Tanneries (or a district of dyers) are situated in Morocco and it is famous for incredible leather goods. Men work the leather in the tanning and special dying vats; they use the same technique as was used centuries before. The smell is very strong and once smelled it you will never forget it.

Fez (founded in 793 AD) is found in the foothills of the North Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco, North Africa. One of the most interesting sites in Fez is the Leather Souq and the oldest leather tannery in the world. The tannery dates back at least nine centuries. When approaching the tannery the smell is the first suggestion that something different is about to appear. The smell drifts around the balcony from where all the activity can be viewed and is enough to put off the most enthusiastic of tourists. The stench is worth braving as the view over the balcony allows those watching to see a site that has not changed since the 11th century. 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 or other close situated Morocco property roofs. Traditionally natural dyes were used, although some tanneries now use artificial dyes. The traditional tanneries get the red color from poppies, yellow from saffron, brown from henna, and green from wild mint.

Most of the workers work barefoot, and use their toes to pick up the skins from the bottom of the dying vats, and then work on them with their hands. Up to 600 skins sit in a vat at any one time, spending up to 2 months being worked on. Berbers traditionally prefer to work on goat and sheep skins, while Arabs use mostly camel and cow skins.

Since the animal skins are placed in vats containing pigeon excrement, and often have rotting animal flesh attached to them, the whole area smells extremely bad. When you enter the vicinity of the tanneries, guides and workers offer everyone fresh mint leaves to put under your nose for the duration of the visit. Although it doesn't look great, this is actually a very good job and is relatively well paid. Studies done about the health of the workers found out that they actually live longer and healthier lives then workers in other Moroccan collectives.

Fez's tanneries are shrouded by a heavy and unpleasant stench, but they also produce some of the world's finest leather. It's one of Morocco's main exports, that is why there are so many foreign businessmen who invest not only in property in Morocco, but also in buying leather in a huge amount. Stay on the right side of the law and invest in buttery-soft leather goods, such as bags, vests, slippers, and camel toys for the kids.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com