Chouara Tanneries, Fez, Morocco

Fez  • 

One of the most remarkable sights in Fez, if not Morocco, are the Chuara Tanneries. These are some of the oldest tanneries in the world, operating nearly unchanged since the founding of Fez nearly 1000 years ago. The tannery contains a honeycomb of dry earthen pits where skins are treated with cow uhrine and pigeon dung before they are skinned and soaked in dying chemicals. It is run by one family who passed down the ancient techniques from generation to generation.