CHAPTER 23
Fez was by far and away one of the cooler places I’ve ever seen. Of course it is steeped in history and exudes gritty intrigue around every corner of the winding alleys of the medina, but the most unique aspect of the ancient city was the Chouara Leather Tannery. The biggest and oldest in Fez, they’ve been tanning hides in the same stone vats for nearly a thousand years. And you wouldn’t even realize it’s there, as it is completely surrounded by buildings and shops, if it weren’t for the extraordinarily pungent stench emanating from the pools of tanning liquids. Luckily, when you enter one of the many leather shops, they will guide you to the roof top where you can witness this fascinating display of archaic craftsmanship, and will kindly offer you a sprig of mint to shove up your nose to mask the scent- which is due in large part to the copious amounts of cow urine and pigeon poop used in various steps of the tanning process.
And when you descend the rooftop back to the shop, you can buy a handbag made from the very leather you just saw being produced. And it doesn’t stop there, much of the leather is exported to the European and US markets- so who knows, maybe the handbag you already have from LV or Michael Kors is made from Chouara leather- think of that the next time you reach in to grab your keys!
*Note: Photos with a “JR” suffix are credited to J^2
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