The tanneries of Fès are one of the oldest continuously operating industrial sites in the world. They have been producing leather in the same location, using the same methods, for over a thousand years. No factory has replaced them. No machine has made them obsolete. They remain because what they produce cannot be replicated any other way.
Of the three tanneries of Fès — Chouara, Sidi Moussa, and Ain Azliten — Chouara is the largest, the oldest, and the one that has defined the city's identity as the capital of Moroccan leather craft.
A City Built on Leather
Fès was founded in the 9th century, and leather was part of its economy almost from the beginning. By the 14th century, historian Ali Ibn Abi Zar recorded 86 tanneries operating within the medina. The craft was so lucrative that a local proverb captured it precisely: Dar Dbagh, Dar Dhab — "the tannery is a house of gold."
That reputation spread across the Mediterranean. By the 16th century, Moroccan goatskin — tanned with sumac and gallnut, supple and richly coloured — was being imported into European markets under the name Maroquin. The French word maroquinerie, meaning leather goods, derives directly from Morocco. So does the expression un maroquin de ministre — a minister's portfolio — still used in French political life to describe a cabinet position.
Where Chouara Is
Chouara is located in the Andalusian quarter of Fès el-Bali — the old medina — on the eastern bank of the Oued Fès river, near the Saffarin Madrasa. It covers approximately 2,000 square metres and has operated continuously in the same location since the eleventh century. The surrounding buildings rise above it on all sides; the best views are from the leather goods shops on the upper floors, whose terraces overlook the full extent of the tannery. Visitors are typically handed a sprig of mint at the entrance — useful against the smell of the tanning process. The best light for photography is in the morning.
What It Looks Like
Seen from the terraces above, Chouara looks like a painter's palette — dozens of circular stone vats filled with dyes in saffron yellow, poppy red, indigo blue, and the natural tan of undyed leather. Workers move between the vats, treading the hides underfoot, turning them by hand, guiding them through a process that takes weeks from raw skin to finished leather.
The colours of the vats shift with the season and the dye cycle: white with lime solution during the preparation phase, brown with tannin during the tanning phase, then vivid red, green, yellow, blue, and black during dyeing. The palette is produced entirely from natural pigments — poppy for red, mint for green, indigo for blue, kohl for black, henna for orange, a mixture of oil and pomegranate for yellow.
The Tanning Process
Step 1 — Preparation: Lime and Pigeon Droppings
Raw hides arrive at the tannery stiff, salted, and still carrying hair. They are soaked first in a bath of water and quicklime — a caustic solution that loosens the hair and begins to break down the outer layers of the skin. Pigeon droppings, rich in ammonia, are added to soften the hide further. Tanners scrape off the remaining hair, fat, and flesh by hand. The process takes several days.
Step 2 — Softening: The Pigeon Vats
The hides are then transferred to vats of water and pigeon droppings — the ammonia acts as a natural softening agent, making the skin malleable and preparing it to absorb dye. Artisans stand in these vats barefoot, trampling the hides from early morning to early afternoon, kneading them to achieve the desired softness. The work is physically demanding and chemically harsh. The lime baths are caustic; the ammonia is sharp; the dyes stain everything permanently. It is one of the most ancient forms of industrial labour still practiced in its original form anywhere in the world.
Step 3 — Tanning: Bark and Time
Once prepared, the hides move into the tanning vats. Traditional Moroccan tanning uses vegetable tannins — compounds extracted from the bark of oak, mimosa, or sumac trees — rather than the chromium salts used in industrial tanning. The hides remain immersed for several weeks. Vegetable tanning is slower, taking weeks rather than hours, but produces leather of exceptional quality: firm, breathable, and capable of developing a rich patina over decades of use. It has been performed this way, without machinery or synthetic chemicals, since medieval times.
Step 4 — Dyeing: Natural Pigments
When the hides are dry and smooth, they are dyed using exclusively natural pigments: saffron for yellow, poppy petals for red, indigo for blue, henna for orange, cedar bark for the warm tan that characterises undyed Moroccan leather, kohl for black. The hides are worked into the dye by hand and foot, then dried on the rooftops of the medina under the Moroccan sun.
Who Does This Work
The men who work in Chouara learn their craft through apprenticeship — years spent alongside experienced tanners before being trusted to work independently. The knowledge is passed from father to son, from master to apprentice, in an unbroken chain that stretches back centuries. It is embodied knowledge: it lives in the hand, not the book.
What Chouara Produces
Chouara supplies leather to the full range of Moroccan craft production — bags, sandals, belts, portfolios, babouches, and accessories. More than 90% of Morocco's exported leather goes to Europe — France first, then Spain, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The leather produced in Fès supplies some of the world's most respected luxury goods houses, though the connection is rarely advertised.
The leather in Moroccan Corridor's bags and sandals passes through Chouara and the workshops of Fès and Tétouan — tanned using the same vegetable methods, cut and stitched by hand using the same tools, that have defined the craft for centuries.
The Other Tanneries of Fès
Chouara is the most visited of the three tanneries of Fès, but it is not the only one. Sidi Moussa operates in the western medina. Ain Azliten — the smallest of the three — is located on the northern edge of Fès el-Bali and specialises primarily in leather for the Babouche. It has recently undergone renovation and has no tourist infrastructure. For a closer look at the least-known of the three, see our guide to Ain Azliten Tannery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Chouara tannery?
Chouara tannery is located in the Andalusian quarter of Fès el-Bali — the old medina of Fès — near the Saffarin Madrasa, on the eastern bank of the Oued Fès river. It has operated continuously in the same location since the eleventh century.
How old are the tanneries of Fès?
The tanneries of Fès date to the 11th century. By the 14th century, historian Ali Ibn Abi Zar recorded 86 tanneries operating within the medina. Chouara is believed to be one of the oldest continuously operating tanneries in the world.
What is Moroccan leather made from?
Authentic Moroccan leather is made primarily from goatskin — fine-grained, supple, and exceptionally durable. The hides are tanned using traditional vegetable tanning methods, using natural tannins derived from tree bark rather than industrial chemicals.
Why does Moroccan leather smell different?
The distinctive smell of Moroccan leather comes from the vegetable tanning process — natural tannins, plant-based dyes, and the absence of synthetic chemicals give it a warm, organic scent that deepens with age. This is one of the markers of authentic, traditionally tanned Moroccan leather.
What is the difference between Moroccan leather and industrial leather?
Moroccan leather is vegetable-tanned using centuries-old methods, producing leather that is firmer, more breathable, and longer-lasting than chrome-tanned industrial leather. It develops a rich patina over time rather than degrading. The craft tradition behind it — from tannery to finished object — is fundamentally different from mass production.
Why is Moroccan leather called maroquinerie?
The French word maroquinerie — meaning leather goods — derives directly from Maroc, the French name for Morocco. The term reflects Morocco's historical dominance in leather production, so significant that the country's name became synonymous with the craft across Europe from the 16th century onward.
Can visitors see Chouara tannery?
Yes — the leather goods shops surrounding Chouara offer terrace access overlooking the tannery. Visitors are typically handed a sprig of mint on entry to offset the smell of the tanning process. The best light for photography is in the morning.
