Our Story
"...remember that crafts develop in response to lifestyle needs. They must continue to evolve as the environment demands. It is one thing for crafts traditions to vanish because they become irrelevant; it is quite another for them to vanish because of neglect or lack of stimulus."
Markaz is a team of traditional craft lovers
Mohammed Amin is a passionate cultural nomad. For more than two decades, he has traveled through the rugged mountains of St. Catherine to the lush banks of the Nile Valley to discover the story of Egypt’s ethnic crafts and the “maker communities” that bring them to life.
He partnered with Naila El Shishiny, the creative mind behind Markaz who magically infuses her design vision to reinterpret the products with a contemporary relevance for today's customer. As avid social entrepreneurs, they both aim to support and promote the conservation and revival of Egyptian traditional crafts, through applying traditional skills to their wide selection of lifestyle and home products.
All of the crafts sold at Markaz are made by local Egyptian Artisans. One Markaz product is often created with several crafts originating from different areas of Egypt. With each delicate stitch and colorful beaded tassel, a unique narrative of cultural identity and pride is celebrated through their unique boho-inspired brand. Check out our Social Impact below. >>Read More
What "Markaz" means
Markaz means “centre” in Arabic, a place that brings people together to exchange culture, heritage and stories that transcend 14 diverse eco- zones across Egypt. The co-founders of Markaz, could see the richness and diversity of the heritage skills across the regions of Egypt and how they made it their personal mission to preserve the essence of these crafts through the brand. Within each artisan community, a unique narrative of cultural identity is being shared. And, in turn the makers can continue to live in their own environments and support their livelihoods with dignity and pride.