Safarnama: Take a piece of the world home

Craft store offers unique pieces collected from all around the globe.

KARACHI:

Tucked away in a corner of Café Forty4 Clifton is an antique store that is far from run of the mill. The treasures collected within are a manifestation of a traveller’s journeys. Meet Ismaa Saad Khan, the owner of Safarnama, a gift and craft store which houses knick-knacks and one-of-a-kind collectibles from all over the world.

The Express Tribune speaks to Khan, and she reveals why she chose to open up such a store. She says, “I think it was a love for crafts and innovative pieces. My husband Saad and I travel a lot, and instead of buying crystal, we opt for things like the ones you see in the store.”



The cosy store, which opened in October 2013, houses a multitude of unique items, such as flip-flops from Nigeria, sea-shell home accessories from Indonesia, Greek vases, Lebanese gold-plated cocktail rings and table cloth weights from Nigeria. There is also a local aspect to the store, which is very colourful and includes truck-art inspired bags from Baji Kay Bastaay, Lahore, along with Multani pottery from Craft Galleria.

An ex-HR professional, Khan opened this shop, as she asserts, “on a whim.” She says, “We were here at Forty4 and there was a small place that was vacant, so I thought why not?”

But why name it Safarnama? “It’s a travelogue, really. Everything that I have in here is from our travels abroad, it’s a record of a journey that we make.”



Answering to how many times she travelled in a year, Khan says,“Well, twice internationally, and if we can swing by and make it three, that’s not bad, as we love to travel.”

In 2013, she travelled to Spain, Indonesia and Thailand. In 2012, it was Sri Lanka and Switzerland. In the years before, she made trips to both Mauritius and France.

Calling herself a “lady of leisure” she likes to read a lot; from fiction, to literature, to travelogues, to humour, to history and, not to forget, recipe books, too.



As a result of her numerous travels, Safarnama hosts an eclectic mix of trinkets and collectibles that cater to a wide variety of tastes.

Price range:

All items fall below Rs20,000 

Location:

Within the premises Café Forty4, Clifton

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th, 2013.

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