While walking down the Fes streets, we found a bunch of other tourists heading towards an even narrower lane. Something of interest? We walked fast.
Turns out, it was the Chouara Tannery, the one which has all the superlatives to its crown, largest, oldest and the likes.
One of the men caught hold of S’s hand and pulled us out of the sea of tourists and promised us to give the best of the view! Mind you this is at the break of the dawn, we were there at the first thing in the morning.
We walked up spiral stairs of a leather shop, that showcased some of the finest craftsmanship, I would be honest with you. The pricepoint? Pretty steep.
We walked in an air that was filled with the smell of ammonia, decaying organic waste and animal hides. The smell was so potent, we were offered some dried mint leaves.
From the top, we had a clear view of the Tannery. And guess what? It was not Chourara! Although it had all the honeycombed basins laying under sunlight and some under the balcony to escape sunlight that ruins darkers hues.
We were looking for The Tannery and the tout took us upstairs to show us one of the many tanneries of the localities. Fes had a dozen of them once upon a time, but now only a handful of them remain, namely Sidi Moussa tannery, Ain Azliten tannery and of course the photographers’ favourite -Chourara.
Chourara is well marked on Google maps but it is possible that you are overwhelmed in the maze, in the stench and with the crowd. Which brings me to the first point, please hire a local guide.
The tannery is housed in between the old buildings which double down as leather product shops. You can go to the rooftops for a small fee, and the expectation is you will buy stuff once you come down. I did not buy anything, and I regret it now! There were boots and bags and belts. And Moroccan drums, the ones we had seen being played under the moonlit night in Sahara desert. The bags reminded me of Shantiniketani slings of West Bengal India! May be it is the camel embroidery!
The impact of this age-old tannery is felt with the stories associated with local’s life here. The manual labour intensive processing methods, the reliance of tourists eyes, and the follow up visit to the stores in lower storeys of the buildings surrounding this tannery is an entire eco system that impacts the lives of the residents of Medina, financially.
The Tannery began operation during the The Idris Dynasty of the 11th century.
We saw workers walking on the stone pits. Soaking leather in designated colour pits.
While Chorara enjoys photographers’ attention, Sidi Moussa on the west and Ain Azliten on the North have far less visitors. The latter has recently undergone renovation, drastically improving the working condition. The dye basins have moved to make space for concrete walls. To reach Ain Azliten, walk along Rue Talaa Kbira, pass through a sheepskin tannery, and proceed towards Ain Azliten.
Traditionally, the tanneries of Fes have used Cow urine, pigeon poop (collected from the walls of Medina) and natural dye to process the animal hides. Had it been a rumored case of cheaper chemical dyes, things would have been sold at a less steep price I assume. The pigeon poop is instrumental in removing fat and hair from the animal hide.
At Ain Azliten, you may come across the living quarters of the workers, which is barely basic, if not dangerous. But it is much more personal and even cordial, albeit with a guide who would help you cross the language barrier. The bright yellow leathers were made exclusively for Moroccan men, I learn. While Ain Azliten can feel a lot more personal experience, Siddi Moussa presents you with a more beautiful photo opportunity, although you may not be get close to the vats. Visitors are not allowed to enter the tannery, unless you convince a guide with a generous tip of dirham.
Sidi Moussa tannery
Ain Azliten tannery
Chouara Tannery
By Uwe Brodrecht – 154 – Marokko Handybilder 2018 – Fes, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=94133765
The water of Oued Bou Khrareb canal is pivotal to the tanning process of leather. Cedarwood gives the animal skin a brown hue, saffron gives it a yellow, henna paints it red, indigo gives it a hint of blue. The dried hides, hung on the wall of the balcony of surrounding buildings of the tannery, are oiled to give a glossy finish.
How to take a picture of the Chouraa tannery
While you can go to the tannery at a ground level and closer to the vats if you agree to pay a premium price to the guide, I would rather stand on the balconies surrounding the area. I would use a zoon lens and I would shoot men at work from a distance.
That way, neither I am barging in their everyday work flow. You can not help but get it the way as the pits are really devoid of space and are occupying a small place. A zoom lens gives you the flexibility to shoot your preferred scene from a distance.
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