Centre Artisanal de la Ville d'Abidjan (CAVA)

Centre Artisanal de la Ville d'Abidjan, known locally as CAVA, is Abidjan's dedicated craft market, built as a village of small red-brick shop units on Rue du Canal in Zone 4B, Marcory. Unlike the food and fabric markets elsewhere in the city, CAVA is aimed squarely at handicrafts: Korhogo mud cloth, batik and wax print, Dan and Baoulé ceremonial masks, Senufo wood carving, cast-brass Akan goldweights, beadwork, leather goods, woven baskets and paintings, sourced from across Côte d'Ivoire and neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Guinea. Quality varies by stall — some vendors sell genuine artisan work and can describe its origin and maker, while others stock mass-produced pieces aimed at quick tourist sales, so it pays to compare several stalls before buying a mask or carving of any value. Bargaining is essential rather than optional here: opening quotes to visitors, particularly non-Ivorian visitors, commonly run two to three times the price a patient negotiation will settle at. Payment is cash in CFA francs; card acceptance is rare and there is no tax-refund scheme for purchases. Several artisans carve, weave or paint in view of shoppers, which is one of the market's distinguishing features against ordinary retail shopping, and a handful of maquis inside the compound serve breakfast and lunch to browsing visitors. The carving and mask section toward the centre of the compound and the textile stalls near the entrance are generally considered the strongest corners for quality pieces.