The vast Place Mahmoud Harbi (aka Pl Rimbaud), which is dominated by the minaret of the great Hamoudi Mosque, Djibouti City’s most iconic building, is considered the real soul of the city. Eastward, the chaotic Quartier 1 is a crisscross of alleyways where stalls and shops are lined cheek by jowl. Spreading along Blvd de Bender are the stalls of Les Caisses Market. Crammed with every type of souvenir from woodcarvings to clothing, it’s a colourful place for soaking up the atmosphere.