Anarkali Bazar is a famous and popular market in Lahore, Pakistan. The old Anarkali Bazar is converted to Food Street and New Anarkali as Shopping Market. Anarkali bazaar is a bazar (market) located on Mall Road in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is one of the oldest surviving markets in South Asia, dating back at least 200 years.
Anarkali Bazaar is a treasure-trove, selling virtually everything from handicraft to transistor radio, tin sauce pan to refrigerator, a maze of lanes and alleys which stretch northwards from the Mall at the Central Museum end. 
The bazaars in the old city are the ones people dreams about-tiny alleys, some of which will admit a rickshaw, a string of donkeys or carts- and pedestrians have to leap into doorways to give room. Some alleys are only possible single file.
The market derives its name from a nearby mausoleum thought to be that of a slave girl named Anarkali, buried alive by order of the Muġal Emperor Akbar for having an illicit relationship with the Emperor's son, Prince Salim, later to become Emperor Jahangir.
Anarkali bazaar is the most fascinating of the city's many bazaars. The alleys and lanes of this bazaar are full of exciting wares, especially traditional crafts like leather ware, embroidered garments, glass bangles, gold and silver jewellery. Anarkali has its share of historical monuments. There is the grave of Emperor Qutabuddin Aibak. Muhmud Ghaznavi's General Malik Ayaz lies buried in the nearby commercial area of Rang Mahal.
Lahore's 3rd Gift to the World: Anarkali Bazaar
Anarkali Bazar, named after the famous courtesan of Emperor Akbar's court, Anarkali, is one of the most enchanting places in Lahore.
Founded by Emperor Jahangir some 400 years back, Anarkali Bazar is one of the oldest surviving markets in South Asia. Originating from the Mall near Lahore Museum, it's just like a maze of narrow alleys and lanes stretching northwards towards Old Lahore.
It has a captivating history related to the character after which it is named. According to the legend Mughal Emperor Akbar's son Prince Salim fell in love with Anarkali, Emperor Akbar's coutesan who was given the title of Anarkali; 'Pomegranate Blossom' due to her charm and beauty by the Emperor himself. 
When exposed, their relationship was disapproved by Emperor Akbar as Anarkali was a dancing girl and was of no noble birth. When the lovers rebelled against the Emperor, Anarkali was buried alive in a wall which is said to be located within the bazaar. Her tomb is still there housed in the Punjab Secretariat near Anarkali Bazaar. Engraved on Anarkali's grave is a couplet in Persion by Prince Salim a.k.a Emperor Jahangir.
While strolling through its narrow paths, one can imagine the legend to be true and go back in time to the era of Anarkali. Hundreds of years old buildings, dazzling shops and buzzing streets make this bazaar so unique in its charm and character.
Anarkali Bazar is a shopper's heaven selling virtually everything from handicrafts to soveniers; antiques to artifacts; electronics to every sorts of cloth, ready made garments and woven clothing. Prices are quite affordable and much lesser than other commercial areas of the city. Plus, while in Anarkali, you must bargain hard, for chances are you may succeed in getting things on as much as 50% of their listed price.
It's still a collection of sometimes wide, sometimes squeezed-in dirty, overcrowded, winding streets though. And if you start walking, it takes you about three hours to go through a decent slice of the place before getting sick of the weird stares and crazy bargaining and heading back to a faraway parked car.
You can get everything from fake designer bags to shoes to wigs to clothes to lights to real and fake antique jewelry to books here. I've seen starry eyed people emerge from this place with shiny accessorized souls.
Most people don't just take a stroll down this street though. They come here on missions. I've been part of inexpensive-sports-gear search teams and inexpensive-red-shawl search teams - all of which have found their heaven and retirement home and seas in different corners and niches of this place."
Most recently, one part of this bazaar has been renovated and turned into a food street developed and maintained on lines of its better counterpart, the Gowalmandi Food Street.
So, here we present to the world, Anarkali Bazaar; a bustling monument of love to the living legend of Anarkali.
Anarkali's tomb
A tomb, thought to be that of Anarkali, is situated on the premises of the Punjab Civil Secretariat (Lahore) and now houses the Punjab Records Office. Previously, it had been transformed into a Christian church by the invading British.
