Over the years of travel photography and seeing new locations, there were two things I mainly avoided.
One is that I always go with my DSLR camera and have refused to take shots using my smartphone.
The second problem is that I have overlooked the adjacent locations.
That means looking at the remarkable in the commonplace.
But, after years of traveling, I’ve realized that a smartphone is always within reach, and the cameras on these devices are getting so much better.
Second, since I live in a lovely city with lots of nature and interesting cultures, I wasn’t appreciating it enough.
But, with time, I learned to enjoy whatever was to my left and right.
Regarding the Qissa Khwani bazar,
Growing up, it was always a part of the curriculum.
There was usually a section concerning this bazar and Masjid Mahabat Khan.
One of my university teachers was infatuated with Qissa Khwani bazar since he was from there when I was pursuing my master’s degree in tourism.
He used to tell me a lot of stories about the bazar, and I honestly didn’t want to go at the time.
After returning from Iran, I wanted to visit almost every other street and mosque in the region and felt a little more grateful.
I determined to go and spend some time there when the next chance arose.
When I arrived in Peshawar, a buddy dropped me off along the ring road.
Finding local transportation to Qissa khwani market from here is a story for another time.
To make a long tale short, the van put me off far away from Qissa Khwani Bazaar, and I had to walk over a mile to get there.
I’ve recently been viewing a lot of travel documentaries on Afghanistan, specifically Jalalabad and Kabul, and upon entering this Bazaar, I saw some parallels.
It was labeled “the Piccadilly of Central Asia” by the North-West Frontier Provincial province Gazetteer, tourist Lowell Thomas, and Peshawar’s British commissioner Herbert Edwardes.
Piccadilly is a route in London’s City of Westminster, south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east.
The market was filled with tea vendors, fresh fruit kiosks, and historic structures.
When I started strolling, I saw the years-old building that had not been carefully kept.
Because it was Pomegrenade and Guava season, there were lots of fruit vendors as well as pottery and fabric stalls.
The sun was very strong during the day, and I was hungry when I spotted this little but overcrowded fish business called “Nanha Fish Shop.”
After taking some photos at the shop, I couldn’t help myself and walked inside to have some fried fish.
I couldn’t locate a seat on the ground floor, so I walked upstairs and couldn’t find one either.
But I stood on the balcony, waiting for a seat.
From the balcony, I was observing the rush and bustle of Bazaar when an old man began talking to me.
When he found out I was from Mansehra, he began telling me stories about his trips to my city and beyond.
He was a forest division officer who frequently visited Mansehra’s jungles with a companion.
In the meanwhile, we found chairs to sit and talked about the unlawful cutting of trees in the country and plantations drive that’s been going on since a few years in our province.
After the two gentlemen had finished their meal, I was simply staring out the balcony at the people when someone else approached and introduced themselves.
I resumed my walk around the bazar, stopping at a few stalls to converse with the residents.
This university student briefed me about Qissa Khwani Bazaar and its surrounds; I questioned him about Masjid Mahabat Khan and Masjid Qasim’s whereabouts, and he assisted me with the map route.
When I got to the cashier to pay the bill, this person insisted on paying, but to my surprise, they told me that the payment had already been paid by the other elderly gentlemen.
I’ve never liked it when others paid for me, yet it continues occurring, and Pakhtoons are excellent when it comes to hospitality.
Traveling alone has many advantages.
The first advantage is that you may interact with locals.
I kept wandering around, talking to several Qahwa vendors.
After a while, I found myself in front of a Masjid , I initially mistook it for Masjid Mahabat ali Khan.
But then I noticed a sign with the name on it.
The Qasim Ali Khan Mosque is a mosque from the 17th century in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Mohallah Baqir Shah’s Qissa Khwani Bazaar.
Qasim Ali Khan, a news writer and official in Kabul’s administration, erected the mosque during Emperor Aurangzeb’s reign.
The Misgaran Qissa Khwani Bazaar houses the mosque.
The masjid was being restored, so there was a lot of construction going on.
After some time inside, I went outside and resumed my stroll.
This time, I was inquiring about Masjid Mahabat Khan.
I saw some traders speaking Hindko while strolling through the crowded lanes of Qissa khwani market.
I came to a halt and began conversing with them.
Many visitors are surprised to learn that the majority of villagers in this bazar and its surroundings speak Hindko rather than Pashto.
They directed me to the old home of Hindi film star Yousaf Khan, popularly known as Dilip Kumar.
They said he was a Hindko-speaking Pathan whose relatives still lived in the old house.
Raj Kapoor and his uncle, actor Trilok Kapoor, were also born in the neighbourhood.
Shah Rukh Khan’s family still resides in the neighbourhood.
I went to Masjid Mahabat Khan after shooting few photos.
It seems simple at first, but I felt lost after a while.
Even Google Maps was useless, and I had to ask every other man where the Masjid was.
Because the streets are extremely narrow, only one person may cross at a time.
After some hardship, I found myself in front of the magnificent Masjid Mahabat Khan.
Masjid Mahabat Khan, like Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, was undergoing renovations.
Only a small fraction of the masjid was open for prayer.
They spent the rest of their time repairing the floor and the walls.
Mohabbat Khan Mosque is a 17th-century Mughal-era mosque named after the Mughal ruler of Peshawar, Nawab Mohabat Khan Kamboh, father of Nawab Khairandesh Khan Kamboh. It was completed around 1630.
The mosque’s white marble façade is one of Peshawar’s most recognisable landmarks.
The Mohabbat Khan Mosque’s minarets were commonly used for hanging criminals during Sikh times.
Five victims were hung from the minarets every day “as a replacement for the gallows.”
Following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, refugee tribal leaders would gather at the mosque to promote Afghan solidarity against the Soviets.
After photographing the inside and outside, there wasn’t much else to do because the mosque was under construction.
I exited and resumed my trip through the Bazar.
The Sun was setting, and the pace of life in Bazar was picking up.
From a tranquil market to all the commotion, from morning to evening, I heard too many tales and learned so much from the people in one one day.
But the most important thing I’ve learned is to not shy away from the mundane.
There are always more stories to tell, photographs to capture, and experiences to be gained from such historical sites.
My next article will go into smartphone photography in greater detail.
Keep an eye out.