Dordoy Bazaar

Dordoy is built from shipping containers, thousands of them, stacked two high in long rows with the lower one as the shop and the upper as storage, spread over an area of several square kilometres on the northern edge of Bishkek. It grew in the 1990s as the re-export hub for Chinese goods moving into Kazakhstan, Russia and the rest of the region, and at its peak it was one of the largest markets in Central Asia by turnover, employing tens of thousands. Clothing, shoes, textiles, electronics and household goods dominate; this is wholesale territory rather than a place for souvenirs. Membership of the Eurasian Economic Union changed the customs picture and the trade has contracted, but the scale is still startling and it remains a working commercial machine rather than an attraction.

History

The market is said to date from 1992 and celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2007; it grew into one of the main entrepôts for Chinese consumer goods bound for Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan (Wikipedia, Dordoy Bazaar).

What you'll find

• Container rows - thousands of shipping containers stacked as shops.
• Wholesale trade - buyers loading goods for onward transport.
• The scale - lanes running for kilometres in every direction.
• Regional commerce - traders from across Central Asia at work.

When to go

Year round, in the morning when trading is active; much of it winds down by early afternoon. It is quieter on Mondays. Winter in the open lanes is bitterly cold and summer is baking.

Practical notes

This is a wholesale market, not a place to shop for gifts, and much of the stock is bulk clothing and household goods. It is enormous, confusing and easy to get lost in. Pickpocketing occurs. There is no signage for visitors and almost nothing in English. Photography is often unwelcome.

Nearby

Osh Bazaar is in western Bishkek; the city centre lies south.

Key facts