Medina Market Bags

With motif-clad ceramics, wooden boxes made of the robust thuja tree and vibrant decorative carpets, we were innately drawn to the local artisans and their origin stories: The familial history, the traditional knowledge, the craftsmanship. But it was 120-miles southwest of Marrakesh in the vibrant coastal town of Essaouira where we admired the carefully woven, delicately intricate straw and wicker baskets, eventually leading to the creation of the MERSEA Medina Market Bag Collection.

Each Medina Bag (​​meaning city in Arabic, or country in Hebrew) is handmade with palm leaf and straw sourced from the plentiful Sous river abundance—the same practice respected for centuries. Traveling back to Marrakesh for final touches, our community leader then distributes each handmade basket to women’s cooperatives across the city where leather handles—sustainably tanned with natural plant extracts and colored with vegetable dye—are applied by hand alongside MERSEA motifs. Each Medina Market Bag is a result of tradition and care, and we cannot wait for it to be part of your travels.