Ouagadougou is one of those city names that visitors love to say aloud because it sounds so musical. In the Mooré language, spoken by the Mossi people, the name means something like 'you are welcome here at home with us' — a very friendly greeting for a capital city. The Mossi people have lived in this area for many hundreds of years and their kings, called Naabas, still play an important cultural role in the city today.
The city's Grand Marché — the big central market — is one of the most exciting places in Ouagadougou. Stalls stretch in every direction selling bright fabrics, fresh vegetables, spices, jewellery, leather sandals and hand-carved wooden objects. The colours and smells hit you all at once. Motorbikes, called mobylettes, weave between the stalls and the customers.
Ouagadougou is also the home of FESPACO, the largest African film festival, which takes place every two years and brings filmmakers and audiences from across the continent. The city has cinemas, art galleries, music venues and craft markets that make it a creative hub for the whole of West Africa.
The streets of Ouaga are lined with trees that provide shade from the hot sun. Many homes and public buildings are painted in bright colours — yellow, turquoise, orange and pink. Despite being a big, modern city, you can still find small neighbourhoods where people live much as they have for generations, cooking over open fires and gathering in the evenings to tell stories.