With 4,000 years of documented history, the old city of Srinagar is a maze of narrow alleys. A walk through this labyrinth leads to Maharaj Gunj, an important commercial hub during the pre-1947 Dogra era, where traders of the Silk Route once lived. It is here that we encounter Aabyari.

This four-storey house transports visitors to the days of yore with its architectural elements typical of Kashmiri homes. A double-door with an iron chain hanging, lamp niches on walls, arched windows and lattice work — all rare today, have been preserved. What is rarer still is the dhajji dewari and taq work, a unique but now disappearing vernacular style of construction in wood and brick to resist quakes and keep houses warm in extreme winters.

Preserving the past is 48-year-old Mehboob Iqbal Shah whose great-great-great grandfather set up the House of Ali Shah in 1860 to popularise shawls and carpets in overseas markets. The old city still has women weaving pashmina wool in their homes, with shawls washed on the banks of the Jhelum river and dyes brimming in cauldrons. Shah has combined these architectural elements and Kashmir crafts to put a fresh spotlight on the city, which has largely remained out of bounds for travellers for over three decades due to the conflict. “We chose to return to Maharaj Gunj because it represents the cultural and artistic heart of Kashmir. The much-celebrated Map Shawl of Srinagar [where maps of cities are woven onto wool] first took shape here. These lanes have for generations been home to artisans and traders who defined the identity of Kashmiri craft,” says Shah. At a time when cement and mortar are taking over the city’s skyscape, this old restored house offers an attempt at experiencing Kashmiri architecture, craft, and cuisine. It is why the nameAabyari, which means nourishment, seems apt.

Evidently, it has not been an easy journey to recreate the past. With an old generation of worksmen no longer around, it has been hard to restore architectural elements like mud walls, carved deodar doors with geometric motifs, morakh(intricate planks of roofing), timber beams and pinjra karior latticework inspired from the architecture of the nearby shrine of Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, a towering Persian Sufi saint and scholar.

Drawing from the past

It took one and a half years for the restoration of architectural elements inside the house, Shah says. The challenge was to restore the structure not only with traditional materials but also through traditional techniques. This includes the incorporation of hand-painted coloured glass in windows, mud plaster walls using hay fibre and kalrun reeds, glazed khaniyari tiles, Kashmiri courtyard planning, copper lamps, vessels and handcrafted accents.

The first floor offers visitors a peak into the living styles of the past while also doubling up as a showroom with an array of Kashmir shawls: from jamawars to kani shawls. “The loom rooms are designed with intimate traditional karkhanas(traditional manufacturing factories),” says Shah. Conceived as a living heritage space, Aabyari offers visitors an authentic window into the region’s cultural legacy. It also aims to strengthen the artisan ecosystem through capacity-building workshops, design interventions, and collaborations with artists and designers from around the world. “The larger vision is not only to preserve traditional knowledge, but also to ensure that these crafts remain relevant and sustainable for future generations,” says Shah.

While art engages the eye and intellect, cuisine creates a more intimate emotional connection through taste, hospitality and memory; the immersive centre also has a floor to display Kashmir’s culinary heritage. With walls designed with motifs of iris and daffodils, the third floor has a setting for Sufiyana music.

In the past, Srinagar’s Maharaj Gunj attracted traders from even parts of Central Asia. The market has bustling shrines, temples and ghats nearby. Lanes still hold the fragrance of the goods being sold. It remains to be seen if Aabyari spurs others in the market to ensure that the historical character of the city survives the throes of modern times.