The Sidi Moussa Tannery or Guerniz Tannery is a historic tanning facility located in the heart of Fes el-Bali, the historic medina of Fez, Morocco. The tannery is located in the Guerniz neighbourhood, near the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Nejjarine Museum.
Local tradition holds that the Sidi Moussa Tannery is the oldest in the city and that, along with the Chouara Tannery further east, it dates from the city's foundation by Idris II (beginning of the 9th century). [1] [2] : 296 The Rawd al-Qirtas , a historical chronicle, makes more definitive reference to the Sidi Moussa Tannery's existence in the early 12th century. [1] : 178 The tanneries are built on the site of water source (called 'Ayn ad-Debbaghin) that emerges at this location. [1]
Historical sources show that tanneries were a major industry even in the city's early history and were tied to a large part of its economy. The products of the city's tanneries were valued enough that they were exported all the way to Baghdad. Al-Jazna'i claims that the Almohads (late 12th to early 13th century) counted a total of 86 tanning workshops in the city, while a later source claims that there were around a hundred in the Marinid period (late 13th to 15th centuries). [1] Historically, the Sidi Moussa Tannery specialized in treating cow skins. [2] : 323
The city's tanneries continued to be expanded or modified on several occasions even into modern times. [1] In recent years the tanneries of the city have undergone restorations alongside efforts to reduce the amount of pollution they generate within the medina. Physical and structural restorations of the Sidi Moussa Tannery were completed in 2015. [3] As part of this restoration effort, a new plan was also drawn up to lessen the most polluting activities at the tannery by having some steps of the tanning process take place at new facilities outside the old city instead. This move was scheduled to be completed by the end 2018. [4]
Fes el Bali is the oldest walled part of Fez, the second largest city of Morocco. Fes el Bali was founded as the capital of the Idrisid dynasty between 789 and 808 AD. UNESCO listed Fes el Bali, along with Fes Jdid, as a World Heritage Site in 1981 under the name Medina of Fez. The World Heritage Site includes Fes el Bali's urban fabric and walls as well as a buffer zone outside of the walls that is intended to preserve the visual integrity of the location. Fes el Bali is, along with Fes Jdid and the French-created Ville Nouvelle or “New Town”, one of the three main districts in Fez.
The Zawiya of Moulay Idris II is a zawiya in Fez, Morocco. It contains the tomb of Idris II, who ruled Morocco from 807 to 828 and is considered the main founder of the city of Fez. It is located in the heart of Fes el-Bali, the UNESCO-listed old medina of Fez, and is considered one of the holiest shrines in Morocco. The current building experienced a major reconstruction under Moulay Ismail in the early 18th century which gave the sanctuary its overall current form, including the minaret and the mausoleum chamber with its large pyramidal roof.
The Marinid Tombs or Merenid Tombs are a set of ruined monumental tombs on a hill above and north of Fes al-Bali, the old city of Fez, Morocco. They were originally a royal necropolis for the Marinid dynasty which ruled over Morocco in the 13th to 15th centuries. Today, they are a popular lookout point over the historic city.
Sidi Moussa may refer to:
Fes or Fez is a city in northern inland Morocco and the capital of the Fez-Meknes administrative region. It is one of the largest cities in Morocco, with a population of 1.256 million, according to the 2024 census. Located to the northwest of the Atlas Mountains, it is surrounded by hills and the old city is centered around the Fez River flowing from west to east. Fez has been called the "Mecca of the West" and the "Athens of Africa". It is also considered the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco.
Chouara Tannery is one of the three tanneries in the city of Fez, Morocco. It is the largest tannery in the city and one of the oldest. It is located in Fes el Bali, the oldest medina quarter of the city, near the Saffarin Madrasa along the Oued Fes. Since the inception of the city, the tanning industry has been continually operating in the same fashion as it did in the early centuries. Today, the tanning industry in the city is considered one of the main tourist attractions. The tanneries are packed with round stone vessels filled with dye or white liquids for softening the hides. The leather goods produced in the tanneries are exported around the world.
The Mosque of the Andalusians or Al-Andalusiyyin Mosque, sometimes also called the Andalusian Mosque, is a major historic mosque in Fes el Bali, the old medina quarter of Fez, Morocco. The mosque was founded in 859–860, making it one of the oldest mosques in Morocco. It is located at the heart of a district which was historically associated with Andalusi immigrants, from which it takes its name. It has been renovated and expanded several times since then. Today, it is one of the relatively few remaining Idrisid-era establishments and one of the main landmarks of the city.
The Fortifications of Fez comprise a complex circuit of ramparts and gates surrounding Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, two urban agglomerations that compose the old "medina" of Fes, Morocco. They also include a number of kasbahs (citadels) and forts which were built both to protect and to control the city. These fortifications have been built up over many centuries and the extensive remnants today date from many different periods.
The architecture of Fez, Morocco, reflects the wider trends of Moroccan architecture dating from the city's foundation in the late 8th century and up to modern times. The old city (medina) of Fes, consisting of Fes el-Bali and Fes el-Jdid, is notable for being an exceptionally well-preserved medieval North African city and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A large number of historic monuments from different periods still exist in it today, including mosques, madrasas, synagogues, hammams (bathhouses), souqs (markets), funduqs (caravanserais), defensive walls, city gates, historic houses, and palaces.
Place Bou Jeloud, also known as Place Pacha el-Baghdadi, is a large public square in Fes, Morocco, located west of Bab Bou Jeloud gate.
The Maristan of Sidi Frej or Maristan of Fez was a historic maristan in Fez, Morocco. It was founded by the Marinids in the 13th century and functioned as a hospital and as a hospice for the destitute and mentally ill up until the 20th century. It was one of the most famous and important maristans in Morocco and may have influenced similar institutions in the region at the time.
The Funduq al-Tetwaniyyin, also known as the Funduq al-Staouniyine, is a historic funduq (caravanserai) in Fes el-Bali, the old city of Fes, Morocco.
The Oued Fes or Fez River is a river in Morocco. It is a tributary of the Sebou River and historically the main source of water for Morocco's second largest city, Fes, after which it is named.
The Funduq al-Shamma'in or Foundouk Chemmaïne is a medieval funduq in Fes, Morocco. It is also directly adjoined by another funduq structure, the Funduq al-Sbitriyyin. Together, the two form a combined architectural complex sometimes referred to as the Funduq Shamma'in-Sbitriyyin. Both are located side by side just west of the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque in the heart of the historic medina, Fes el-Bali.
The Zawiyaof Sidi Abdelkader al-Fassi, also known as the Zawiya al-Fassiya, is one of the most important historical zawiyas in Fes, Morocco. It is named after Sidi Abdelkader al-Fassi, a highly important 17th-century Muslim scholar, mufti, and Sufi saint of the city who is buried in the zawiya. The building is located in the Qalqliyin neighbourhood in the south of Fes el-Bali, the old medina of Fes. It was one of several zawiya sites in the city and across the country which were associated with the al-Fassiya tradition of Sufism.
Place Seffarine or Seffarine Square is a small square in the medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located on the south side of the Qarawiyyin Mosque, close to the Bou Khrareb River which runs through the heart of the medina. The square dates back to the Middle Ages but has also undergone renovations in modern times. It is adjoined by the Qarawiyyin's library to the northwest, by the Saffarin Madrasa to the east, and by the Saffarin Hammam (bathhouse) to the southwest. It is named after the coppersmiths who have had their workshops here for centuries.
The Kissariat al-Kifah or Kissaria (القيسارية) is the historic central bazaar of Fes el-Bali, the historic old city of Fez, Morocco. It is located between the Zawiya of Moulay Idris II and the Qarawiyyin Mosque.
Hammam Ben Abbad or Hammam Ibn Abbad is a historic hammam (bathhouse) in the medina of Fes, Morocco. It is located in the Kettanin neighbourhood south of the Zawiya of Moulay Idris, near the Funduq Kettanin. The hammam dates from the 14th century and was recently restored during a major rehabilitation program involving over two dozen other historic monuments in the city. Its name comes from a local Muslim saint who is associated with the building, and the waters of the hammam were believed to have healing properties. Entered from the north, the hammam has the usual series of rooms inherited from the Roman bathhouse model: an undressing room, a cold room (frigidarium), warm room (tepidarium), and a hot room (calderium). The hammam was part of the habous (endowment) of the Qarawiyyin Mosque.
The Mausoleum of Sidi Harazem or Marabout of Sidi Harazem is a funerary monument and shrine in Fez, Morocco. It is located in the Bab Ftouh Cemetery, one of the city's largest historic cemeteries. It contains the tomb of Sidi 'Ali ibn Harazem, a 12th-century Sufi mystic who died in 1164–65.
The History of Fez begins with its foundation by Idris I and Idris II at the end of the 8th century and the beginning of the 9th century CE. It initially consisted of two autonomous and competing settlements on opposing shores of what is now known as the Oued Fes. Initially inhabited by a largely Berber (Amazigh) population, successive waves of mainly Arab immigrants from Ifriqiya (Tunisia) and al-Andalus (Spain/Portugal) over time gave the nascent city an Arab character as well. After the downfall of the Idrisid dynasty, it was contested between different Zenata groups allied with either the Fatimid Caliphate or the Umayyad Caliphate of Cordoba. In the 11th century the Almoravid sultan Yusuf ibn Tashfin conquered the region and united its two settlements into what is today the Fes el-Bali quarter. Under the rule of the Almoravids and of the Almohads after them, despite losing the status of capital to Marrakesh, the city remained the economic and political center of northern Morocco and gained a reputation for religious scholarship and mercantile activity.
