Africa

[Visited: January 2004]

As in many other countries both in Africa and elsewhere, markets are a great place to go to in Eritrea. Of course, there are the areas where you can buy fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, grains and lentils, and there are other areas where you can get household goods and souvenirs. All these goods are on offer by women in colourful dresses, and walking around in these areas is a must and a lust for the eye.
But the most special market I saw in Eritrea was undoubtedly the Medebar market in Asmara. Here, literally everything is being recycled in one way or another, and put for sale. It is an enormous open-air workshop, where the rhythmic banging fills the air, where men with masks solder pieces of metal together, where women paint newly fabricated furniture, where small boys sort out what, to the ignorant visitor, appears to be rubble.
It is especially instructive for westerners, who are so used to their throw-away society, in which almost everything that does not work anymore, is just disposed of, to see how everything can be given a new life, be it in the form of a simple repair, or be it in a completely different form. People at the Medebar market take recycling seriously, are dedicated to their work, and take pride in it. I must say that I felt strong admiration for these people who are bravely working every day in circumstances which are not at all easy!

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Eritrean Markets (Eritrea). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Eritrean Markets.
Read more about this site.