PLACE SEFFARINE AND CHOUARA TANNERS DISTRICT
Lively square near the Fès district, home to leather goods stores of all kinds, some with terraces
This lively square, where copper is worked, is the gateway to the tanners' district. Around the square, you'll find stores selling all kinds of leather goods, some of them with beautiful bags and jackets. We recommend climbing onto the terrace of one of the street's stores to watch the tanners at work. The tannery in the Chouara district, located close to the Oued Fès water supply, has been operating here since the Middle Ages. The sight is breathtaking, with multiple vats of natural colors and tanners in the water perpetuating this tradition for generations. Nearby, you're sure to be surprised by the powerful smell. The guides call it, not without a sense of humor, "Caca Chanel", as the white vats contain not only quicklime used to separate wool and hair from the skin, but also pigeon droppings (hence the unbearable smell) and salt to soften it. Don't hesitate to put a sprig of mint under your nose to alleviate the smell and continue your visit undisturbed. Tanners work with all kinds of hides, from beef to sheep, goat and camel, reputed to be of the highest quality. It's hard not to think about the extremely difficult working conditions of the tanners of yesteryear, and to donate a few coins to the workers' cooperative.
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