The tanneries in Fes

We visited the tanneries on a Friday so it wasn't as busy, it had also just rained so wasn't as smelly! The skins are first dipped in ammonia (from pigeon poo) to get rid of any flesh or wool and to bleach it white. Then they are thrown into a mixture containing animal urine and the colouring. Red is made from poppies, brown from henna, green from wild mint and yellow from saffron. Because saffron is so expensive it is not put into vats but coloured by hand on the top of the rooves so they don't waste any dye. After they skins have been colour for about a week they're taken out and dried.