Two of the must-have experiences in Fes are to be entertained by the drama that is rug buying and to be olfactorily challenged witnessing the tanning of hides for leather goods.
Our rug-buying education begins in this gorgeous converted 3-story dar. (a dar is a house that is not a riad because is does not fulfill one of the 5 requirements--this dar does not have a garden.) Note that our fellow travelers are awaiting the serving of the mint tea. One cannot purchase a rug (or bargain for one) until one has had mint tea!
There are an overwhelming array of colors, styles, and sizes.
Here are some more.
And more still.
These are stacked up outside the restrooms on the third floor.
Even the open courtyard is covered with rugs!
We are shown the authentication label.
Then the real drama begins. They layer rug after rug, and you must tell them yes or no--there is no maybe. It is amazing how quickly they narrow down your likes and dislikes. The price ended our negotiations before they started. (Even with the advanced knowledge that you can offer as little as 25-30% of the asking price in Fes and not insult the seller put these gorgeous handmade rugs far out of our price range.) Our group did end up purchasing 5 rugs that day, so I'm sure it was well worth our merchant's time and efforts.
We then then move on to the tannery. We view the process from the roof of the shop with our gregarious guide. If you look closely in the lower right-hand corner of the photo, you will see mint leaves. The process is quite toxic, as the hides need to soak in lye and pigeon poo before being dyed. The mint is remarkably effective in masking the intense odor.
It is mind-boggling that this tannery exists in the middle of the medina. Most are located well outside populated areas.
These are the vats of dye. The hides are turned by hand several times a day to ensure even saturation. They are like Easter eggs, the longer they soak, the more intense the color.
I know there is olfactory fatigue, but I honestly do not know how one can work in that stench day after day.
These are the treated hides drying in the sun.
In this photo you can see the lye-poo vats on the left.
In the distance you can see the dyed hides (in this case, orange) drying on lines in the sun against the medina walls.
The finished product, ready to go home with you!
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