The central bazaar in Bokhtar is a working market serving the agricultural district rather than tourists. The surrounding area is intensively farmed — cotton, fruits, vegetables, and livestock — and the bazaar reflects this. Look for dried apricots, pomegranates, nuts, and the distinctive cottonwool quilts made in the region.
The atmosphere is Central Asian bazaar rather than anything exotic or spectacular, but it is a genuine slice of provincial Tajik life. Uzbek and Tajik traders mingle, the prices are low, and the tea houses nearby serve lepyoshka (flat bread) and green tea. Allow an hour.