Shopping - Artisan Market in Mexico City

Many tourists hoping to buy some real mexican artisania will find themselves coming to the Ciudadela which is located close to Balderas metro stations not far from the centre of town. Here you will find everything you wish to buy including metalwork, jewelry,pottery,leather products and many many tradtional mexican arts and crafts that you may have not seen before. The market is easily accessible and you will find many tourists and mexicans alike in the area buying presents and items for the home. However the Ciudadela has a history and a story to be told which might make your visit a little more interesting.
The market is where cultural groups from around Mexico distribute their crafts to visitors,other parts of the country and the world. These artists and have developed and maintained this space for more than 40 years. The land the Ciudadela occupies has been threatened with demolition, to convert the area into a government office building.

The Ciudadela's craftspeople are organizing so the eviction might be prevented. They are working to educate people about valuable cultural and artistic work that is done every day in the market.

The Ciudadela offers artwork made of wood, cloth, glass, paint, metal, pottery, and embroidery. You can purchase paintings, scultures, typical and traditional costumes, along with thousands more items. The market sells crafts from the entire country, and members of at least 10 indigenous groups live there, including the Triquis, Tzeltales, Tzotziles, Huicholes, Mixtecos, Purépechas, Tlapanecos, Otomíes, Zapotecos, Nahuas and Mazahuas. These cracts people count on the Ciudadela space for art production as well as sales, employing more than 1200 craftspeople.

For more than 40 years the Ciudadela has been a hub for the world-wide distribution of Mexican crafts, and the market has also been a necessary stop for any tourist in Mexico City. During this time the knowledge of the artisan's craft has been passed from generation to generation, and they continue with this work to this day.