Keshlya Bazaar demolished as traders plead for more time

Keshlya Bazaar to be demolished in February

“How much for the pears?” asks a middle-aged man to an elderly vendor behind the stall. “2.50,” replies the vendor. “Doesn’t seem like a pear worth 2.50,” the buyer retorts with a sour expression. “I swear, it’s a fresh pear. No problem, take it for 2.20. Hey, just take it for 2 manats, it’s the evening market after all,” the vendor insists, trying not to lose the customer.

“What can I do? They’ll kick us out in a day or two, and I need to sell this stock before it rots. Even if he’d asked for 1.50, I would’ve sold it,” he says after the buyer walks away.

Midway through last year, AYYDA’s press service stated that it was still unclear whether the market would be demolished. However, traders at the bazaar have been anxious ever since, as neither the Keshlya Bazaar administration nor other relevant institutions provided them with clear information.

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In December 2024, it was announced that the market would be demolished, and traders were asked to vacate by January 1. The news sparked outrage among the vendors. In interviews with local media at the time, they expressed their need for more time to find alternative trading locations, highlighting that the sudden decision to demolish the market would leave their families in financial hardship. Following protests by the traders, they were granted an extension until February 1 and were told they would be relocated to a new market. The new site was planned to be established on the grounds of the Eurohome construction materials market in the Darnagul settlement.

However, the traders remain skeptical about the prospects of selling fruits and vegetables in a location long known as a hub for construction material sales.

“The length of my stall is four metres, but I’ve heard that on the new market, I’ll only get a stall of one and a half metres,” says Aunt Aliya, one of the vendors.

Aunt Aliya, 69, originally from Khachmaz, has been working at Keshlya Bazaar for many years, primarily selling apples. Despite her age, she personally travels to the regions to purchase fresh fruit directly from farmers. She is worried that demand will drop significantly after moving to the new location.

“There are so many rumours about the market’s demolition that many customers think it’s already closed. Sales have already declined. When we move to the new place, there will be even fewer buyers. It’s going to be very difficult,” Aunt Aliya says anxiously.

“They supposedly gave us until February 1, but on that very day, they came and said, ‘Move to the new location by the 25th, the market is being demolished,'” says another vendor from a stall opposite.

“When they first told us the market would be demolished, there was no mention of a new location. They saw we weren’t backing down, that we were speaking out and demanding answers, so they came up with this place at Eurohome just to silence us. Of course, we’re thankful they provided us with a spot. But what’s the point of moving us from the city centre to the outskirts? And I’m not even talking about the fact that the new market will be on the premises of a construction materials market. How are we supposed to make trade work there? No one thinks about that. Every market needs its own purpose. This isn’t a ‘shopping centre’; it’s a market. Tomorrow, they’ll probably bring in car vendors there too,” the woman complains.

An unusual silence hangs over keshlya bazaar. there are so few customers that they can be counted on one hand. most conversations among the vendors revolve around the question, “what will happen next?” everyone is deeply worried.

Some traders have already packed up their stalls and left. wooden crates are no longer neatly arranged but are instead piled in a corner. the remaining vendors are trying to sell off their goods before the relocation deadline.

One of the vendors, 60-year-old Uncle Maarif, has been working at Keshlya Bazaar for nearly 20 years, selling pomegranates from various regions. He hopes the relocation will be postponed at least until the end of March, a sentiment echoed by most of the traders we spoke to.

“When we buy goods, we don’t buy them by the kilogram but by the ton. At the very least, they could give us time until March, until after the Novruz holiday, so we could sell off everything we have. After moving to the new market, there will be a shortage of customers for at least 2–3 months. It won’t be easy. Leaving a place where you’ve worked for so many years, where you have loyal customers, and starting all over to attract a new clientele and earn money again—it’s a significant challenge. If they don’t give us a couple more months before the move, we’ll face substantial losses. They need to think about us and not take away our livelihood,” says Uncle Maarif.

“He’s right. No one considers the difficulties we’re going through,” adds Uncle Zabit from a stall opposite.

Uncle Zabit has been earning a living for 22 years by selling apples and nuts at Keshlya Bazaar. He is the sole provider for his three children with autism, and the family’s only source of income is his stall at the market.

“I can’t explain to my children why I can’t buy and bring them food. I barely manage to provide for them, no one helps, and yet everyone seems to do everything they can to make my work even harder. All I want is to properly take care of my kids. That depends entirely on how much I can sell each day. If the market is demolished so quickly and our trade doesn’t succeed at the new location, we don’t know what will happen to us or our families,” says Uncle Zabit.

it remains unclear whether the deadline for Keshlya Bazaar workers to relocate will be extended. vendors anxiously await the end of the month.