TOP
Tunisian Carpet Weaver

Discovering Tunisia’s Artisanal Markets

To soak in the diverse creativity of Tunisia’s artisanal world, spend a day meandering through the medina of Sousse (a UNESCO world Heritage site), and let your eyes feast on the magnificently rich colors and designs portrayed through pottery, handwoven rugs, mosaics, and leather products. These atmospheric outdoor markets will capture your senses!

Hand-Painted Pottery

You may not be able to resist taking home with you a piece of Nabeul’s hand-painted pottery, with a range of designs and color schemes to choose from. Olive wood products such as spoons and cutting boards show off the grain of this gorgeous wood, and also make unique gifts to take back to friends.

Hand-Woven Rugs

The famous hand-woven rugs of Kairouan will captivate you for hours with their endless selection and beauty.  The ancient art of tapestry weaving has flourished through the ages in North Africa and continues to thrive today.  You can choose between sheep wool or camel hair, bright, eye-catching colors, or muted grey tones.

Tunisia has long been famous for its woven textiles.  The fouta, hand-woven cotton or linen cloth, is a traditional towel used in the hammam (Middle Eastern spa).  Foutas can be used for multiple purposes, from a beach towel, to a bed cover or table cloth.

The art of carpet weaving in Tunisia
The art of carpet weaving in Tunisia
Tunisian carpets for sale at the souk
Tunisian carpets for sale at the souk

Leather Products

Those interested in leather products can find an assortment of bags, shoes, and jackets to choose from, but the most popular item is the soft leather poof or cushion.

Tunisian Leather Shoes at the Souk
Tunisian Leather Shoes at the Souk
Tunisian Leather Bags at the Souk
Tunisian Leather Bags at the Souk

Tunisian Dates and Olive Oil

Take home a sampling of some of Tunisia’s world-famous luscious dates and olive oil.  If you need a moment to catch your breath, tuck yourself away in a small “salon de the” to sip on some mint tea or citronade (lemonade).

Discover Tunisia's Artisanal Markets

A few more treasures to look for would be the essential oils and perfumes, like argon oil (produced in the neighboring country of Morocco).  Hand-woven baskets, drums (darbuka), mosaics, scarves, silver jewelry… no matter where you turn, you’ll be met with evidence of an artisanal trade that reflects the joie de vivre in Tunisian culture – brilliant in color and full of life.

Discover Tunisia’s artisanal markets with one of our hand-selected professional English-speaking tour guide on a Tunisia private tour.

whaase@mosaicnorthafrica.com

William is a sales representative with Tunisia Tours / Mosaic North Africa and avid adventure travel enthusiast. Over the last 5 years he has been living in Tunisia. Currently he splits his time between sales / consulting on tours in the area and using his engineering skills in helping in the start up phase in a couple of business start ups in the area of recreational equipment and date sugar manufacturing.

Post a Comment

I accept the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Policy

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Inquire Now