What is Katiola known for?

The Mangoro women potters, who shape clay vessels entirely by hand without a wheel, using a technique passed down through generations.

How far is Katiola from Abidjan?

Around 400 kilometres, on the road north to Korhogo and about fifty kilometres beyond Bouaké.

Can you watch the potters at Katiola?

Yes, in the pottery quarter. Ask before photographing, and buying a piece is the appropriate way to thank them.

Is Katiola worth a detour?

As an hour-long stop between Bouaké and Korhogo it is one of the more memorable things on that road.

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Katiola: the potters who work without a wheel.

Katiola, fifty kilometres north of Bouaké, is known for one thing and it is worth the stop: the Mangoro women who shape clay vessels entirely by hand, without a potter’s wheel, using a technique passed down through generations. It takes an hour to watch and it is one of the more remarkable crafts in the country.

Rows of hand-formed clay jars in front of a mud wall with a potter behind

Hand-formed clay vessels

An hour, on the way north

Katiola is not a destination in itself. It sits fifty kilometres north of Bouaké on the road to Korhogo, and the pottery quarter is a natural stop on a long driving day. Ask before photographing the women at work, and buy something — the pieces are good and the money goes directly to the maker.