Traditions of Lomé
The Togolese capital with a huge fetish market and the Epe Ekpe and Evala festivals nearby.
Lomé is a coastal capital on the Gulf of Guinea, close to the Ghanaian border. Togo's Ewe and Kabye peoples keep ancestral religions alongside Christianity and Islam. The Akodessewa market is the world's largest market of voodoo items, with animal parts for healing and protection.
Voodoo and Evala
Vodun is a living religion here, with shrines and ceremonies led by priests. Evala, held in July, is a wrestling ritual among the Kabye, in which boys become men after a series of fights and ceremonies. Ewe weddings, with kente-like cloth, and funerals, with drumming, are lively.
At the table
Fufu with peanut or palm soup, akume, a cornmeal paste with okra sauce, and yovo doko, small beignets, are everyday foods. Fresh fish is grilled by the beach. Sodabi, a palm spirit, is poured for the ancestors and shared. Pâte rouge, red corn paste with spicy tomato, is a main dish.
Signature traditions of Lomé
Also part of it, and being written: Vodun (The religion.), Evala (The wrestling festival.), Akume (The cornmeal paste.).
A trail idea for Lomé
- Akodessewa Fetish Market Visit with a guide.
- Grand Marché Buy kente and spice.
- Lomé Cathedral See the church.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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