If I had to pick just one Fes highlight, it would have to be the incredible tanneries. No visit to Fes is complete without standing in the upper level one of the many leather workshops that overlook the dye pots. I’m confident you’ve seen a photograph at some time in your life without realizing exactly where it was taken. The 11th-century tanneries in Fes are the oldest in North Africa. This is where animal skins are treated and dyed before being sold and made into bags, jackets and belts.

There are three kinds of leather used in Morocco. Babouches, pouffes (the thick seat cushions), belts, and desk accessories are made from Goat skin. Clothes are fashioned from Sheepskin and Cowhide used for bags, satchels and shoes. Occasionally, a saddle is made from the rare and expensive Camel hide. Almost every city had a tannery in the past but many have disappeared thanks to industrial production. Traditional babouches are colored by natural vegetable dyes. Beige ones are colored from pomegranate and alum, pinkish, red babouches are dyed with madder, date pulp and alum while bright ones are chemically dyed.

The skins are first placed in limestone vats where the hair is soaked off in a solution containing sulphur and pigeon dung (I knew pigeon poop must have had some use…dirty, filthy birds). After that, they are washed and transferred to the dyeing vats…View image. Previous articles about the tanneries said that you could smell them from miles away (thanks to the guano, urine and pigeon poop) but the god of wind must have been on our side today since there was no odor.
Standing on the roof, the first sight of the tannery dye pots was overwhelming. And then I began noticing the individual details. Intense colors, round stone dye pots, workmen hopping in and out (or leaning over) of the vats of colored dye used to saturate the hides. Leather pelts laid flat on a roof or hanging in different stages of preparation…View image. Two roofs were laid out with vivid yellow pelts that had been recently dyed with saffron.The words “a sight to behold” does not do justice to the visual impact.

I can’t imagine spending day-after-day standing with legs immersed in a vat of colored dye and excrement. What happens to the skin on their arms and legs? How do stand the intense heat? Travels With Sheila wants to know…

The dye color changes weekly. Today it was red. Next week it will be blue. We noticed men carrying already dyed skins through the Medina in beautiful shades of pink and beige. Inside the leather shop, some in our group set to work buying the traditional babouches and other items, but I have a difficult time buying under pressure and short of time…View image. Traditional yellow babouches are worn throughout Morocco and resemble comfortable, pointy toe slippers. They are usually made from lambskin, have rubber soles and look for a pair that is hand-stitched, not glued together.

One salesman kept insisting, “Madame, come downstairs and look. I have a lovely Prada leather jacket for you.” The shop did have some excellent Vuitton fakes but, again, I can’t do group shopping. From there, lunch somewhere in the Medina before continuing on.

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