What this image shows: Fez leather tanneries

You’re looking at the traditional leather tanneries inside the ancient medina of Fez, Morocco. The honeycomb basins are
tanning and dyeing pits where animal hides are cleaned, softened, and colored using age-old methods. Dark pits often contain natural dyes derived from plants and minerals, while pale pits are used for washing, liming, or softening.

Workers move hides from one pit to another with long poles and by hand. Typical steps include soaking to remove hair and fat, treating to make the hide flexible, and immersing it in pigments to achieve colors such as ochre, red, brown, and black. Sunlight finishes the process by drying the newly dyed leather on surrounding rooftops and terraces.

Key vocabulary for learners: medina (old city), tannery (place where leather is processed), dye vat (basin filled with color), hide (animal skin), and artisan (skilled craftsperson).

Cultural note: these tanneries are a famous craft center and a vivid example of manual, small-scale production that has shaped local trade for centuries.