Hides of cows, sheep, goats, and camels are processed by first soaking it in the white liquids. This liquid is made from a mixture of substances, including – wait for it – cow urine and pigeon poo. This explains why the tannery smells so bad! But these pongy ingredients play a vital role in softening the leather. This process takes two to three days and prepares the hides to readily absorb the dyes. They are then soaked in the dyeing solutions, which use natural colorants such as poppy for red, indigo for blue, and henna for orange. The men stand thigh-high in the dye and agitate the hides like human washing machines.
