Chor Bazaar, Mumbai

Narrow lanes around Mutton Street house hundreds of stalls and small shops selling antiques, metalware, books, tools and electrical goods, where merchants spread their wares across sidewalks and cramped storefronts that leave little room to navigate between stacked objects.

During British colonial rule, the original name Shor Bazaar transformed into its current designation after stolen items from Queen Victoria's palace appeared in the marketplace, giving the site a legendary reputation for remarkable finds that attracted collectors and treasure hunters across decades.

Muslim merchants from diverse communities have shaped this marketplace for generations, selling traditional textiles, religious texts and handcrafted goods alongside contemporary used items while local food vendors fill the streets with aromatic cooking from dawn until evening.

The marketplace opens mainly on Fridays starting at 11:00 AM until sunset, accessible via Mohammad Ali Road with a western turn at Null Bazaar traffic signal, though early morning hours outside Friday show fewer vendors and cash remains necessary for all transactions.

Specialized dealers sell maritime brass lanterns from merchant vessels, original film posters from early Bollywood cinema, Victorian furniture from colonial mansions and automobile parts from long-dissolved Indian vehicle manufacturers, creating a chaotic time capsule of British and Indian industrial history.