Rafiq Bhai Kashmiri Zari Works

Rafiq Bhai Kashmiri Zari Works is located in the Firdaus building. We are in Room No 8 on the 3rd floor, right next to the Masjid. It’s a long walk up the stairs, but it’s worth it for the quiet work we do here. We specialize in Kashmiri zari work, which is a very old tradition of embroidery. My father and his father did this work, and now we are doing it here in this small room. The space is filled with wooden frames and bright threads of all colors. It’s very detailed work that takes a lot of time and focus. We don't have a big shop window or any advertisements. People who want this kind of work know where to find us. We sit on the floor for most of the day, working on the fabric. The light from the window is very important for seeing the tiny stitches. We drink tea together in the afternoons and talk about the news. The building is quite old and has seen a lot of history. Sometimes it gets a bit crowded in the room when we have a big order to finish. We don't mind it because we enjoy what we do. It’s more of a craft than just a job to us. We hope to keep doing this zari work for many more years right here in Room 8.