Chouara Tannery

The Chouara Tannery is one of Fes's most iconic sights and one of the oldest tanneries in the world, operating continuously for over 1,000 years. From surrounding leather shops' terraces, visitors look down onto a surreal scene: hundreds of stone vessels filled with vibrant dyes—yellows from saffron, reds from poppies, blues from indigo, and browns from henna. The tanning process hasn't changed since medieval times. Workers, standing waist-deep in the vats, still treat hides using methods that would be familiar to their 11th-century counterparts. The process begins with soaking hides in a mixture of cow urine, quicklime, water, and salt for softening. The hides are then transferred to dye baths where they're trampled by foot to ensure even color penetration. It's hard, dangerous work. The chemical mixture causes burns and the smell is overwhelming—guides traditionally offer visitors fresh mint to hold under their noses. Yet the craftsmen take enormous pride in their work, producing some of the world's finest leather goods using skills passed down through generations. The view from above is mesmerizing: a patchwork of circular stone vats in rainbow colors, with white-clad workers moving between them like dancers in a carefully choreographed performance. The scene has been photographed millions of times yet remains impossibly photogenic.