A Visit to Ensira Pottery with Habesha Wonder

If you’re looking for something authentic and hands-on to do in Addis Ababa, visiting Ensira Pottery is a great option. I recently went as part of a tour with Habesha Wonder, and it ended up being one of my favorite experiences in the city.

I wanted to do something a little different while in Addis Ababa and was chatting with Habesha Wonder about what I could do. My tour guide, Mike, suggested adding this women’s pottery cooperative. There are about 300 women working here, creating pottery that gets distributed all over the city. A lot of what you see in local markets is actually made at Ensira Pottery!

I did this experience as part of a custom tour. The next stop was to Mercato (the largest market in Africa), you can read about it here.

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How to Visit Ensira Pottery

You can visit Ensira Pottery on your own, but I’d recommend going with a guide to get the full experience. Having someone translate and explain the process makes a big difference, especially if you want to try making pottery yourself.

I went with Habesha Wonder and really enjoyed my entire custom tour with Mike. It felt like going around town with a friend! I suggest reaching out to Habesha Wonder directly to arrange a visit to get the best rates. Out of all the tour operators, I decided to reach out to them after reading reviews on Viator for their popular 4-hour layover tour. First, I asked about a custom tour via email (wanderlusthabesha@gmail.com) and then we moved to WhatsApp (+251912669044) to communicate. Mike had a lot of suggestions based on what I like to do: pottery, artwork, and cultural experiences.

Ensira Pottery Tour and Shopping

At the entrance, there’s a shop where you can buy everything from traditional jebena coffee pots to cups, cooking dishes, and more.

One of my favorite first impressions was seeing rows of clay pots drying in the sun.

As part of the tour, I also got to see how the pottery is fired using traditional methods. The women use cow dung as fuel, and the pots are carefully placed both around and on top of the fire.

I got to help place some of the fuel onto the fire! Check out my reel on insta with me in action.

I also learned that the women here are able to support their families through their pottery work. Each woman has her own stall, and if she’s not working, she can rent it out to someone else. When I visited around Easter, some stalls were rented out while others were run by their usual owners.

Making Your Own Jebena

You can visit Ensira Pottery just to look around and shop… However, I highly recommend taking it a step further and making your own piece. That’s what I did, and it was such a cool experience.

With the help of my guide Mike, who translated between me and the craftswoman teaching me, I learned how to make a traditional coffee pot, known as a jabena.

I started with the lump of clay!

The whole process took about an hour and a half. I started by shaping the clay, then let it dry slightly before adding the spout and handle.

Throughout the process, I had help from the local craftswomen. She had been making pottery for over 20 year and her skills were apparent because every time I touched the clay, she had to later fix it hahah.

You can also add your own designs to the jabena before it goes out to dry again. I also made two small cups, which was a fun bonus.

If you’re planning to do this, I’d suggest going at the beginning of your trip to Ethiopia. Your piece usually takes a few days to dry and be ready for pickup, so timing it at the beginning of your stay works best.

If you’re looking for something meaningful to do in Addis, Ensira Pottery is a short but memorable activity. You leave with a handmade souvenir and get to interact directly with local artisans, which makes it feel much more personal than just shopping at a market.

Contact Habesha Wonder: wanderlusthabesha@gmail.com or +251912669044