The tanneries Chouwara were a highlight of our visit to Fes, one of the most striking sights in the Medina. On the outskirts of the medieval city, we were led onto a roof terrace of a leather goods shop and seemed to step into another world... little changed since the 16th century. The skins are cured (with a mixture of pigeon dung and cow urine) and dried on the roof terraces, and then there is a rotation of dyes in the vats below - yellow (turmeric/saffron), red (poppy), blue (indigo), green (mint) and black (antimony). Smelly work, so sometimes the sensitive tourist is given a spring of mint to hold under their nose.
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