A visit to a smelly tannery in Fes, Morocco
Tannery in Fes, Morocco
One of the more interesting – yet challenging – aspects of our tour of the city of Fes in Morocco was a visit to the tannery. I had never seen a tannery in operation before and we were warned about the smell before our arrival. It is truly a memorable experience. What amazes me is that this tannery was allowed to operate within metres of many homes and shops. I guess that the locals either get used to the smell, or reluctantly accept that they cannot change anything and put up with it.
Our views of the tannery in action were from a balcony of a leather shop overlooking the works. The climb up to the top of this series of homes and shops was narrow and steep, but we were rewarded with good views of the tannery as shown in today’s photos. I have also included below a photo of some of the thousands of leather items for sale, the end product of the tannery workers.
Tannery in Fes, Morocco
Tannery in Fes, Morocco
Shop near the tannery in Fes, Morocco
Views of Fes, Morocco
View of Fes, Morocco
During our visit to Fes in Morocco we had the opportunity to take stairs to the top of a building to see the view. Today I share some of the photos taken on that occasion.
View of Fes, Morocco
View of Fes, Morocco
Wedding chairs in Fes, Morocco
Wedding chairs, Fes, Morocco
During our wanderings through the city of Fes in Morocco we briefly passed through a small factory and display shop selling the elaborate chairs the local people use during a wedding ceremony. These beautiful chairs are used to transport the bride and bridegroom to the ceremony.
Of course, there is much more to a Moroccan wedding than parading the happy couple through the streets to the ceremony. There are many more aspects of the preparations for the wedding, the amazing clothing worn, the food and the celebrations which can last many hours and sometimes even days. Unfortunately we were not privileged to see a wedding during our brief stay.
Wedding chairs, Fes, Morocco
On the carpet in Fes, Morocco
Carpet shop in Fes, Morocco
One of the beautiful shops we visited in Fes, Morocco was a carpet outlet. It was quite an extensive building with several stories, each level opening up to large rooms filled with carpets for sale. Most of the carpets were huge – up to 4 x 3 metres. The prices were also large, especially if one had to consider the extra cost of shipping one to Australia. Today I show a collection of photos of some of the carpets for sale or on display.
Carpet shop in Fes, Morocco
Carpet shop in Fes, Morocco
Carpet shop in Fes, Morocco
Carpet shop in Fes, Morocco
Fascinating Fes
Shop in Fes, Morocco
On our wanderings through the medina of Fes in Morocco we saw many interesting shops and many fascinating things for sale. The range of foods was especially amazing. Some shops specialised, like the one shown above which stocked mainly dates and nuts, all beautifully arranged in bowls. We actually bought a few dates and enjoyed them along the way, especially on our bus trips and later on the train. In fact, we still had a handful left when we arrived home in Australia and were surprised we were able to bring them into the country; we had declared them at the airport.
The photos below show several other shops in Fes.
Shop in Fes, Morocco
Shop in Fes, Morocco