Shopping in Peshawar: Chappals, Dry Fruit, Carpets and Copper

Peshawar shopping comes down to four things. Buy handmade Peshawari chappals from the cobblers of Jahangirpura, near Qissa Khwani; dry fruit from the old-city bazaars or Karkhano Market; carpets in Board Bazaar and Karkhano; and, if you can find it, engraved copper and brass in the old coppersmiths' bazaar, which is now down to a handful of shops. Go on a weekday, carry cash, and bargain politely.

This guide takes each in turn, with where to go and what to look for, then covers the practical side of shopping in the old city and whether a shopping trip to Peshawar is worth making.

Peshawari chappals

The Peshawari chappal, or kheri, is a semi-closed leather sandal with two wide straps crossing over the foot and a strap with a buckle round the heel. The sole is traditionally cut from a truck tyre, or made of soft leather stitched on to a rubber base, which is why a good pair lasts for years. Peshawar is the best-known centre for them, alongside Chakwal and Talagang in Punjab.

A version known as the Kaptaan chappal became popular after a pair was presented to Imran Khan in 2015, and you will still see it in every shop. The design went international the year before, when a British fashion house sold a near copy for £300 and, after an outcry in Pakistan, acknowledged where it came from.

Where to buy

Jahangirpura Bazaar, close to Qissa Khwani in the old city, has long been the hub of Peshawar's chappal makers, and it is where most people from Peshawar go. You can buy ready-made pairs off the shelf or have a pair made to measure. Chappals are also sold across the city, from Saddar to the big markets in Hayatabad, but in Jahangirpura you can watch them being made.

What they cost

In March 2025 handmade chappals in Peshawar were selling for about PKR 5,000 a pair, up from about PKR 4,500 a year earlier, with makers blaming the rising cost of leather and materials. Prices rise again in the weeks before Eid, when demand peaks and cobblers stop taking new orders. Treat these as rough figures and expect them to have moved since.

How to choose a good pair

• Feel the leather. It should be supple and thick, not plasticky or cracked at the folds.
• Look at the stitching, especially where the straps meet the sole. It should be tight and even.
• Check the sole: tyre soles last longest; leather soles are lighter and quieter but wear faster.
• Try them on properly. A new pair should be snug; the leather softens and stretches with wear.
• Order early if you want a made-to-measure pair, and never leave it to the last week before Eid.

Dry fruit

Peshawar has long been one of the country's main markets for dry fruit, much of it traditionally brought in from Afghanistan: almonds, walnuts, raisins, figs, apricots, pistachios and chilgoza pine nuts. You will find sellers in and around Qissa Khwani and the old-city bazaars, with sacks and trays of nuts outside every shop, and in Karkhano Market on the western edge of the city.

The border has changed things. Trade through Torkham has been largely shut since fighting on the Afghan border in October 2025, and imports of dry fruit from Afghanistan have been badly disrupted, pushing up prices for many items. Prices now vary more than usual from shop to shop and week to week, so compare two or three sellers before you buy a large quantity.

A few tips:

• Taste before you buy. Any honest seller will let you try a few almonds or a pine nut. Stale nuts taste bitter or oily.
• Ask where it comes from. Sellers will tell you whether the almonds or raisins are Afghan, Iranian or Pakistani, and the price usually follows.
• Chilgoza is the expensive one. Check that the shells are full and not light and empty.

If you are heading north too, our guide to the dry fruits of Gilgit-Baltistan covers the apricots, mulberries and walnuts of Hunza and Skardu.

Carpets and rugs

Peshawar was for decades the main market in Pakistan for Afghan carpets, woven by Afghan families who settled in and around the city. The centre of that trade was Board Bazaar, known as "Little Kabul", with thousands of shops run by Afghan traders. Since Pakistan began sending Afghans back in 2023, many of those traders and weavers have left, and by 2025 business there had fallen by at least half. Karkhano Market also has carpet shops.

You can still buy good hand-knotted rugs in Peshawar, but there are fewer of them and fewer people making new ones. Take your time:

• Turn the carpet over. On a hand-knotted rug the pattern is clear on the back, and the knots are slightly irregular. A perfectly even back usually means a machine-made one.
• Ask about the wool and the dyes. Good sellers will explain whether a rug uses natural dyes and hand-spun wool, which affects both the look and the price.
• Don't be rushed. Carpet buying involves tea, conversation and many rugs unrolled. Look at several shops before you commit.
• Ask about packing. A good dealer will fold and sew a rug into a bundle you can carry or put in the boot of a car.

Copper and brass

Peshawar's copper and brass work was once famous: engraved trays and bowls, ewers, qehwa pots and samovars, and full sets of kitchen copper that families gave as part of a bride's dowry. It was made and sold in Bazaar Misgaran, the coppersmiths' bazaar in the old city, near Qissa Khwani.

Be ready for disappointment. The trade collapsed with the loss of foreign visitors after 2001, and when the writer Salman Rashid visited in 2020 he found only two shops still dealing in copperware. Fine engraved pieces now take months of a master craftsman's work and are priced accordingly. What you are more likely to find is plainer brass and copper kitchenware and second-hand pieces.

If you do buy copper to cook in, check it is tinned on the inside (qalai). Unlined copper reacts with acidic food, and a qalaigar can re-tin old pots.

Other things worth buying

• Chitrali caps and woollens. Chitrali Bazaar sells the rolled wool cap worn across the north, along with other traditional clothing and textiles. A cap makes a light, useful gift.
• Gold and silver. Andar Shehr, the jewellers' lanes by Chowk Yadgar, is the city's main jewellery market. Buy from established shops and ask for a receipt that states the weight and purity.
• Imported goods. Karkhano Market, at the western end of the BRT, is Peshawar's huge market for imported goods of every kind. It is worth a look for the scale alone, but check anything electronic carefully before you pay.

How to shop in Peshawar

• Go on a weekday morning or afternoon. Many old-city shops close for Friday prayers, and the evenings before Eid are packed.
• Carry cash in smaller notes. The bigger shops may take cards, but the bazaars run on cash.
• Bargain politely. Expect some negotiation on chappals, carpets and copper, much less on dry fruit and jewellery, which are priced by weight.
• Dress conservatively and keep your phone and wallet out of reach in the crowds. Women will be more comfortable shopping with family or in a group, as the old bazaars are mostly male.
• Use the BRT or a car between the old city and Karkhano; they are at opposite ends of the city.

Before any trip, read our guide to whether Peshawar is safe, which covers the current security situation and the areas visitors use.

Is Peshawar worth a shopping trip?

For chappals, yes: nowhere else has the same choice, and having a pair made in Jahangirpura is part of the experience. For dry fruit and carpets, Peshawar still has the widest range, but the Afghan border and the departure of many Afghan traders mean it is not what it was, and prices are less of a bargain. Copper is for enthusiasts who don't mind looking hard.

The best approach is to combine shopping with sightseeing. Our one-day Peshawar itinerary passes Qissa Khwani and Andar Shehr in the morning, which is the time to buy. If you would like a Peshawar day built into a longer trip, send us your dates.

Frequently asked questions