Tanneries de Fes

The tanneries have coloured Fes's medina for centuries, their honeycomb vats shifting through saffron, poppy and indigo with the seasons.

From the terraces of the surrounding leather shops, you look down on one of the most visually arresting working crafts in the world — men treading hides through pigment pools in a scene that has changed little across generations. The smell of the pits is sharp and real, a reminder that this is a living trade, not a performance staged for visitors.