- Address: Rue Abi Alaa Al Maârri, Fes
- Cost of visit: free of charge
Everyone who has ever visited the Moroccan city of Fez knows that in this city there is a huge variety of leather goods. Arriving on the local market , immediately catch the eye of numerous bags, purses and shoes. Therefore, everyone is interested in the question, where are these elegant items of leather goods manufactured? The place of processing of skins and the production of leather products are the dyes of Shuar.
Features more beautiful than Shuar
Krasilni Shuara can be called the main attraction of Fez . Walking through the markets of the city, in certain areas you begin to feel a pungent smell. This is to say that the leather cooperative is located nearby. Here, anyone can take you to places where animal skins are processed. The masters of the Shuar dyeing work only with halal skins, that is, with the skins of those animals whose meat is "approved" by the Koran. Therefore, in the markets you can find only those products, which were used in the production of goat, sheep, camel or cowhide.
The Chuarish dwellings in Morocco represent a large courtyard in which large clay vats of the 11th century are located. First in the yard on several asses they deliver the next batch of skins from the nearest slaughterhouses. Apprentices soak the skins in a solution of quicklime, after which they are cleansed of wool. Shaved wool stuffed ottomans - popular Moroccan souvenirs.
After cleaning, the skin is soaked in special drums in a solution of water and lime juice. Soaking can last several hours. To make the skin softer, it is treated with a chicken, dog or pigeon droppings. That's why in the dyers of Shuar in Morocco there is a fetid smell. If necessary, you can buy a bunch of mint, which somehow breaks this pungent smell.
Despite the fact that most tanneries have long used synthetic dyes, in the dyes of Shuar, the coloring of skins takes place solely with the help of natural ingredients. For this journeyman use the secrets of his grandfathers and great-grandfathers. According to ancient recipes, practically from any product it is possible to receive a qualitative dye:
- Saffron and peel of pomegranate gives the products a yellow color;
- paprika - red color;
- mint - green color;
- mimosa - brown color.
The sheep and goat skin are painted most quickly, and the camel is the longest. Recently, camel skins rarely get into the dyeing of Shuar, which is associated with an increasing demand for camel riding. After painting, the skins are hung on the walls or laid out on the roofs of buildings. After drying, the raw materials are sent to local workshops. Here, on the territory of the Chouara dye, there are shops where you can buy grandmothers (famous Moroccan shoes without a backdrop), bags and even leather jackets.
How to get there?
To get to the dyed Shuara is quite difficult, since their exact address is not specified anywhere. For 10-50 dirhams ($ 2-12), locals help you to go straight to the place. But if you want, you can manage yourself. To do this, you should move along one of the two parallel roads from the beautiful blue gates of Bab Bouloud. Approximately 800-900 meters ahead of you there will be the madrasah Al-Attarin, after which you should turn left and go for about 500 meters. Here, the dyes of Shuar begin, you can find out by the characteristic smell.
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