The old bazaars of D.I. Khan are the commercial heart of the city and the best reason to wander on foot. Four main bazaars — Topanwala, Bhatiya, Muslim, and Kalan — converge at the Chowaglla intersection, forming a dense network of covered streets and open-air stalls that has served traders between the Punjab plains and the mountain frontier for centuries.
The bazaars are best known for their traditional crafts. Lacquered woodwork, produced in D.I. Khan for at least three hundred years, includes decorated boxes, furniture, and household objects with geometric patterns in red, green, and black. Glass and ivory ware are also made here, along with the distinctive woven mats and rugs that serve as the staple floor covering of Saraiki homes.
Scattered through the bazaars are stalls selling Sohan Halwa, the city's famous sweet: a dense, chewy confection of wheat sprouts, ghee, and sugar, set in round tins and eaten in small pieces. It makes a good gift if you're passing through. The Dhakki dates from the surrounding villages are also sold here in season (October to December).