Kashgar Markets 6.10.13

Kashgar is a bustling market town which is prominent on the Silk Route and is at the junction of two main north south arteries.  Sundays are market days.  We first visited the Animal Markets.  Traders had come from all over to sell their livestock, sheep, goats, horses, camels, donkeys etc.  Animals arriving in donkey carts, cattle and sheep etc standing quite calmly in open carts as they were towed along by motor bikes .A huge frenetic crowd, dust and  noise as business carried on.  There were stalls selling food of all sorts, men cutting up huge quantities of meat and fat and vegetables in the open air.  Hygiene pretty much nil.  Containers full of filthy water to wash stuff in. Women with gold teeth.  Fascinating place.  A microcosm of this society.  As the population here is almost all Uighur it looks nothing like China.
After the market we went to a Uighur (Weegur) restaurant for a light lunch of yoghurt and flat bread, noodles and a kebab.  Nice.
Then it was on to the Sunday markets.  Huge colourful with everything imaginable for sale and more thronging noisy crowds.  The market is divided into different sections, eg, hats, spices (so fragrant in huge containers), kitchenware, carpets, musical instruments, scarves, clothing, knick knacks and so much more.  I bargained and bought 3 compacts with mirrors and a tablecloth for the family room table.  Later in town Abdul took us for a walk down Craftsmans Street where we could watch craftsmen making copper and tin artifacts by hand.  So beautifully and painstakingly made. Copper pans and pots and kettles of all sizes and so much more. Fiinished our walk with a quick visit to a fairly plain and ordinary mosque (Idkah Mosque) where we were shown the Fragrant Concubines tomb among others. 
Tonight we had a farewell dinner for Frank in the old British Consulate building.  Frank has been a tremendous guide, always patient, good humoured and knowledgeable, and alert to our needs.  So sad to lose him.

Animal Market scenes.  A carcase showing the huge amount of fat they prefer

 

Uighur men

 

Cutting up meat

 

Washing water

 

Uighur man

 

Bull for sale

 

Waiting to take his newly bought sheep home

 

Very smart horse and cart

 

Knife sharpener

Spice stall in the Sunday Market

 

More spices

 

Interior of restaurant where we had lunch

 

 

Craftsman at work

 

Frank, Judy and John at Frank's farewell

 

Sunday market with musical instruments hanging up

 

Typical method of carting goods