FORTALEZA (08)
Mercado Central
Destination Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará.
Episode 8. Mercado Central de Artesanato
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Facade of Mercado Central, with a huge red arc
Handicraft
Opposite to the cathedral was the modern building of Mercado Central, resembling a stretched semi-circle. The markt itself is quite old: already in 1809, the first Central Market of Fortaleza was founded. Initially, products like meat, vegetables and fruit were sold. In 1931, sales of these main products at the Central Market were prohibited, and the marketers found alternative products to sell: artesanato: handicraft.
In 1975, a new building, which could host more than four hundred little stores, was inaugurated. However, due to the existing danger of fire disasters, the actual building (designed by architect Luiz Fiúza) was inaugurated, late 1990s. The Mercado Central now hosts almost six hundred little stores, which offer a wide variety of handicraft and local products: from leather to textile, from alcoholics to candies. You might spend hours in the Mercado, visit the stores and gape at the interesting merchandise. You might obtain bargains, ask for discounts, especially when you are about to pay in cash. When you didn’t find yet what you were looking for, you might visit another, open-air market, parallel to the shoreline. Along the Avenida Beira-Mar. Hundreds of barracks are found there, with more handicraft and local merchandise.
source
Front of Mercado Central
Enough opportunities to take some rest
during the shopping activities
Wide variety of handicraft (artesanato)
and mode-made (caseiro) food and drinks
By Adriano Antoine Robbesom
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