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Nico Avelardi

Moroccan tanneries are known for their quality and craft, and nowhere is the deep-rooted heritage of leatherwork better experienced than in the Red City. Within the bustling Medina, tanners, dyers and merchants ply their trade, having honoured the same techniques for centuries. For our Jul/Aug 2020 photo story, photographer Nico Avelardi captured this dyer, wearing rubber galoshes and gloves, pulling a hide from a vat of green dye in Marrakech’s tannery. Read the article.

Handmade leather shoes on display in one of the stalls in the souk. Footwear is crafted to a high standard using a wide variety of skins and colour finishing.

A colourful display of expertly crafted Moroccan slippers for sale in the famous slipper souk of Marrakech. The area is part of the wider leather souk and is entirely dedicated to slippers.

Tanned hides are crafted into a variety of finished goods. Satchels come in a wide range of sizes, styles and finishes. Merchants offer an endless choice of local craftsmanship in the souks, and leather bags can even be made to a customer’s requirements.

One of the main lanes of the souks. The bustling activity, the many products on sale, the local characters and the rays of light falling through the sun covers make it a fascinating place to explore, tapping into all the senses.

Daily life in the souk of Marrakech. A merchant awaits custom outside his shop, contemplating life passing by. The early hours of the morning are when the souk is at its most enjoyable, free from hordes of shoppers browsing for their next purchase.

A stack of babouche slippers in the making. The crafted leather upper section is stretched on the specific mould before being joined to the lower section. A variety of soles, according to the model’s specification, can then be attached.

Inner soles are drawn on the hide using a cardboard template, according to the model being made. They’re then glued to a thicker leather sheet for added comfort. They’ll then be cut out, ready for the next step in the assembly.

A highly skilled artisan in his workshop making traditional Moroccan shoes. Transforming the hides into finished products requires an intensive crafting process that’s complicated in technique and rich in tradition. It’s been passed down through generations of workers.

Second-hand wooden moulds for sale in a street market in the leather artisans’ quarter of the medina. They come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the required model of traditional shoes or slippers to be crafted.