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Fez medina and Chouara Tannery
Chouara Tannery · Fes el-Bali, Fez, Morocco
Coloured dye vats in use since the 11th century, in the same city as the world's oldest university, founded in 859 and still teaching.
Antes de ir · Know before you go
- The strong smell of the tannery is normal — don't complain loudly
- non-Muslims may not enter the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque
- haggle moderately for leather goods, as insulting offers are considered rude.
Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.
Stories & people
Historias y personajes
Historia
A thousand-year-old university founded by a woman
Fatima al-Fihri was born around 800 in Kairouan in present-day Tunisia and moved to Fez with her family early in the Idrisid dynasty. With her family's wealth she bought a plot of land in the city centre at a high price, and on the first day of Ramadan in the year 245 of the Islamic calendar (859) she laid the foundations of the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque. The mosque later grew into a teaching institution and in 1963 became the modern University of al-Qarawiyyin, regarded as the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in the world.
Fuente: Wikipedia: Fatima al-Fihri; Wikipedia: University of al-Qarawiyyin
Culture
Cultura y costumbres
Contexto cultural
The Chouara Tannery has been in use since the 11th century: its stone vats hold natural dyes made from saffron, poppy and mint, and craftsmen tread the hides barefoot in the vats, a process unchanged for a thousand years. In the same city, the University of al-Qarawiyyin was founded by Fatima al-Fihri in 859 and is recognised by Guinness as the world's oldest university still operating. Fes el-Bali is one of the largest and best-preserved old Arab cities in the world.
Costumbres locales
- Fez is Morocco's capital of religion and crafts, where craftsmen follow their fathers' trades
- leather-shop terraces are the traditional place to view the tannery, and shopkeepers hand out sprigs of mint.
Religión y creencias
- Non-Muslims may not enter the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and can only admire it from the door
- the medina has many mosques, so give way at prayer times. Fez has a strong religious atmosphere, so dress conservatively.
Etiquette
Normas y tabúes
Normas que se aplican aquí
Morocco: don't proselytise
- Respect the local Islamic faith
- Trying to convert Muslims to another religion or handing out missionary material
- Publicly criticising Islam (including online)
Proselytising can mean a fine or up to 3 years in prison; publicly criticising Islam can mean up to 2 years.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice
Morocco: avoid public displays of affection
- Show restraint near religious sites and in tourist areas
- Kissing or hugging in public
It causes offence; same-sex intimacy can be prosecuted in Morocco.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice
Morocco: during Ramadan, don't eat or drink in public by day
- Check opening hours during Ramadan
- Dress according to local custom
- Eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum or swearing in public during the day
It offends people who are fasting.
Verificado el 19 oct 2026Fuente: GOV.UK: Morocco travel advice
No lo haga DON'T
- The strong smell of the tannery is normal — don't complain loudly
- non-Muslims may not enter the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque
- haggle moderately for leather goods, as insulting offers are considered rude.
Lo que aprecian los locales DO
- Fez craftsmen are extremely proud of their skills and happy to demonstrate tanning
- medina residents keep up traditional hospitality towards outsiders.
Plan your visit
Información práctica
Consejos de viaje
- Viewing terraces usually provide mint leaves to hold to your nose
- morning is the best time for photos, when the vats are most colourful. You're not obliged to buy from the terrace leather shops, but buying something is polite. The medina's lanes are a labyrinth, so hire a licensed guide.
Eat nearby
Qué comer cerca
Imprescindible
- Tagine
- Couscous
- Pastilla (pigeon pie)
Tagine, couscous (a Friday tradition), pastilla (sweet-and-savoury pigeon pie), harira soup, msemen (layered flatbread) with cheese and honey
| Dónde comer | Small places around Bab Boujloud / Talaa Kebira, snack stalls in the old-town souks |
|---|---|
| Normas en la mesa | Most old-town mosques are closed to non-Muslims — don't eat, drink or be loud at their doors |
| Precio orientativo por persona | MAD 50–110 ≈ CNY 35–78 |
| Consejos | The old town is a maze and easy to get lost in — go with a guide or an offline map; pastilla is sweet and savoury, so try a small portion first. |
Los precios son orientativos a octubre de 2026, no presupuestos exactos; en zonas con tipos de cambio muy variables solo se da un intervalo aproximado en yuanes.
le vrai Mister Jack · CC BY-SA 2.0
Photos
Fotos
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just_a_cheeseburger · CC BY 2.0
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Uwe Brodrecht · CC BY-SA 2.0
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