RU  UK  EN
Статьи  >  Imagine  >  Leather Tanneries in Fez: Rainbow palette of the East

Leather Tanneries in Fez: Rainbow palette of the East

Автор: 21.02.2022 | travel, Morocco
Ancient Fez medina is firmly holding time in a criss-crossing maze of tiny alleyways and picturesque shops. The medieval town of craftsmen does not recognize modern technology, however, it is not difficult to trace a full production of cute handbag with embossed lettering. The leather for souvenir is produced there, in courtyards, and at a reasonable cost a tannery owner would reveal details of folk art with a millennial history.

The Kingdom of Morocco since ancient times was famous for craftsmanship and creativity of leather tanning. The town of Fez, surrounded by endless pastures, was inhabited by skilled artisans who purchased inexpensive raw material of good quality from nomadic tribes. Apparently, Moroccan tanners learned from ancient Egyptians who practiced suede finishing of hides since ancient times.

Vessels made of suede, found during excavations of Egyptian settlements, have an affinity with the early products from Morocco, but over time the disciples surpassed their teachers. By the beginning of the 11th century Moroccans possessed effective methods of tanning and dyeing raw hides, which formed the basis for the production of amazing smooth and soft Morocco leather. The Old Testament technologies have survived till now virtually unchanged: local craftsmen stubbornly follow antiquated methods. All manipulations are made by hand, and the only available means of mechanization are hoses for water supply from river flowing nearby.tannery-fez-morocco.adapt.1900.1.jpgPhoto nationalgeographic.com

Although tourists are sure to get lost in motley ant hill of the medina of Fez el-Bali, heavy spirit of dampness and decay accurately leads any inquisitive traveller to the Chouara Tannery. So it goes, that the mixtures used to soften hard animal skins include malodorous natural ingredients such as donkey urine and pigeon droppings. Agile apprentices helpfully tray mint leaves for impressionable tourists, although a gas-helmet would be more appropriate.

Tanneries are located in courtyards and in the streets nearby there is a brisk trade in ready-made leather goods. In the bazaars there is a dizzying array of shops selling every item you could imagine from saddle bags to covers for the latest iPhone. Flat roof terraces of neighbouring houses give a breath-taking view of the rows of mud baths, preserved since Marinids dynasty. Honeycomb of pits, filled with coloured liquids, is reminiscent of palette with watercolours; freshly painted leathers drying on terraces, look like mischievous blots showing through on the stone fabric.Leather-Tanneries-of-Fez-in-Morocco-copy.jpgPhoto kathmanduandbeyond.com

The workshops, to be honest, are dirty, but each leather item is surrounded by care and attention. Miraculous transformation of slimy animal skin lump into exclusive collection of handbags or Moroccan poufs much favoured by designers, is preceded by a series of puzzling procedures worthy of high-end spa. However, at the entrance there is a strict face control: trespass is strictly prohibited for pork skin! Processing welcomes only leather of sheep, goat, cow and camel - clean animals, the meat of which is eatable by the Koran.

Preparation of leathers for dyeing begins with a long soaking in quicklime, destroying hair follicles and protective animal fat layer. To soften calloused animal skins, they use a hell of a mixture based on a concentrated salt solution with the addition of organic nitrogen. At this stage, very important is a keen eye of an experience master: the slightest overexposure may damage the work piece. To assess readiness, leathers are sometimes removed from the bath and washed thoroughly with fresh water at the reels acidified with lime juice. Tanners then scrap away excess hair fibres and fat in order to prepare the skins for dyeing. In total fat and salt leaching from the deep layers of the dermis, takes about a month.Visiting-the-leather-tannneries-of-fes-morocco-8-1422x800.jpgPhoto feztannery.com

After a short drying raw hides are placed into a tanning bathes, managing to change at least a dozen of vats while moving from weak translucent solutions to strong concentrated potion abruptly smelling of tar. Selection of active agents depends on the destination of the material. Especially valuable items selected for tailoring clothes and traditional Moroccan slippers, known as chuviaks with curled toes, are treated with a chromium compound, after which leathers becomes supple, stretchy and soft to the touch. When tanning haberdashery raw hides, they use extracts of oak bark, chestnut and fir with a high tannin content, which increases the capacity of skin elasticity. As a result, bags perfectly keep their shape and elegant patterned ottomans puffs sold unstuffed, meekly tolerate transportation being folded.

Each colour is derived from natural sources like plants and trees: red dye is obtained from paprika, green comes from mint, brown from mimosa bark, and the combination of saffron and pomegranate peel gives different shades of yellow. Mixing dyes in different proportions, craftsmen receive complex multi-faceted tones that rival brightness of industrial dyes. On the market square, the mill operates all day long, it grinds dried vegetable ingredients for toners.morocco-land-of-colour.jpgPhoto theceomagazine.com

Dyeing of sheep skin and goat skin takes about a week; cow skin needs twice as long, and camel skin gets dyeing for a month. From time to time tanners jump into a dye-filled pit and trample raw hides achieving an equal distribution of the pigment over the entire thickness of the leather item. At the same time, they work on finishing of Marocco leather: oil infiltration and rubbing wax prepare leathers for a fight with the elements, protecting the southern juicy dyes from fading. Thoroughly rinsed and freshly processed leather dries quickly leaving cutters without a moment's peace.

Although bargain in craft shop is the sacred right of a tourist, it is useful to recall the working conditions of dyers, who gave a start in life for a pretty purse with ethnic ornament. Swimming against the current of the river of time, is a luxury which has to be paid for, and the coin is a fairly modest fee compared to squandered health and chronic poverty.Colourful-Street-in-Fez-Morocco-Itinerary.jpgPhoto moroccotourholiday.com

Cover photo independent.co.uk

Вам это будет интересно:
Departure: Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is called Middle Asian Switzerland. Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, caves, cols and green meadows aren’t a speck inferior in terms of aesthetics to European ones yet travelers haven't duly appreciated this country so far. Across-the-board exploration of the land by the state’s guests has only just begun. And alongside hotels that are being swiftly erected, ordinary yurts are still offered for residence to feel local natural.
Dark blue pearl of Mongolia
Six million years ago, in faraway Mongolia a deep crater of an extinct volcano was gradually filled to the brims with water, turning into a wonderful lake. Water ran high with gusts of wind, and sparkled in the sun like precious jewel, so no wonder that along with the official name of Hövsgöl Lake, this nature wonder has a more poetic name of the Dark Blue Pearl.
If you have 10 dollars and you are in New York
Finally, one of our favorite categories reached the city, where dollars are considered as the main currency. Thus, we will not have to go around exchange offices and constantly convert prices. So, we go to such a different and exciting New York to spend our 10 dollars.
Gjirokastër: “Albanian Rome”
A function of UNESCO World Heritage Committee is to work in the most careful manner year after year on studying objects that constitute outstanding culture civilizations and are unique in their origins. Under number 569 of an impressive list of the organization city of Gjirokastër, the one from the south of Albania, is located – it is it we are going to study today through the length and breadth.
Belgium with the eyes of Marina Orlova: How the belgians live
Marina Orlova is a project manager in a cultural and public organization. Working on one of her international projects, she met her love - Wim, a guy from Belgium. She succeeded to visit his country only when Ukraine obtained visa-free regime and Marina shared with OUTLOOK her observations about how the Belgians live, what they eat for breakfast and how they relax.
Iceland through the eyes of Sofiya Andrushchenko
Iceland is a ‘country of ice and fire’, ‘country of thousand rivers and lakes’, countless waterfalls and geysers. There, like in a fairy tale, again and again, you feel like pinching yourself to check if you are dreaming or does it all really exist…
We were there: Morocco - a wonderful country
Local open-air markets start working in the evenings. No house can avoid insects. Inhabitants almost learned how to be friends with snakes. On top of it, imagine, they do not dream of the sea! The Ukrainian SMM expert Anna Funt, who spent an unforgettable vacation there, shared with us her impressions about all the subtleties of the Kingdom of Morocco.
Several facets of a multi-faceted Boston
Impressions of this city depend much on what you have visited before being introduced to it. After Los Angeles it may seem very business-like and culturally rich, after New York – provincial and old-fashioned somehow. In any case, it has a bright and memorable face of a gentleman from Massachusetts.
Jaipur. Pink city
Someone compares Jaipur with lace tablecloth; others with a box of pink marshmallows; and some admirers claim this is a hive densely inhabited by bees. However, everyone agrees on one thing: there is the wonderful air full of freedom which cannot be found in Europe. It fills the lungs and breathing it a traveller loses count of hours and even centuries.
VIDEO. Bethlehem: perfect holiness
On this great holiday for all Christians of the Orthodox rite, we want to present you a video about the holy places of Palestine, namely the city of Bethlehem.
VIDEO: Vanilla, pistachio... orchid
With the assistance of the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Ukraine we visited Damascus and enjoyed very interesting place. Watch!
Indian village Kodhini: the unraveled mystery of twins
In the world there is an unusual place where the biggest number of twins are born. Although at first glance it looks like a mystical coincidence, statistics makes you believe in miracles. The Indian state of Kerala can boast of a village where unusual things happen. Kodhini is the place with more twins than anywhere else in the world. Actually, there is almost no explanation for this.
Foot walk around Aachen
To visit three countries over one day – it is possible if you are in Aachen. Situated amid Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, small student town took in features of medieval culture that reflected in its astonishing architecture. Yelena Buravtsova visited the town for it to win her heart with its off-beat monuments, streets paved with stone blocks, cozy cafés, one of a kind printed spice cake, museums and spectacular races.
Chan Chan. Peru city from clay
Experienced travelers tell that one could watch the ruins of ancient settlements in the Andes during several months, moving from one region to another. Particularly, the richest one in archaeological complexes of is the western coast of the Southern continent. A long time ago, some of them, such as Machu Picchu, have become popular with tourists, others are just beginning to open their doors to curious people.
World ghettos: Little Italy a la New York
When moving to a new country, more often than not people tend to get settled nearby emigrants like themselves. It is pretty convenient: accommodation isn’t expensive, job can be found right on the location and there is no need to study a new language – everyone around understands you. This is how national ghettos appear.
Sightseeing in the Asian part of Istanbul
Judging by the reviews of the majority of tourists who visited Istanbul, many of them did not reach Asian part of the main Turkish metropolis, or did not have a proper walk there. The best case, they just saw SabihaGökçen International Airport and ferry docks, a destination of leisure cruses from Europe, where on the way one can feed with bread seagulls swooping overhead.
We were there: Prague
Prague... It is romantic, decadent, sad and cheerful, sublime and spiritual, reflected in the flapping wings of well-fed seagulls on the Charles Bridge, in the mirror pools of Vltava River... Prague is a very attractive and slightly strange European city. Creative copywriter Masha Goldman once spent several days there and told us about Prague charms.
Borders cannot make harm: The most famous enclaves of the world
Today OUTLOOK travels along the cities and countries that are considered as the most interesting from the point of view of geography and administrative management. Moreover, they are enclaves as they are located within the territories of other states.
Nan Madol: A City over an Abyss
Only an abandoned artificial archipelago with traces of extinct civilizations can better than a deserted island! Cadent splash of oars that plows blue dreams of the Pacific Ocean quells drumroll of ecstasy in your temples while preparing will and mind to the meeting with the greatest mystery of Micronesia. Nan Madol lies empty for more than one hundred years...
Karakol. What is worth to know
Nature and heritage are above and beyond temporary drawbacks in infrastructure and services of Kyrgyzstan, which in terms of tourism is approaching to Georgia and Armenia. Let's consider this through the example of the cosy city of Karakol.
Закрыть
Outlook facebook page