PESHAWAR  –  As smartphones glow late into summer nights and social-media notifications compete for attention, an older form of connection still thrives in the heart of Peshawar.  In the narrow lanes of bustling Qissakhwani Bazaar, the clink of tea glasses, the aroma of cardamom and green tea, and the rise and fall of conversation create an unmistakably old-fashioned, timeless soundtrack. Known as the street of storytellers, Qissakhwani has for centuries been a historic place where travelers, traders, intellectuals and ordinary citizens gathered to exchange news and stories over steaming cups of qehwa (green tea).  Even on a hot Sunday, traditional qehwa khanas remained busy from morning until late at night where families and friends gathered around low wooden charpayees ( beds) and tables, talking politics, culture, sport, business and everyday life. For many, Peshawari qehwa is more than a drink but a cultural ritual, a social bond and a link to memories that predate smartphones, television and modern political life. For many visitors, the Qissakhwani experience begins with delectable cusines.  The bazaar remains renowned for chapli kabab, mutton karahi, paye, fried fish, chicken roast, Kabuli pulao and other traditional dishes. After a hearty meal comes qehwa being light, aromatic and traditionally regarded as best for digestion.  “Before close of summer vacations of my children, I along with family came from Nowshera to enjoy the mouthwatering chapli kabab with Peshawari qehwa at Qisakhwani,” said Fatima Fayaz, a lecturer of Statistics. “I have visited many cities of Pakistan, but the Peshawari chapli kabab along with Qissakhwani bazaar’s qehwa has impressed me the most,” she said, adding for families, these ancient qehwa khanas are best places to spend some times in its soothing environment.   “Whenever I come to Peshawar, I try to visit Qissakhwani to enjoy its delectable cuisine and famous qehwa,” she said.  “Peshawari qehwa gives warmth to the body and is traditionally considered helpful for flu and digestive problems,” she added. “But perhaps its greatest benefit that it gives people a reason to sit together and divert eyes from mobile screens.”  The continued popularity of qehwa is striking in an era when so much social interaction takes place through screens.  Yet inside qehwa khanas, people still put their phones aside long enough to talk to the person sitting opposite them. Fazl Rehman, owner of Mohmand qehwa khana at Shahwali Qatal street at Qisakhwani, said the this tradition was part of his family identity.  “I inherited the business from my father as school boy and have been proudly associated with it for the last 57 years,” he told APP. “Making qehwa is my passion, which I inherited from my father in 1969 when I was a primary school child, and my son has also joined us, five years back,” Rehman said asking waiter to serve it to customers sit in wooden hanging charpayees. According to him, most customers still prefer traditional qehwa. Milk-based qehwa, locally known as sheen da payo, is particularly popular at parties and special gatherings.  “Qehwa culture is still alive despite social media addiction. People come here and swap tales of culture, music, art, politics and traditional food while enjoying the famous cuisine and qehwa till late night,” he said. His memories pointed to another role once played by the qehwa khana that was the neighborhood newsroom before there were smartphones. These qehwa khanas has played its pistive part in people awakening during independence movement for Pakistan, Rehman said and added that tea stalls became important centers of political discussion after creation of Pakistan. He recalled debates surrounding the election between Fatima Jinnah and Gen. Ayub Khan, 1965 Pakistan-India war, 1974 OIC Lahore Summit and major sporting and cultural events, including Pakistan’s 1992 cricket world cup’s victory.

Before breaking news arrived instantly on a mobile screen, these tea houses were among the places where information traveled fastest.

One person brought news from another part of the city while another supplied a political interpretation and a third repeated something heard from a traveler.

Stories moved from table to table, acquiring new voices along the way at Qissakhwani. In that sense, these qehwa khana was never merely a place to drink tea but was a living social network.

From caravan route to cultural landmark

Qissakhwani lies in Peshawar’s historic centre, near landmarks such as Chowk Yadgar, Ghanta Ghar and Balahisar fort.

Its history is inseparable from Peshawar’s strategic position at the crossroads of South Asia, Afghanistan and Central Asia. For generations, traders and travelers stopped in the bazaar, exchanging stories of distant lands alongside merchandise and enjoyed its mouthwatering chapli kebab with qehwa.

At the height of its importance as a caravan and trading centre, merchants travelling from Delhi, Amritsar, Lahore, Kabul and Central Asia passed through Peshawar where commerce, trade and storytelling naturally converged.

Bakhtzada Khan, a research officer in the Archeology Department, said Qissakhwani’ s history was deeply connected with the antiquity of Peshawar culture itself.

He said the tradition of qehwa took root during the Afghan dynasties and the Mughal era, when rulers and communities developed a deep fondness for rich meat dishes, often savored alongside the fragrant warmth of

qehwa.

“Thus, the unique tradition of storytelling and drinking qehwa became an integral part of Qissakhwani culture which is still continuing despite the social media onslaught,” he said.

The qehwa khana’ s physical character reinforced that communal tradition.

Low wooden beds and simple seating encourage groups to linger. Unlike many modern coffee shops, where customers may work on laptops or stare into phones, these spaces are designed around company and strengthen bonds of friendships.

The aroma of freshly prepared qehwa mingles with grilled meat and spices from neighboring food stalls. Waiters weave between tables as conversations rise and fall around them.

For visitors from elsewhere in Pakistan, the combination creates a distinctly Peshawari experience where food meets heritage.

While staying at Qissakhwani, the tourists can also explore historic residences associated with prominent families of the South Asian film industry, including ancestral homes of Bollywood legends Yousaf Khan alais Dilip Kumar, and the Kapoor family.

The ancestral residence associated with Prithviraj Kapoor, father of actor Raj Kapoor, remains among the area’s historic attractions. The ancestral home associated with Shah Rukh Khan’s family is also located in the historic neighborhood.

Together with traditional food and qehwa khanas, these sites give Qissakhwani an unusual blend of culinary, architectural and cultural tourism.

Visitors can also see the monument commemorating the 1930 Qissakhwani massacre, when British troops opened fire on peaceful protesters.

The white marble monument is a reminder that the bazaar’s history is not only one of commerce and hospitality, but also of political struggle and sacrifice for freedom.

The qehwa tradition has survived difficult periods that threatened the bazaar itself.

Qissakhwani experienced a sharp decline in visitors when incidents of terrorism increased in 2001-2013 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that badly affected qehwa business.