Ethiopia: Dire Dawa – Spice Market

The eastern Ethiopian city of Dire Dawa is famous for its spice market, the city lies on the major trade route from Ethiopia to Djibouti and the only route from Ethiopia to the sea. Endless camel caravans used to track through Dire Dawa for centuries. The ancient market is located in the old part of the city – Megala, with walls surrounding it. The open-air market is a vast labyrinth of smells and sensory overload, with massive and countless bags and sacks of spices of all shapes and colors stacked up everywhere – you will be sneezing like crazy. The market is super authentic, chaotic, hectic, and very traditional.