For Kabul’s carpet, antique dealers, a long wait for buyers

Stores selling carpets, antiques and souvenirs on Kabul’s famed Chicken Street lie empty after foreigners flee.

Business for traders of carpets, antiques and souvenirs on Kabul’s famed Chicken Street has completely dried up since the vast majority of foreigners left the Afghan capital as the Taliban took over last month.

The once-bustling hotspot, where aid workers and adventurous tourists would shop for vintage tribal rugs, pottery and metalware, is almost empty of visitors looking for a bargain.

“Business has drastically changed because we don’t have a lot of foreigners going here and there in Kabul,” said carpet seller Abdul Wahab outside his empty showroom.