VISITING THE WORLD'S LARGEST VOODOO MARKET IN LOME, TOGO
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The Akodessawa Voodoo market in Togo
Like most people, when thinking about Voodoo, the first thing that crossed my mind were Voodoo dolls, needles and black magic but I was told numerous times here that Voodoo is not practised to harm people but only to heal and to do good. Visiting the Voodoo market of Lome in Togo taught me a little bit more about this fascinating religion.
The Akodessawa Voodoo Market is not your typical market, to say the least. It’s undoubtedly the most unusual market I’ve ever had the chance to visit and it taught me a lot about West African culture.
This market is widely known for its great variety of products. You can find fetishes, charms and everything you might need for a Voodoo ritual here. The locals that visit the market don’t come here for fun. They come here to buy ingredients to fix a problem or to visit the market’s Voodoo priest.
Entrance Fee
The first thing you have to do when you arrive at the market is paying an entrance fee,on top of the entrance fee, you need to pay an extra 2.000 CFA per camera if you want to take pictures. When I asked about this, they told me I was actually paying for the guide (and that it’s impossible to visit the market without a guide).
The Tour of the Voodoo Market
Heads of monkeys, cats or crocodiles, chameleons, bats, snakes, hedgehogs, birds – you name it. I don’t remember ever seeing so many dead animals in one place. The guide told me that the animals in the market were not killed and had died from natural causes.
There are 15 stalls at the Voodoo market. All of these are run by salesmen/healers from neighbouring country Benin, where the Voodoo religion originated.
As I went from stall to stall, my guide told me what the Voodoo practitioners use the different animals for. According to him, anything can be treated, from diseases to curses. For example, I can remember that the skulls of cats are used to treat memory loss.
My guide told me that for the locals, going to this market is a little like going to the pharmacy. They come here after having consulted a fetishist who tells them what they need to do. The ingredients that people buy at the market are made into powder and mixed with herbs before being ingested.
There are some stands where you can buy souvenirs too. But you should know that prices are very high and that you should negotiate the price.
