Chouara Tannery

The smell announces the tannery before you see it — an honest stench of pigeon droppings, cow urine, and the chemical reality of turning animal hides into Moroccan leather. Take the mint they offer at the entrance. You'll need it. The Chouara tannery has operated since the 11th century, and the methods haven't changed. Hides soak in vats of quicklime to remove hair, then move to pits of pigeon excrement (the ammonia softens the leather), and finally to the dye baths — saffron yellow, poppy red, indigo blue, mint green. The view is from above, from the terraces of the surrounding leather shops. Workers stand thigh-deep in the vats, moving hides by hand. The geometry of the circular pits, the colours bleeding into each other, the medieval labour — it's Morocco's most photographed industrial site. The leather shops expect you to buy; there's no entrance fee otherwise. Best time: Morning (less smell, better light on the vats) Allow: 30-45 minutes Combine with: Bou Inania Medersa and Al-Qarawiyyin