Fez Medina Leatherworks - Fez, Morocco

One of the iconic photos of Morocco is the leatherworks in Fez Medina. I could probably never find my way back to the leather shop if I tried. Our group navigated a series of alleyways before ducking in an unmarked (other than a number) door right off the alleyway. We climbed a steep, narrow set of stairs, arriving in an outer room of a leather shop. Here, we were provided with what appeared to be a full mint plant. The healthy sprig of mint was provided to offer relief from the smell. I am sure the animal hides have a pungent smell, without adding anything to the equation. However, the tanning process involves several days of soaking in a vat of cow urine, lime and salt. The hides are then soaked in vats containing pigeon poop. Not the ideal recipe for fresh air. The mint helped, believe it or not.

We navigated through the shop, which had numerous rooms and several levels, ending up on a set of balconies overlooking the processing area. From here, you can see the neutral colored vats where the leather is processed along with the colorful vats of dye where workers stand waist deep processing the leather. Drying skins can be seen on just about every flat area in view. An employee of the leather shop explained the curing and dying process to us before setting us loose to spend some tourist money.

The leather companies sell a variety of items made of camel, cow, goat and sheep leather. The camel seems to be the most expensive and possibly the most durable. Some of the leather items still had a foul smell to them, although it dissipates with time. The camel leather did not have an offensive odor. I wanted to purchase a couple items, so I bought a pouf and my wife purchased a purse. The items are inflated in price at the leather shops, so you have to bargain hard. They are inflated for two reasons. First, they are inflated because it is real leather. You are getting a guarantee with your purchase. Unlike some of the cheaper shops you may find in the medina. Second, it is inflated if they think you have money. Use standard bargaining practices and know what you want to pay before you buy. I think I overpaid a bit for my pouf, but I liked it. So, I paid what I thought was fair. I may have gotten it cheaper, but such is life. The merchant has a family to feed too.

The colors, textures and smells of the medina seem to be in overdrive in the leather shops. The colorful patterns, the rich textures, and the smell...well, I hope you get the idea of the smell by now. To give you a bit more of a visual sense of the leather works, I will leave you with a few more photos.

Our trip to Morocco included quite a few amazing spectacles. Like watching goats climb a tree. Which is pretty iconic. But I picture the tanneries at the Fez Medina as one of the most iconic images of Morocco. Maybe because it incorporates history with hard work and artistry. Whatever the case, it was worth the assault on our senses. And the mint helps. Seriously.

All photos are my own. They may be reproduced with prior permission.