Grand Marché de Lomé
A three-story central market and the surrounding neighborhood in the city center. It is the home turf of the “Nana Benz” women traders who dealt in West African wax-print cloth.
The Grand Marché de Lomé sits in the old city center, beside the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. The main building has three floors, and the streets around it are also packed with vendors. You'll find everything here, from spices, dried fish and plastic goods to all kinds of African wax-print fabric. In the last century, the women who owned the cloth businesses became so prosperous that they could afford Mercedes-Benz cars, earning them the nickname “Nana Benz.” Fabric is the best thing to buy as a souvenir, and you should bargain. The market is crowded, so keep an eye on your belongings, and ask permission before photographing people.
Opening hours
Mon–Sat approx. 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Sacred Heart Cathedral of Lomé
- Togo National Museum
- Village Artisanal de Lomé
- Independence Monument
- Lomé Beach & Boulevard du Mono
- Palais de Lomé
- International Museum of African Art of the Gulf of Guinea (MIAA)
- Akodessewa Fetish Market