To wander the streets of Morocco is to see where things come from.
In the Old City (medina) of Fes, a 1,000-year-old tannery still uses urine, excrement, and quicklime to soften skins. Then they are dyed in dazzling vats:
Though colorful from afar, it’s grueling work up close:
Even before all this happens, the skins have to be moved from place to place:
This is how we get leather jackets:
What about scarfs and carpets? First the wool has to be dyed:
Then woven:
And that’s to say nothing of things we usually consider crafts:
This man is using one hand to spin a lathe, the other hand to hold the wood, and his foot to hold a knife!
Behind everyday items lie generations of talent and experience, and hours of hard work.
