Empress Market is one of Karachi’s most historic landmarks, a grand Victorian covered market built in the 1880s and crowned by a tall clock tower, in the busy Saddar quarter. Beneath its arcades and around it, a teeming bazaar sells everything from fruit, vegetables and spices to textiles, pets and household goods, in a riot of colour, noise and activity. A vivid, atmospheric hub of commerce that has served the city for well over a century, it is a fascinating place to experience the sensory overload and everyday life of old Karachi.