Picture a dusty, narrow lane in Kabul where men in traditional clothing sold chickens for nightly dinners, their future likely to be part of a kebab of palaw. Come the 1960s, this former market instead became the grooviest spot to be in Kabul. A hub for hippies, hash enthusiasts, and rug shoppers. With the 1970s and 80s, came the war on drugs and the literal war on Afghanistan. With these twin conflicts, this ancient laneway transformed again, into an antique and handicraft mecca. Welcome to Chicken Street, the beating heart of Kabul’s Shah e Naw district, where the vibe is as colourful as an Afghan carpet and a history few places could boast of.
The Hippie Trail
Back in the 1960s and 70s, Chicken Street (Koch-e Murgha as it is locally known) was the Woodstock of Kabul, minus the mud and Jimi Hendrix. It was a major pitstop on the Hippie Trail. The Hippie Trail was a legendary overland route from Istanbul to Kathmandu. Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of young Europeans and North Americans journeyed from Istanbul to Kathmandu in search of enlightenment, adventure, and, like many people in the 1960s, to get really high. Chicken Street was like a psychedelic supermarket, offering anything your heart desired. Weed, Hash, Opium, Heroin. You could get it all.
This wasn’t just a street, it was a cultural crossroads. Hippies lounged in tea shops, swapping stories of toiletry disasters and border-crossing triumphs over tea and fruit. The street buzzed with life, fuelled by the world’s finest hash from Mazar-i-Sharif and the hospitality of locals who welcomed these long-haired weirdos with open arms—and open stash boxes.
From Hippie Hangout to Antique Alley
Chicken Street’s golden age took a nosedive with the Soviet-Afghan War in the late 1970s. The hash pipes went cold, the hippies migrated it to Goa, and the street’s vibe went from “peace and love” to “duck and cover.” By the time the U.S. invaded in 2001, Chicken Street was a shadow of its former self, but it got a brief revival as diplomats and aid workers flocked to buy souvenirs. Traditional Afghan rugs, lapis jewellery, and antiques made a comeback, though the opium dealers were a bit harder to find. Sadly, decades of conflict left the street battered, with some reports describing it as completely ruined by the early 2000s. Through the 2000s, the area slowly redeveloped as more shopping and dinning options slowly returned. The area also became well known for its bars and nightclubs, although hidden.
What’s the deal with Chicken Street Now?
Fast forward to 2025, and Chicken Street is still staggering on. It’s no longer the hippie paradise it once was, but the street still hosts vendors hawking carpets, handicrafts, and the occasional “authentic” antique that might’ve been made last Tuesday. The vibe is quieter, with fewer tourists and more locals, but the spirit of Afghan hospitality endures. You might not find hashish as easily as in 1973 but the street’s charm lies in its resilience—like a rug that’s been stepped on for decades but still looks amazing.
Where Is It, and How Do You Get There?
Chicken Street is tucked away in Shah e Naw, the centre of Kabul. Chicken street is just on the edge of the former ring of steel, where the majority of government buildings and ministries are. Most hotels catering for foreigners are in the Shah e Naw area, so you should be within walking distance.
What else is in the area?
Just down the street is Flower Street, home to Kabul’s last synagogue (it closed in 2022 when the Taliban took over) a poignant relic of a once-thriving Jewish community. Then there’s the Bookseller of Kabul bookshop, just around the corner, which inspired Asne Seierstad’s famous book.
Why you need to visit Chicken Street!
Chicken Street’s history is a wild ride of hippies, hash, and handwoven rugs, but its soul is pure Kabul - vibrant, chaotic, and unapologetically unique. Whether you’re chasing the ghost of the Hippie Trail or just want a carpet to impress your friends back home, this street delivers. It’s a place where you can almost hear the echo of sitar music and smell the faint whiff of hashish in the air—or maybe that’s just the kebab stand nearby. Either way, Chicken Street is a quirky reminder that even in tough times, Kabul knows how to impress.
