Mercado Roque Santeiro

The Mercado Roque Santeiro (Portuguese: Roque Santeiro Market) was an open-air marketplace at the district of Sambizanga, in the capital of Angola, Luanda.^[1] It opened in 1991 with the official name of Mercado Popular da Boavista; it was named Roque Santeiro after the Brazilian telenovela of same name, aired at the time on Angolan television.^[2][3]

Roque Santeiro became known as the largest market in Africa, spreading through a 1 kilometer length by 500 m width area (the equivalent area of 500 soccer fields) where marketers sold various kinds of goods, from food to computers, in tin-roofed stalls. The market thrived with the civilian conflicts in Angola; with the shortage of food and other goods, Roque Santeiro was one of the few places where they could be found. It was also known as a place for illicit activities such as drug and arms dealing.^[4]

Mercado Roque Santeiro was shut down by municipal government in 2011; the marketers were transferred to a new location, in Panguila.^[2]

References

1. "BBC News - Angolan traders mourn loss of Roque Santeiro market". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-10.
2. «Mercado Roque Santeiro, em Luanda, deve ser fechado - ANGONOTÍCIAS».
3. «Maior mercado angolano a céu aberto: O fim anunciado do Roque Santeiro em Luanda».
4. «Angola: Era uma vez o Roque Santeiro · Global Voices em Português».