سوق الصباغين souk sabaghine

The air in Souk Sabaghine holds a heavy, metallic scent from the vats that define this street. Large, circular basins line the center of the path, stained deep indigo, saffron yellow, and poppy red from decades of soaking wool and silk. Dyers stand over the liquid, hauling heavy, sodden skeins onto wooden poles to dry in the sun overhead. In the fourteenth century, these craftsmen held a guild monopoly here, controlling the vibrant colors that flowed through the entire city.