The Panjshanbe Bazaar is the beating heart of Khujand and one of the largest covered markets in Central Asia. The current building — a high Soviet-era structure with an elaborate mosaic-tiled facade — was built in the 1960s and 1970s, but the market it houses is immeasurably older, an unbroken thread of commerce on the Silk Road.
Inside, the stalls are organised by category in the traditional way: the dried fruit and nut section near the entrance offers mountains of raisins, apricots, walnuts, and almonds; further in are the spice dealers, the fresh produce vendors, the butchers, and the fabric merchants. Uzbek and Tajik are spoken interchangeably; the ethnic mix of the Fergana Valley is evident at every turn. The food hall at the back serves hot samosas, shashlik, and Tajik pilaf from early morning. Allow at least two hours — this is not a market to rush.