The Marché de Treichville is one of Abidjan's largest and most lively street markets, situated in the Treichville commune on a narrow peninsula between the Ébrié Lagoon and the Atlantic coastline of Côte d'Ivoire. Visitors encounter a dense, sensory-rich environment of stalls selling everything from fresh produce and textiles to crafts and street food, reflecting the cultural diversity of Abidjan's working-class neighborhoods. Treichville itself is one of the city's oldest urban communes, historically a hub of commerce and nightlife that has long drawn traders and residents from across West Africa. Gates stops here as part of his arrival in Abidjan during his investigation into a 1945 plane crash that claimed the lives of 18 members of the Women's Army Corps — using the market visit to establish the flavor and context of the city before the team heads toward the crash site investigation zone off the West African coast.
Treichville commune established as one of Abidjan's earliest urban districts, developing into a center of commerce and trade under French colonial administration
Marché de Treichville grows into one of the city's principal markets as Abidjan expands into a major port city and economic hub of West Africa
Gates visits the market during Season 13, Episode 6 of Expedition Unknown, "America's MIA Heroines," as an introduction to Abidjan before the WAC crash investigation
The Marché de Treichville sits within one of Abidjan's most historically significant communes. Treichville was among the first planned African residential and commercial districts in the city, developed during the French colonial period and long known as a cultural and social crossroads. Its market reflects the broader character of Abidjan, which grew rapidly through the mid-twentieth century to become the economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire and one of the largest cities in West Africa by population.
Markets like Treichville's play a structural role in West African urban life beyond simple commerce — they function as social institutions, gathering places, and informal economic engines. Vendors, many of them women, often represent multi-generational trading families, and the range of goods available speaks to regional trade networks stretching across the continent. No specific academic experts appear by name in the episode's transcript in relation to this market, so the cultural context here draws on the site's well-documented regional reputation rather than on-camera testimony.
In the context of the episode, the market visit is less an investigation of the market itself and more a journalistic grounding technique Gates employs frequently — arriving in a place, walking its streets, and letting the audience absorb the setting before the historical mystery takes center stage. The real investigation in this episode concerns the doomed 1945 C-47 flight and what happened to the Women's Army Corps members aboard, with Gates having already flown in a vintage C-47 near Palm Springs to better understand the aircraft's mechanics and potential failure points.
The episode does not position the Marché de Treichville as a site of historical mystery or archaeological significance. Its role is contextual — a vivid, human reminder that the crash site Gates is pursuing lies just off the shores of a living, breathing modern city, and that the women lost in 1945 came down into waters not far from a place as full of life as this market.
Abidjan is the largest city in Côte d'Ivoire and one of the most populous cities in West Africa, serving as the country's economic capital even though Yamoussoukro is the official political capital.
The Treichville commune is historically known not only for its market but also as a center of Ivorian music and nightlife, earning a reputation as one of Abidjan's most culturally vibrant neighborhoods.
The C-47 aircraft that Gates investigates in this episode — a plane nearly identical to the one that crashed — was described as having a wingspan of nearly 100 feet and the capacity to carry 28 fully-equipped paratroopers.
The Women's Army Corps flight Gates investigates in this episode crashed off the West African coast in 1945, just two months after the production run of the specific C-47 Gates flew in near Palm Springs.
The Marché de Treichville is generally accessible to visitors as an open-air street market in central Abidjan, though travelers should check current safety and travel advisories for Côte d'Ivoire before visiting. The market is best explored on foot, and visitors should be prepared for dense crowds, noise, and the energetic pace typical of large West African urban markets.
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire — the market is located within the city itself, in the Treichville commune approximately 3–4 kilometers from the Plateau business district.
The dry seasons — roughly November to March and July to August — are generally considered more comfortable for visiting Abidjan, as the city can be hot and humid year-round. Mornings tend to see the most market activity before midday heat peaks.
Normandy Beaches, France
Normandy Beaches connect thematically to this episode's World War II subject matter — the C-47 aircraft central to the WAC crash investigation was the same model used extensively at D-Day, and General Eisenhower himself praised its contributions.
Tsavo, Kenya
Tsavo, Kenya represents another East African investigation site in the Gates database, offering a regional parallel for viewers interested in his fieldwork on the African continent.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean connects to Gates' broader body of work investigating crash and disappearance mysteries in open ocean environments, paralleling the offshore West African search at the heart of this episode.