Chouara Tannery, Fez, Morocco

#Sign up for January Hotel Test Sleeper 2025 Chouara Tannery is located in Fez, Morocco, and is one of the three tanneries in the city. It is not only the largest tannery in the area, but also one of the tanneries with the longest history. It has become a must-see attraction for domestic tourist groups visiting Fez. During the tour, I happened to meet a domestic tour guide who told tourists that they could enjoy a 20% discount on shopping here. However, in reality, at least for Chinese tourists, the retail prices of goods here are often twice or even higher than those in other retail stores. Take a men's belt as an example. It costs 400 dirhams here, but only 120 dirhams in other retailers. A backpack is priced at 1,800 dirhams here. We tried to bargain down to 600 dirhams, but the other party wanted us to add more money. We estimated that if we offered 800 dirhams, there would be a high probability of closing the deal. If we only offered 700 dirhams, we would not be sure of getting it. The most striking feature of the Chouara Leather Factory compared to other local tanneries is the numerous stone barrels filled with different colored dyes and white liquid. The hides of cows, sheep, goats and camels are first treated by soaking in a series of white liquids mixed with cow urine, pigeon dung, quicklime, salt and water. This process takes two to three days and is designed to clean and soften the tough leather while allowing it to better absorb the dye. Next, the leather is soaked in a dye solution that uses natural colorants such as poppy flowers for red, indigo for blue, and henna for orange. After dyeing, the leather is left out in the sun to dry. The leather is then sold to other artisans who use it to make the leather goods that Morocco is famous for, such as bags, coats, shoes and slippers, which are highly valued for their high quality. The entire leather production process relies entirely on manual labor and does not involve modern machinery. The production method has been used since the Middle Ages and has not changed. #globaltravel #outboundtravel #northafricatravel #northafricatravel #morocco #moroccotravel #leathermaking #tourgroup #handbags #shopping