PESHAWAR: There were several Qehwakhanas (teahouses) at the historic Qissa Khawani Bazaar but gradually these were replaced by ice-cream and juice points. Now only three to five of these Qehwkhanas are selling green tea. However, a lone double-storey teahouse, built over 100 years ago near the entrance of Qissa Khawani Bazaar, is still brewing green tea. About six tea boys serve visitors with Sheen Chai (green tea) from dawn to dusk in typical green teakettles. Green tea is still the most favourite beverage among Pakhtuns.

“Recently a group of Chinese delegates visited the lone teahouse at Qissa Khawani Bazaar and also sipped specially brewed green tea,” a tea boy told this scribe. He said that the Chinese delegates enjoyed the green tea and expressed their pleasure by waving their hands.

“Although we did not know what they said in Chinese, yet probably they wanted to tell us that it was the best old place and enjoyed sipping green tea,” said Roman Ali, who works at the teahouse.

Despite govt’s pledge to preserve old structures in Peshawar, no such plan is in sight

According to city dwellers, Qehwakhanas used to serve as guesthouses for night stay travellers and café houses where bureaucrats, intellectuals, poets and writers engaged in thoughtful discussions over a cup of tea.

One such double-storey teahouse still exists in its original shape -- brick and wood made structure in Mughal style. It has about six rooms and several open sky beds available for Rs50 to Rs80 per night stay. The first floor serves as brewing place and second floor is used as guesthouse where around 20 beds are available for poor night stay travellers.

Zarjan Khan, 65, told this scribe that he had been running the lone teahouse at Qissa Khawani Bazaar for the 40 years as many people still sipped green tea. He said that he had come to Peshawar from Mohmand Agency at his young age. He said that there were several teahouses in the bazaar but reduced only to five and many were razed and replaced by ice-cream and juice outlets.

He said that city Qehwakhanas till recently were used to be abuzz with movie buffs after attending late night shows.

“I cannot forget the most unfortunate day in my life when on September 29, 2013, a deadly bomb blast left 41 people dead and over 100 seriously injured. Also the bomb blast badly damaged my teahouse. Four of my tea boys received injuries but survived. I rebuilt it in its original shape to maintain its old glory. I think it should be safeguarded for tourists and occasional visitors,” said Mr Khan.

Mohammad Ibrahim Zia, an octogenarian expert on Peshawar city history, said that teahouses at Qissa Khawani used to serve multipurpose as tea spot, guesthouse and also as café house because intellectuals, literati and government officials after daylong work would throng those teahouses and would conduct heated debates while listening to music and sipping green tea for hours.

“Till early 80s, teahouses used to be abuzz with people but then insecurity gripped the city and eclipsed the beauty of Qissa Khawani Bazaar. This lone Qehwakhana should be protected as symbol of past glory of Peshawar city,” said Mr Zia.

Syed Sajjad Shah, a student of archaeology department at University of Peshawar, said that provincial government had pledged to preserve such old and historic structures around the city but no such plan was in sight.

He said that old buildings had archaeological importance and carried stories related to past history about people and their culture. “Old Qehwakhanas were our archaeological treasures but we lost them one by one and so was the condition of other historic structures in the city,” he said.

Mr Shah said that few innovations like modern washrooms, fabric sheet cover and furnishing of new beds could resurrect the once popular Qehwakhana as a model city heritage site.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2017