Do you know what a tannery is?
Tanning is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed.
Tanning hide into leather involves a process which permanently alters the protein structure of skin, making it more durable and less susceptible to decomposition, and also possibly coloring it.
Before tanning, the skins are dehaired, degreased, desalted and soaked in water over a period of six hours to two days. Historically this process was considered a noxious or "odoriferous trade" and relegated to the outskirts of town.
source
Exactly there, at the outskirts of Chania (a town at the west side of Crete) I have found this complex of buildings that used to host up to 80 small tanneries! The name of this neighborhood is "Tabakaria" and I visited it at the peak of its decaying glory!
They are all stone built at the early 19th century and they were fully operational until World War II. When I took those pictures there were a couple tanneries still in business but the the general feeling was abandonment.
I haven't been there lately but I know that things are changing rapidly. When you have beautiful unused buildings, practically on the sea, next to one of the most touristic Greek towns, it doesn't take long before the long hands of touristic development grabs it all :)
So if you stop by, you'll see a different scenery but I wanted to share those pictures as a document of the past!
Thank you for reading and if you want to know more about me you can check out my introduction post.
Commenting, upvoting and rebloging are highly appreciated!
Oh how beautiful! I love these old buildings - especially sitting along the waters edge - but half the allure is the history! 80 tanneries? Wow. I would love to learn how to tan, the old fashioned way.
Thank you @buckaroobaby!
From what I read tanneries was a very smelly and unpleasant business :)
Like so many generational artisanal skills that became commercial. So sad
Very nice serie! I want to go travel now!
Thank you for stopping by!
Excellent framing in these shots. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your nice words :)
Great shots, I can "Feel" the texture of this place. I had my hide tanned a few times growing up :)
Thank you @darthmantis, it is a place that can awake many kind of feelings!
All those intricate details and textures… well depicted in your photographs.
Beautiful photos @fotostef 😊
Thank you very much @littlebee4 :)
Thanks for the tannery tip.
The photos you have taken are spectacular. At the same time it makes me nostalgic that with the passage of time these great buildings are forgotten.
Thanks for such a nice and impeccable post.
Thank you very much for stopping by and your supportive comment!
Shame to see derelict manufacturing buildings. This could have been converted into flats or something like that. And I understand it stood abandoned for a good 80 years now... shame.
Yes, they were abandoned for many decades. The last couple of years they have started to convert them. When I go again I'll let you know what has happened with them!
It's beautiful my friend. Wish I could go overseas the places are very beautiful.
Thank you @tigermom :)
I wish you'll be able to do all the traveling you desire!