To the left of Churchill Avenue as you make your way up, occupying almost the entire north-western part of the city, lies the largest open market in Africa, Mercato. Dominated by the high-rising minarets of the grand Anwar Mosque, the largest in the city, Mercato has long been the heart of Ethiopian commerce.

If you don’t know exactly where to go, finding what you need in Mercato can be a bit of a challenge. Navigating through the narrow roads choked full of shoppers, cars and buses that are constantly jostling around is more than just an inconvenience, it also poses a real risk of being robbed by pickpockets who are ever present in the area.

Mercato is divided into different sectors (tera’s in Amharic) based on the specialty of the shops and stalls. For example, if one is in the market for electronics, they go to Dubai Tera by the Grand Anwar Mosque.