Mamluk Empire, was a state that ruled Egypt, the Levant and the Hejaz from the mid-13th to early 16th centuries, with Cairo as its capital. It was ruled by a military caste of mamluks ...
is also located in Anarkali Bazaar. In the early 1970s, the
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...
was renovated on the orders of the then
Prime Minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...
.
See also
*
S. Mohkam-ud-Din and Sons Bakers
*
Naulakha Bazaar
* Al-Karim Bakers
* Jallundhar Moti Choor House
* Delhi Muslim Hotel
* Nizam Hotel
Bibliography
* Nevile, Pran. Lahore: A Sentimental Journey. India, Penguin Books, 2006.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anarkali Bazaar
Data Gunj Bakhsh Zone
Bazaars in Lahore
Market towns in Pakistan
Tourist attractions in Lahore
Shopping districts and streets in Pakistan