Marrakech tanneries: how to visit without getting scammed

Updated on October 1, 2026

The Marrakech tanneries occupy the Bab Debbagh district, in the north-east of the medina, against the city walls. The gate's name means "tanners' gate": tanneries have worked here since the Almoravid period, in the 12th century, set up to draw water from the Oued Issil, which runs along the east side of the medina. The district still has around fifteen working tanneries, compared with several dozen at the start of the 20th century. You see round pits filled with baths of lime and water, where goat, sheep or camel hides are soaked, dehaired, tanned and then left to dry. The sight is striking, and so is the smell. But the district is best known for its touts: many visitors arrive led by a self-appointed "guide" and leave after a compulsory stop in a leather shop. With a few precautions, the visit goes without any unpleasant surprises.

Highlights

The tanning pits

Hides go through several stages: soaking and desalting, liming to remove the hair, tanning with bark and plant extracts, then air-drying on the nearby rooftops. Unlike the tanneries of Fez, those of Marrakech mainly show raw leather: most of the dyeing is done elsewhere.

The tanners at work

In the morning, carts bring in the raw hides and the tanners tread and turn them in the pits. It is hard, physical work. Always ask before photographing a worker up close.

The Bab Debbagh gate

Built around 1126, when the Almoravid emir Ali ibn Yusuf had the city's first walls raised, the gate has a bent passage that turns five times, through two open-air courtyards and a vaulted chamber. The central part dates back to the original Almoravid gate; the courtyards were added by the Almohads.

The classic scam, and how to avoid it

In the souks or near Jemaa el-Fna square, a stranger tells you it is "the last day of the Berber festival", that the tanneries are about to close, or that you are going the wrong way. He then takes you to the pits, hands you a sprig of mint, gives a rushed tour and leads you into a leather shop that pays him a commission, before demanding a large tip, sometimes 200 MAD according to travellers' accounts. This "festival" does not exist: decline politely and carry on.

Infos pratiques

Tips

Come on your own, without following anyone. Access to the tanneries is free; a guardian at the entrance often offers a tour: a tip of 10 to 20 MAD is customary, but no amount is compulsory (amounts checked in October 2026). Agree on the price and length before accepting a guide, and never feel obliged to buy in the shop you are taken to, even if access to its terrace was presented as free. Buy a bunch of mint in the souk before you set off to soften the smell, wear closed shoes and keep some change on you.

How to get there

Bab Debbagh district, in the north-east of the Marrakech medina. On foot: allow 20 to 25 minutes from Jemaa el-Fna square, crossing the souks towards the Ben Youssef Madrasa, then following rue de Bab Debbagh east to the gate; the largest cooperative, the Sidi Yacoub association, is down a lane on the south side of the street, just before the gate. By taxi: ask for Bab Debbagh, as the gate can be reached by car from outside the walls.