Explore OurCraft Villages.
Navigate the ancient artisan settlements of Kashmir, where heritage is lived and breathed every day in the labyrinthine craft lanes.
Village or Craft
Discovered Hubs
8 Artisan Settlements Identified
Khanqah & Zadibal
**Khanqah** Khanqah is one of the most historically layered quarters of Srinagar, centered around the revered Khanqah-e-Moula shrine along the Jhelum River. For centuries, this area served as a meeting point of spiritual learning, urban life, and artisan craftsmanship. Narrow streets, wooden houses, and riverside structures form a historic neighborhood where traditional crafts have flourished within family workshops. Papier-mâché artisans, walnut wood carvers, and embroiderers have long operated from homes and small studios that preserve knowledge passed down through generations. **Zadibal** Zadibal, located slightly to the north of the old Srinagar city center, evolved as an important residential and craft settlement known for strong community traditions and artistic heritage. The area is closely associated with skilled artisans who specialize in textile embroidery and decorative crafts. Over time Zadibal developed into a vibrant craft locality where families continue to practice traditional artistic techniques, contributing significantly to Kashmir’s cultural and craft economy.
Safakadal & Eidgah
**Safakadal** Safakadal lies along one of the historic bridges of Srinagar and has long been associated with vibrant textile craftsmanship. The neighborhood developed as an artisan quarter where generations of craftsmen specialized in decorative embroidery techniques applied to shawls, garments, and home textiles. Workshops located within narrow streets and residential courtyards continue to produce intricate embroidered fabrics that represent a distinctive element of Kashmiri craft heritage. **Eidgah** Eidgah, located near the large historic Eidgah ground of Srinagar, evolved as an important residential and craft neighborhood. The area became known for clusters of artisans practicing chain-stitch embroidery and other textile crafts. The presence of skilled craftsmen and small workshops has made Eidgah an important center for embroidered textiles that carry Kashmiri artistic motifs inspired by gardens, landscapes, and traditional patterns.
Raniwari, Kathi Darwaza
**Raniwari** Raniwari is one of the historic neighborhoods of Srinagar known for its vibrant artisan communities and long-standing craft traditions. Over generations the area became home to craftsmen working with natural materials such as clay, wood, and textile fibers. Narrow residential streets house workshops where artisans continue to shape pottery, carve walnut wood, and prepare dyed yarns used in Kashmiri textiles. The neighborhood reflects a craft environment where traditional techniques remain closely tied to daily life. **Kathi Darwaza** Kathi Darwaza, located near the historic fortifications of Srinagar, developed as an important settlement for artisans and traders. The locality gained recognition for workshops producing carved walnut wood pieces and supporting processes associated with textile production, including the dyeing of pashmina yarns. The area represents a dynamic craft cluster where skilled craftsmen continue practices rooted in centuries of Kashmiri artistic heritage.
Nallah Mar & Amda Kadal
**Nallah Mar** Nallah Mar, once built along an important historic canal that flowed through Srinagar’s old city, developed into a lively artisan quarter where craft traditions thrived alongside trade and urban life. The neighborhood became known for skilled artisans working with textiles and metal, producing decorative objects that reflected Kashmir’s refined artistic heritage. Workshops and family-run craft spaces continue to operate within the narrow lanes, where zari embroidery and traditional textile crafts remain part of everyday life. **Amda Kadal** Amda Kadal, located near one of the historic bridges connecting Srinagar’s old city neighborhoods, evolved as a vibrant commercial and craft locality. The area became particularly associated with copperware craftsmanship and textile artisans who contributed to the city’s reputation as a center of fine decorative arts. Even today, the neighborhood retains a strong identity linked to metalwork and traditional craftsmanship.
Aali Kadal
Aali Kadal is one of the historic quarters of Srinagar located within the old city’s traditional urban fabric. Known for its long-standing association with craftsmanship and trade, the neighborhood developed into a prominent center for textile preparation, embroidery artistry, and metalwork. Artisan workshops and family-run craft spaces continue to operate within its narrow lanes, where the delicate processes of pashmina dyeing, intricate zari embroidery, and copperware craftsmanship remain active traditions. The locality reflects a craft culture deeply embedded in Srinagar’s historic artisan economy.
Kanihama
Kanihama, located in the Budgam district near Srinagar, is internationally recognized as the historic center of Kani shawl weaving. This village has preserved one of Kashmir’s most sophisticated textile traditions, where master weavers produce exquisite pashmina shawls using a distinctive weaving method that relies on small wooden bobbins known as kanis. The craft practiced here is not merely weaving but a complex artistic process that translates elaborate floral patterns into delicate textile compositions. Within the quiet lanes of the village, weaving workshops and family homes serve as living spaces where artisans continue a craft tradition that has defined Kashmir’s textile heritage for centuries.
Zainakote
Zainakote, located on the outskirts of Srinagar, has developed into an important hub for Kashmiri textile artisans specializing in decorative embroidery. Over time the area became known for workshops producing intricate zari embroidery and silver-thread embellishments used in ceremonial garments and luxury textiles. Within this artisan environment, skilled craftsmen transform fabrics into richly decorated pieces that reflect Kashmir’s long tradition of ornamental textile artistry. The neighborhood today hosts clusters of embroidery workshops where artisans continue to practice techniques associated with Kashmiri ceremonial wear.
Kakapora
Kakapora, located in the Pulwama district of Kashmir, is a vibrant artisan settlement known for its strong traditions of woodcarving and wicker willow craftsmanship. Surrounded by fertile agricultural landscapes and abundant willow groves, the town has developed into a hub where natural materials are transformed into functional and decorative craft objects. Artisan families in Kakapora work within small workshops and household spaces, producing carved wooden items and finely woven willow products that reflect both practicality and artistic expression. The community represents a living craft ecosystem where heritage skills remain deeply embedded in everyday life.