KABUL (SW) – Upon entering the antique shops alley in Kabul city, one’s eye falls on all kinds of jewelry such as rings and bracelets covered with precious stones such as emeralds, turquoise and rubies, which are arranged behind the shop windows.
The brass samovars, carpets and other ornamental clothes that used to make this beautiful alley special have lost their luster. According to the vendors in the antique store alley, the history of manufacturing and trade in this alley reaches 500 years ago.
These days, however, there is no news of the past bustle of the antique alley, and most of the traders say that their customers have decreased significantly. They mention the lack of visits by foreign citizens, the import of cheap ornaments from outside as important factors in their sales decline.
Abdul Kabir, who has been running a jewelry store in the antique alley of Shahr Nau for 65 years, said that his main customers, who are citizens of other countries and Afghan citizens living in other countries, no longer come to this alley to buy goods. He added: “The handicrafts’ market has deteriorated as silver and other antiques come from China, Thailand and Turkey, and their designs are better. Because they are cheap too, people like them more. Due to the security conditions, no foreigner has come to the antique markets for several years now.”
Samir, another seller in the antique alley who has been selling antique goods for more than half a century, complained about the market and said that now, sometimes, even in two months, no customer comes to his shop. “Our own people are not very interested in these antiques. It used to be the foreign people who used to come to buy these Afghan clothes and other things. We haven’t sold in a month.”
Mohammad Yasin, another seller in the Shahr Nau antique alley, has the same story to tell. He said that his sales have decreased by 90% compared to the period of the Republic.
After the collapse of the republic and the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan and the limited presence of foreign citizens who were the main buyers of the antique alley, the business in this alley has slowed down. Mohammad Yassin said: “Currently, there is no interest and 90% of the business has decreased, despite the fact that these products are more than 100 years old, but because we don’t have foreign customers, there is no business, we don’t have customers, and it has reached zero.”
Youssef, a lawyer in the antique shop alley of Shahr Nau, said that now more than two thousand shops are operating in this alley while this number reached more than 3,500 shops in previous years. Youssef said that most of the antique shops in this alley have been closed and now only 100 shops are active and the rest of the antique shops just sell carpets, leather and other old items. “A number of them left the profession. At the moment, it is not booming, nor do they have customers,” he said.
The antique shop alley in Kabul was first known as the chicken alley. But with the accumulation of antique shops and expensive goods, it was renamed as Antique Shop Alley that earned it global fame.
ENDS
