Marché Kermel, Victorian marketplace in Plateau district, Dakar, Senegal
Marché Kermel is a circular marketplace with cast iron framing and brick walls located in Dakar's Plateau district. The structure features three large horseshoe-shaped entrances and is divided into sections for food products and artisanal goods.
The market was established in 1860 during French colonial times and served as a major trading hub. It was destroyed by fire in 1993 but underwent complete reconstruction in 1997.
This marketplace serves as the everyday shopping hub where residents find fresh vegetables, local spices, and handmade goods. You witness the daily commerce that shapes how people in the neighborhood live and eat.
The marketplace is open weekdays and Saturdays during daytime hours, with different sections for shopping by category. Visiting early in the day offers the most comfortable experience and better views of the structure itself.
The building combines European prefabricated iron techniques with North African decorative styles in an unusual architectural approach. It stands as the only structure of its kind in Dakar, showing how colonial trade influenced local construction methods.
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