“Maroquin” is a word from the 15th century that was used to describe Moroccan leather. “Maroquinerie” now represents the Moroccan leather business. That shows how ancient the Moroccan leather-making tradition is, majorly in the ancient city of Fez, where we can still see leather tanneries along with their foul & colorful tanks.
Leatherwork is a tradition that exists in most Moroccan cities, including Fez, Tangiers, Marrakech, Tetouan, Rabat, and Meknes. About half of the leather production comes from there. The art has been passed down for centuries to date. There are several neighborhoods with tanners at work with those colorful tanks in Marrakech and Fez. These places are quite a sight to see.
Moroccan leatherworkers fashion a lot of products from the tanned hides and skins of cows, sheep, and goats, including:
- Pointy or round embroidered slippers for ladies,
- Camel and horse saddles,
- Color
- Fully embroidered leather bags and dagger cases,
- Wallets, ottomans, and hats, loved by tourists and visitors.
The leather industry has become a significant revenue source as it ranks top in the nation’s export items apart from the Moroccan carpet. Leatherwork is an essential aspect of Morocco’s history and trade, with Marrakech remaining the largest southern center for the processing and marketing of wool and skins. That explains its name, which derives from the word “maroquin.”
Leather production is essentially made up of three aspects – tanning, dying, and leatherwork. We can observe these activities and the entire leather production process in Souk. Every region and city has its specialty. The coloured embroideries are the pride of Ocher.
Moroccan leather is used to produce several items, including wallets, belts, bags, ottomans, and the famous slippers that give that unique serene look to a Moroccan. Men’s slippers usually come in one color, while women’s are colorfully embroidered. Several shops in Souk stock selections of leather items in various colors.