Discovering Fes
The Fes Tanneries (Chouara): How to Visit, Best Times and Tips
The coloured pits of Chouara are the most famous image of Fes. How this medieval craft works, when to go and how to visit without pressure.
5 min read
The Fes tanneries are one of Morocco’s most striking sights: dozens of stone pits filled with ochre, red, yellow and white dyes, men working in them bare-legged, and hides drying on the surrounding rooftops. The largest and most famous, Chouara, still works with methods that have changed little since the Middle Ages. Here is how to visit in good conditions, understand what you are seeing and avoid the small pitfalls. For the other sights, see things to do in Fes.
The Chouara tannery at a glance
Fes has three traditional tanneries: Chouara, Sidi Moussa and Ain Azliten. Chouara is the largest and most spectacular. It lies at the heart of the medina, near Seffarine square and the Fes river, whose water was once used to work the hides. Fully restored in the mid-2010s, it remains an active workplace where tanners often practise a trade handed down from father to son.
How leather is made in Fes
Leatherwork follows several stages, which you can clearly make out from the terraces:
- Soaking and liming: cow, sheep, goat or camel hides are plunged into the white pits, filled with a mixture of water, quicklime and salt, which loosens the hair and remaining flesh. The hides stay there for several days.
- Softening: they then go into baths traditionally containing pigeon droppings, rich in ammonia, which make the leather supple. This is the source of the place’s famous smell.
- Dyeing: the hides are plunged into the coloured pits, trodden and turned by hand and foot.
- Drying: they dry in the sun on the nearby terraces and rooftops, before being cut and stitched by the medina’s craftsmen.
Colours and dyes
Traditionally, tanners used natural dyes: poppy for red, indigo for blue, henna for orange, saffron or turmeric for yellow, mint for green and cedar wood for browns. Some modern dyes are used today as well, but the palette and the gestures remain the same. Yellow, long reserved for the slippers of the men of Fes, is still one of the signature colours.
How to visit the tanneries
You do not visit the pits themselves, which are a workplace: you watch them from the terraces of the leather shops that surround them. You walk into one, climb the stairs between shelves of bags and slippers, and discover the view from the roof. At the entrance you are usually handed a sprig of mint to sniff to soften the smell.
Access to the terraces is free, the shop naturally hoping for a sale. Nobody is obliged to buy; if you leave empty-handed, a small tip of a few dirhams to the person who showed you up is appreciated.
The best time to go
- Morning, between 9 and 11 am, is ideal: the tanners are at work, the light falls on the pits and the smell is milder than in the heat of the day.
- Avoid Fridays, when activity is reduced, and days of heavy rain.
- In summer, the smell is stronger in the afternoon; in winter, it is much milder.
Avoiding scams and sales pressure
The tanneries draw many visitors, and therefore plenty of hustle. Be wary of people who approach you in the lanes to tell you that “the tanneries are closing soon”, that “it is the last day of dyeing” or that “this way is closed, follow me”. These lines are mainly used to steer you into a particular shop. Follow the signs and the flow of visitors instead, or visit with a licensed guide. Our general advice is in is Fes safe?.
Buying leather in Fes
The shops around Chouara sell babouche slippers, bags, belts, jackets, poufs and wallets. A few tips:
- Smell and touch: good leather is supple and evenly thick, and its smell fades after a few days of airing.
- Check the stitching and finishing, especially on bags and poufs.
- Bargain with a smile: the first price leaves room for negotiation.
- Take your time: nothing obliges you to buy in the terrace shop; the same items can be found all over the medina.
All our tips for stress-free buying are in shopping in the Fes souks.
The other tanneries of Fes
Less visited, the Sidi Moussa and Ain Azliten tanneries offer a calmer experience. They are smaller, but you see the same work, often without the crowds. Ask a guide or your riad to point you towards them.
What to see around the tanneries
Chouara combines easily with Seffarine square and its coppersmiths, Al-Quaraouiyine and the Al-Attarine Madrasa, all a few minutes’ walk away. It is the afternoon stop in our plans for one day in Fes and three days in Fes. To get there without getting lost, see our Fes medina guide, and for the nearby monuments, the madrasas and monuments of Fes.
The tanneries from La Petite Maison
Our riad is a five-minute walk from Rcif square, from where Seffarine and the tanneries are just a few minutes away. We show you the simplest route and the best time of day, and can book a licensed guide if you would rather be accompanied. Browse our rooms and write to us to plan your visit.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to see the Fes tanneries?
Access to the leather shops’ terraces is free. Nobody has to buy anything; if you leave empty-handed, a small tip to the person who showed you up is appreciated.
When is the best time to visit the Chouara tannery?
In the morning, between 9 and 11 am, when the tanners are working and the light falls on the pits. Avoid Fridays and rainy days.
Why do the Fes tanneries smell so strong?
Because of the mixtures used to treat the hides, notably lime and ammonia-rich pigeon droppings. The sprig of mint you are given helps with the smell.
Do the Fes tanneries still use natural dyes?
Partly. Traditional plant dyes such as henna, indigo and poppy are still used, alongside some modern dyes.
