Qissa Khwani Bazaar

Qissa Khwani Bazaar is a historic market in Peshawar whose name means 'Story-tellers market.' A provincial gazetteer, traveler Lowell Thomas and British commissioner Herbert Edwardes called it the 'Piccadilly of Central Asia.' Beyond its association with tea houses, the bazaar carries a major history of anti-colonial protest and strong connections to Indian cinema.

Don't miss

• The name 'Story-tellers market,' which preserves the bazaar's identity as a meeting place and trading street.
• Tea and qehwa houses associated with the market's long-standing social character.
• The site of the 1930 Qissa Khwani massacre, a turning point that elevated the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.
• Connections to film history through Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Trilok Kapoor and Shah Rukh Khan's family.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Qissa Khwani Bazaar

Cheapest way inOld Khiva Stories with Your Local Guide4.9★ · 16 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$17 per personSee dates →Most bookedCulinary Backstreets of the Bazaar Quarter5★ · 130 travelers~6 hoursFree cancellationFrom$150 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleDiscover Peshawar Full Day Guided Tour from Islamabad5★ · 10 travelers8-12 hoursFree cancellationFrom$130 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The bazaar's translated name is 'Story-tellers market'; the name itself is one of its most distinctive historical clues.
• The 1930 massacre is central to understanding the street: it transformed a market into a landmark of anti-colonial memory.
• Several major figures in Indian cinema were born here or have family roots in the area.

A bit of history

On 23 April 1930, British Indian Army troops fired on anti-colonial protesters in the bazaar. Nearly 400 deaths were reported, while colonial authorities acknowledged 179; the massacre triggered protests across India and brought the Khudai Khidmatgar movement to prominence. The market was later struck by deadly attacks in 2010 and 2013, and a mosque attack in 2022. Dilip Kumar was born here, Raj Kapoor and Trilok Kapoor were born in the area, and Shah Rukh Khan's family has roots here.