Morocco Black n White

Streets of Fez

Streets of Rabat

Leather dyeing Fez

Fez Architecture

Fez Architecture

Fez Leather Dyeing 

Fez Children

Marrakesh I

Marrakesh II

Marrakesh Architecture

Marrakesh Museum 

Essaouira Walk

Architecture Marrakesh

Road to Essaouira I

Road to Essaouira

Rabat, Morocco

Morocco Flag-Rabat

Rabat-Medina Walls I

Medina Walls II

Rabat, Medina Wall III

Rabat Walls IV

Rabat V

Rabat VI

Marrakesh I

Fez Tannery

The tannery is composed of numerous stone vessels filled with a vast range of dyes and various odorous liquids. The tannery processes the hides (skins) of sheep and goats, turning them into high quality leather products such as bags, coats, shoes, slippers and other similar products. This is all achieved manually, without the need for modern machinery. Men work in unbearably hot conditions (in the summer - 40 degrees and above). The tannery is a good example of mass production, a process that we often consider as being modern.

The workers stand in the stone vessels arranged like honeycombs, filled with different dyes, dying the arms and legs of the men. The hides are first soaked in diluted acidic pigeon excrement and then transferred to other vessels containing vegetable dyes such as henna, saffron and mint. When the dying process has been completed the hides are dried on the roofs of the Medina.