Ethiopia
A Hidden Empire of Markets
and Memories
In his poem, "The Golden Journey to Samarkand", Elroy Recker refers to a distant, unlikely day when "the great markets of the East close down"-a prospect that seems even more unlikely, and very undesirable, once you have visited the markets of Ethiopia.
   Every village has its market, every town, every city. Some are tiny, some are large, some are specialised, some are general. All are colourful, all give you an incomparable opportunity of mingling with the people, of getting to know their habits and ways of life.
   We have already referred to Harrar Market, one of the oldest still flourishing. Ethiopia also boasts the largest open market in the world: in Addis Ababa. Mile after mile, row after row, shop after shop, displaying every kind of merchandise under the sun. Fruit, vegetables, cloth, metal-ware, paintings, scrolls, crosses, wood carvings, ribbons, clothing, books, carpets, jewellery... all displayed in a lavish abundance to be found
Makalle, Lalibela, Hararge		 only in the East.
   And, as if all this abundance were not enough, Addis Ababa is also home of the world's largest duty-free shop: the Supermarket Bonded Warehouse within the airport area. In addition to this huge supermarket, the Ethiopian Tourist Trading Company operates a second tax and duty-free shop in Addis Ababa, within the departure lounge area of Haile Selassie I Airport, as well as in Asmara and Massawa.
Hararge Province, Addis Ababa		    A far cry from the modern duty-free shops to the market at Makalle, where, every Monday, the great square is packed with thousands of country folk from hundreds of miles around, and with the camels that have brought the salt bars that are still barter tender in parts of Ethiopia and are won, under such terrible conditions of heat, by the tough nomadic Danakil tribes.
   Addis Ababa, Harrar, Makalle-just three of the most famous of Ethiopia's myriad markets. Wherever you travel you will find one... and the mementoes that will serve to bring back memories of your journey through the Hidden Empire.
41 Salt caravan to Makalle. 42 Highland market at Lalibela. 43, 47 Hararge Province market. 44 Grain and Spice market. 45 Addis Ababa "Mercato". 46 Hararge Province: selling fresh bundles of chat a plant with stimulating properties. 48 Makalle market.Hararge Province
Hararge Province

Previous Page[Page 11]   [Page 13]Next Page