Khajistan is rescuing and digitizing overlooked histories from the Islamicate world.

TOSHAKHANA

Khajistan Special Collections

    DIGITAL ARCHIVE

    Browse pics and vids from the region.

    Announcements + Archive Insights

    1. Read more: The Khajistan Collection of Pakistani Popular Culture at University of Pennsylvania
      The Khajistan Collection of Pakistani Popular Culture at University of Pennsylvania

      The Khajistan Collection of Pakistani Popular Culture at University of Pennsylvania

      by Khajistan Cultural Desk

      The Penn Libraries has been collaborating with Khajistan since 2021 to acquire and archive this at-risk content that might otherwise be lost to ti...
      Read more
    2. Read more: Khajistan Presents: 5 Year Anniversary Screening of Showgirls of Pakistan at SculptureCenter, NYC
      Khajistan Presents: 5 Year Anniversary Screening of Showgirls of Pakistan at SculptureCenter, NYC

      Khajistan Presents: 5 Year Anniversary Screening of Showgirls of Pakistan at SculptureCenter, NYC

      by Khajistan Cultural Desk

      Poster for Showgirls of Pakistan (2020). Courtesy Savta and Other Memory Media.   Sun, Jul 20, 2025, 2–4pm Film Screening and Q&A: Showgirls ...
      Read more
    3. Read more: Khajistan Propaganda Showcase & Film Screening: World Ka Centre at SculptureCenter, NYC
      Khajistan Propaganda Showcase & Film Screening: World Ka Centre at SculptureCenter, NYC

      Khajistan Propaganda Showcase & Film Screening: World Ka Centre at SculptureCenter, NYC

      by Khajistan Cultural Desk

      Sunday, July 6th, 2025 Join us for a unique opportunity to explore original propaganda materials and browse rare archival materials from the Islami...
      Read more
    4. Read more: Film Screening: The State-Funded, State-Censored Cinema of Jamil Dehlavi at SculptureCenter, NYC
      Film Screening: The State-Funded, State-Censored Cinema of Jamil Dehlavi at SculptureCenter, NYC

      Film Screening: The State-Funded, State-Censored Cinema of Jamil Dehlavi at SculptureCenter, NYC

      by Saad Khan

      In the mid-1970s, Pakistan’s newly formed National Film Development Corporation (NAFDEC) championed bold, state-backed cinema, only to see thos...
      Read more

    FAQs

    • Khajistan, originally a 9th-century village in Herat, Afghanistan, is an archive founded by Lahore-born filmmaker and preservationist Saad Khan.

    • Khajistan is an independent entity based out of New York City focused on acquiring, archiving, digitizing, and publishing overlooked media from the Islamicate world. We fund our efforts through sales of our physical materials, supporting the discovery, acquisition, preservation, storage, digitization, publication, and online hosting of media. Our activities include printing books, selling rare books, ephemera, and magazines, as well as preserving and hosting a vast collection of digital photos and memes from the region. Our mission is to preserve censored and neglected knowledge from the Indus to the Maghreb which is often overlooked by rapidly changing Western technologies. For more details, read our manifesto.

    • Khajistan contributes to the democratization of information by improving the quality of online knowledge and updating the epistemologies of nations within the region's often censorious modern nation-states. By digitizing materials neglected by modern information technology companies and censorious governments, and by making them accessible online, Khajistan allows communities to engage with their diverse, uncensored histories while improving online knowledge and informing AI systems.

    • Khajistan archives a wide range of media, including manuscripts, periodicals, books, magazines, vhs, ephemera, cassettes and vinyl records.

    • Toshakhana: Historical periodicals and manuscripts from the Islamicate world. Explore Toshakhana

      Bookshop: Early-midcentury books in Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, Sindhi, Turkish, Arabic, Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi Punjabi, Seraiki and Hindi. Most books are published in local presses and themes include hate propaganda, local conspiracy theories, politics, religion, sex, poetry, art and society. Visit the Bookshop

      Merchandise:Custom-made products that reflect the cultural and historical themes of our archives. Check out Merchandise

      Digital Products:Digitized versions of our archived materials, including e-books, digital magazines, and other multimedia content, allowing you to access our collections from anywhere in the world. Explore Digital Products

    • TOSHAKHANA is Khajistan Special Collections. The current Toshakhana is stocked with entire runs of rare Persian and Urdu magazines from the region, Ottoman Turkish and Turkish erotica, Iraqi, Pakistani and American propaganda ephemera, Judaica from the Islamicate world, and historical film documents from Pakistan.

    • You can view our most recent catalog here. For questions, please email info@khajistan.com.

    • In-store pickup is available for Toshakhana and Bookshop products only, not for merchandise.

    • For merchandise, our shipping times are between 5-8 business days, depending on your location and the items ordered. We make our products to order instead of in bulk to reduce overproduction. This approach helps minimize waste and keeps items out of landfills. Thank you for making a thoughtful purchasing decision that supports sustainability.

      Toshakhana and Bookshop orders are delivered within 1-2 weeks.

    • You can support Khajistan by purchasing our collections, books, and merchandise, by investing, donating, or becoming a stockist for our published books. Your contribution directly funds our work in preserving and promoting overlooked media from the Islamicate world.

    • Email us at info@khajistan.com.

    • Please email us directly with your area of interest and any relevant experience. We are looking for the following support:

      Interns: Assist in cataloging our extensive collection of physical materials in Islamabad, New York City, Istanbul and remotely.

      Programmers: We are seeking skilled back-end and front-end developers to enhance our digital infrastructure.

      Public Relations and Marketing: Help us spread awareness of our mission and work.

      Writers and Editors: Write and edit for our Madrassa.

      Film Archiving: Join us in scanning and archiving our selection of acquired "B" films from Pakistan.

      Digitization Partners: Support us with digitization processes of our vast collections of physical materials: 

      Speaking Engagements: Invite us for guest lectures. You can request a call with with the founder here.

      Investments: We are seeking venture capital investments.

    Buyers and Partners