Faizabad's bazaar is in the old part of town in Shahr-e Kohne, along the main street, Khiaban, and close to the Kokcha River. Many local hand-made items, such as traditional Badakhshi shoes, coats, caps, pottery, lapis lazuli jewellery, saddle goods, and urns are sold next to imported Pakistani and Iranian basic household wares. In order to travel within Badakhshan and to pass frequent checkpoints, appropriate travel documents are essential and have to be issued by district governors or key commanders. Only limited motorized public transport is, however, available within the province. No roads are surfaced and are thus prone to frequent washouts and landslides.
Closures can last for anything from five hours to two weeks.
When the province's main trade arteries are impassable, especially the western road connecting Faizabad with neighbouring Takhar Province's capital Taloqan, the usually poorly stocked bazaars empty out quickly. I recall one occasion when wheat, an essential food item, was unavailable in Faizabad's bazaar and local bakers were forced to close their businesses for three days. These unpredictable conditions mean that walking with a loaded donkey or riding a horse remains the most reliable form of transport. Agriculture, both as subsistence farming as well as for local export, provides the main form of economy. As a consequence of a lack of employment prospects and regular paid salaries, which are generally only available with aid organizations, bartering continues to be a common practice throughout the province.