The covered bazaar in Kuqa's old quarter, west of the central roundabout, is one of the more genuinely local markets remaining in Xinjiang — less affected by tourism and modernisation than Kashgar's equivalent, and consequently more interesting as an experience of contemporary Uyghur commercial life. The lanes under the wooden roof sell dried fruit, spices, bolts of cloth, copper and brassware, rope, tools, and food, all mixed together in the organic way of a market that has evolved over centuries rather than being planned.
The smells are specific to this part of the world: cumin, dried apricot, lamb fat, the acrid bite of raw tobacco from the older men smoking in the corners. The sound is mostly Uyghur — a Turkic language distinct from Mandarin and from Kazakh, spoken here with the particular cadence of the Tarim Basin. The samsa sellers near the mosque entrance produce the best fast food in the city.
The bazaar is most active in the mornings, from around 9am to noon, and again in the late afternoon. It is primarily a working market rather than a tourist attraction, which means the vendors are less interested in you than you might expect, and the experience of simply wandering and watching is entirely possible without being pushed toward purchases.