The Grand Marché is the commercial heart of old Bamako and one of the largest markets in West Africa. Spread across several city blocks in the Médina neighbourhood, it covers everything from fresh produce and live chickens to cloth, electronics, mobile phones, and traditional medicine. The clothing and fabric sections are particularly good: Malian bogolan (mudcloth) is made here, and you'll find it alongside dashikis, wax prints, and tailored garments at prices well below what tourists are quoted in formal shops.
Come in the morning before the heat builds. Bring small bills and expect to negotiate — the opening price for anything directed at a foreigner is a fiction. The internal alleys can feel labyrinthine, but that's part of the point. Give yourself at least two hours and follow your nose. Much of the best street food in the market area is sold by women cooking over charcoal on the outer edges of the building.