Travel Guide Sokodé

Capital of the Tchaoudjo prefecture, Sokodé is a crossroads city between the north and the south of the country. With a Muslim majority, it offers a glimpse of the great cultural and religious diversity of Togo. The Tem and the Kotokoli, who share a common language, immigrated to this land. The Tem settled on the central plateau around the 16th century. According to tradition, the first of them was Kotokro, who gave the site the name Somkodèye (land of meat), because it was rich in game. During the 17th and 19th centuries, many Sudanese traders also settled there. They were given the name Kotokoli (the one who gives and takes) because of their toughness in business.Sokodé owes its development to colonization, which made it the main administrative and commercial center of the northern region. The city offers various points of interest. The museum of the Central-Sokodé region presents some very beautiful pieces related to Tem culture: utensils, talismans, and everyday objects. In terms of handicrafts, weaving remains a traditional activity. One can visit the weavers in Ikoulire, but also the National Weaving Center (Cenatis). The Timidiba art training center (sculpture, painting, batik...) is another initiative. The resource center for crafts, formerly the Interprofessional Grouping of Craftsmen of Togo (Gipato), offers semi-modern workshops in carpentry, ironwork and brick making. If you want to know everything about cashew nuts, you can also visit the processing plant where many women of the region work. The immediate surroundings are also interesting. Towards the border with Benin, one can discover the tem chiefdoms and the beautiful markets of Tchamba and Koma. As far as fauna and flora are concerned, the Fazao-Malfakassa national park offers a natural environment (currently closed to the public). From Sokodé, you can also go to Bassar and visit the blast furnaces that were used to melt iron, which is very present in the region.