Medina of Fès
The Chouara Tannery is one of the oldest tanneries in the world. It is in the middle of the medina of Fès and yet it is impossible to find. The best way to find this place to go up one of the shops which surround the tannery itself. If you can’t find them, as long as you are in the vicinity, they will surely find you. You may need to give the staff some dirhams to let you go up to their roof deck to see the tannery. They will give you a good overview of what the tannery is all about and of course ask you if you are interested to buy any of their stuff. I honestly don’t know how much these things should cost and it is maddening to be asked back how much am I willing to pay for them when I asked first.
Minaret in the Medina of Fès
In the meantime, I managed to find a good enough spot which allows me to see the tannery itself as well as the surrounding area. What is nice is that most of the shops here have more or less the same height so you won’t be obstructed from seeing the tannery. What’s good is that it almost feels like an amphitheater where the buildings behind are higher which gives more depth to the scenery. Beyond the medina you can also see nearby hills including one which has some medieval tombs. I didn’t know about this and I was glad that I came here since I would now know to go there. I was told there is a shortcut through the medina to get to the tombs I was told that I would never find it. I’ll take that as a challenge.
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