Merkato
መርካቶ
One of Africa's largest open-air markets, with tens of thousands of stalls grouped by product, offering coffee, spices, handicrafts, and an eye-opening 'scrap market' of upcycled goods.
Merkato sits in western Addis Ababa. It took shape during the Italian occupation and now covers several square kilometres, with tens of thousands of stalls and shops. You can buy almost anything Ethiopian here: green and roasted coffee beans (choose by region, such as Yirgacheffe, Sidamo, or Harar), berbere chili powder and other spices, traditional white cotton shawls, silver jewellery, woven baskets, religious paintings, and crosses. The most distinctive area is the Minalesh Tera recycling zone, where craftsmen turn old tyres, metal drums, and plastic bottles into shoes, stoves, and all kinds of household items. It is known as the place where 'you can make anything you want.' The alleys are narrow and crowded, with trucks, donkeys, and people all mixed together. On your first visit, hire a local guide, keep valuables out of sight, carry your phone and wallet in front of you, and ask permission before photographing anyone. In nearby cafés you can experience a traditional coffee ceremony: beans are roasted fresh, ground, and brewed in a clay pot in three rounds, served with popcorn. It is about a 20-minute taxi ride from the city centre.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat about 08:00–19:00 (most closed Sundays)
Nearby sights
- Tomoca Coffee (Piassa)
- St. George's Cathedral
- Adwa Victory Memorial Museum
- Piassa
- National Museum of Ethiopia
- Ethnological Museum (Institute of Ethiopian Studies)
- Unity Park
- Addis Ababa Science Museum