The first capital of the Saadian dynasty (1554-1660), the first city in Morocco to have a printing press in 1865, Taroudant has kept from its past the art of working leather according to the oldest recipes. The president of the Charaf association of dar edbagh, Jilali Guouar, states that the tannery of Taroudant employs between 60 and 70 people, including the owners of the 40 leather goods shops. The current tannery, built 20 years ago, replaced the old one, which had become too dilapidated. It is managed by the town hall. At the Taroudant tannery, which is accessed via Bab Targhount, one of the seven gates that pierce the eight-kilometre-long rampart, "there is no machine, everything is done by the strength of the arms," says Aït Benjeloune Abdelsalem, 59, 40 of which were spent tanning skins. Currently holding a leather goods shop within the very enclosure of the tannery, the man explains: "We buy the skins for between 10 and 20 DH each. First, we wash it with soap, then we soak it in coarse salt for two days, then we rinse it with water." Following this step, alum stone is crushed in a large mortar using a large stick (it would seem that the sound produced during the crushing is at the origin of the famous deqqa marrakchia). The flour thus obtained is spread on the skin, which is left to dry in the sun for two days or more until completely dry. At this stage of tanning, there are two ways to proceed. If an individual has entrusted a sheepskin to the tanner to make a prayer rug, the wool is carefully combed and prepared for two months, then the skin is spread out in the sun. The owner of the skin will pay between 50 and 70 DH to get it back. If the skin is intended for the production of tanned leather, the wool is brushed then shaved and sold to make thread or will be used for stuffing cushions or poufs. The skin, once rid of the marine wool in a basin of water for two days, then in a lime basin which serves to remove what remains of the wool, is immersed in a basin of pigeon droppings to rid it of lime residues. The skin will subsequently be immersed in bran for two days then in a basin of mimosa bark for six days. Finally, the dehairing is carried out using a curved blade which serves to rid the skin of subcutaneous tissues. Before being sold to leather artisans, the skin is left to dry in the sun, but regularly moistened so that it keeps its plasticity. The price of a skin varies between 100 and 120 DH. This will be used for the manufacture of babouches, bags, belts, etc. Products that do not benefit from a promotion commensurate with this know-how, say Jilali Guouar and Aït Benjeloune Abdelsalem. But Taroudant hosted, from November 15 to 18, the first fair for the promotion of the hinterlands. Perhaps the solution will come from there.

Jilali Guouar, president of the association of tanners of Taroudant, attests that work is essential, such as paving the floor, connecting wastewater, building sheds... He also wishes that a skin market be opened, because, he says, the tanners get their supplies in Marrakech or Meknès, which increases costs.