Ranchore Lines, Garden area, Kharadar, Burnes Road, Pakistan Chowk, Saddar, Soldier Bazaar, McLeod Road and Bunder Road are some of the places where one can experience the real character of Karachi. The aged and crumbling remainders of its colonial architecture may be covered with a patina of grime but they still serve to remind us of this city’s glorious past. One such piece of the past is preserved in what was once called the Hasan Ali Hoti Market.

Named after Hasan Ali Hoti, (1885-1957), an active member of the Khilafat Movement and Councillor of Karachi Municipality, Hoti Market is located at the crossroads of Barnes Street and Nabi Bux Road. It is built on Gothic lines and consists of two blocks built in a V shape around a central courtyard and topped with high pointed roofs.

It is said that in its heydays, Hoti Market was as grand an edifice as Empress Market, with customers thronging the various open stalls that sold everything from meat and vegetables to all kinds of items of daily use. Over the years, the place started being called Chotti Market before eventually being named Ranchore Line bazaar. Over the years the market has lost its glory and grandeur; the stalls have been converted into shops and the beautiful entrances have been blocked by encroachments. Lack of proper maintenance and ugly alterations to the exterior have caused a further deterioration of this national heritage.