Landi Kotal Bazar’s Historic Qahwa Khana: A Hub for Pashto Poets

Esteemed poets such as Baba-e-Ghazal (Father of the Sonnet) Hamza Shinwari, Khatir Afridi, Sahil Afridi, and Nazer Shinwari once frequented this café to give lectures, critique, and refine each other's work.

Landi Kotal Bazar holds significant historical importance, not only for its famous food but also for its 80-year-old historic "Qahwa Khana" (green tea house), which has remained unchanged over the years. 

Esteemed poets such as Baba-e-Ghazal (Father of the Sonnet) Hamza Shinwari, Khatir Afridi, Sahil Afridi, and Nazer Shinwari once frequented this café to give lectures, critique, and refine each other's work. This tradition endures as local poets continue to organize weekly mushairas (poetic symposiums) at this historic site.

This renowned coffee house in Landi Kotal Bazar is celebrated not just for its history but also for the illustrious personalities of Pashto poetry and literature, like Hamza Baba, Khatir Afridi, Nazer Shinwari, and Khyber Afridi, who visited in the 90s to discuss and mentor new poets.

Waris Khan Azam, a local poet and writer, shared, "Baba-e-Ghazal Hamza Shinwari used to frequent this coffee house, and even today, it is named after him. Remarkably, the hotel has retained its original condition, which adds to its charm. We feel honored to see traces of Hamza Baba's presence here even today."

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In addition to poets, ordinary people also visit this coffee house to discuss poetry, literature, and history. Manzoor Shinwari, a resident of Landi Kotal, remarked, "The old poets of Khyber district, known for their literary prowess, owe much to their association with senior poets like Hamza Baba, Nazer Shinwari, Khatir Afridi, and Khyber Afridi. They would gather here every morning to mentor and correct new poets."

The gatherings initiated by Hamza Baba continue today, with poets from the Khyber district convening weekly in this hotel to perform mushairas, critically reviewing and refining each other's work.

Abdul Ghafoor Ghafoor, a renowned poet from Landi Kotal who has authored more than five books, said, "We meet here daily, whether it's one poet, two poets, or five poets. We have preserved the tradition of this coffee house, which holds a weekly mushaira."

Another poet, Khan Zakir, stated, "We chose this café because it is centrally located in the Khyber Pass, accessible to all areas of the Khyber district. We present our ghazals here and then critique each other."

The poets highlighted that the Khyber district is rich in poetry and literature, having produced great poets like Hamza Baba, Khatir Afridi, Nazer Shinwari, Murad Shinwari, Khyber Afridi, and Sahil Afridi. They lamented the lack of formal venues for gatherings but emphasized their commitment to promoting Pashto poetry and literature from this tea house. Despite their efforts, they noted the need for better opportunities to foster Pashto literature among future generations.