Leather trade and tanning traditions persist in Mosul despite challenges

MOSUL — In Mosul, tanners avoid handling deer hides, prized for their quality and rarity, due to their association with occult practices. “Traders consider it ‘unacceptable’ to deal in deer leather,” said local tanner Saleh Al-Abbo, explaining that these hides are avoided because “it’s proven that they’re used in works of magic and sorcery.”

Despite the decline in trade, remnants of Mosul’s leather industry remain visible in Khan Al-Saqqalin, located in the historic Bab Al-Saray market on Mosul’s western side. While the exodus of saddle makers and shoemakers has impacted the market, Al-Abbo continues to supply local factories with goat hides for shoemaking, cow hides for leather goods, and sheep hides for crafting jackets.

“These jackets,” he noted, “only improve in softness and quality the more they are worn.” After his shops in Khan Al-Saqqalin were damaged during the 2017 conflict, when the city was being liberated from Islamic State militants, Al-Abbo relocated his operations to his home.

Khan Al-Saqqalin, once a thriving hub for leather artisans, has been at the heart of Mosul’s leather trade for over two centuries. Originally built as a rectangular structure with a courtyard, it housed around 50 rooms for families engaged in leather dyeing and shoe polishing. Reconstructed in the 1950s, it remained a focal point for leather production and sales until recent years.

Al-Abbo described the traditional tanning process, beginning with the application of arsenic to remove hair from hides, followed by treatments with sulfuric acid and disinfectants. “Then comes the tanning itself,” he explained, before hides are refined and dyed. Chrome, a green-colored compound, is used to strengthen the leather. “Chrome not only reinforces the leather but also gives it added durability,” he said. While deer hide was once highly valued, its use has waned due to superstitions surrounding its purpose.

Starting his career in leather tanning alongside his father in 1957, Al-Abbo recalled the trade’s former reach beyond Mosul. “We used to source hides from Syria and Baghdad and even exported processed leather to the capital after dyeing and finishing it,” he said, reminiscing about a time when “business was reciprocal and trade thrived.” Despite the upheavals of war, Al-Abbo remains dedicated to preserving Mosul’s leather industry.

The city’s leather trade began its decline around 2010, driven by an influx of imported goods and a dwindling number of skilled artisans in saddle and shoemaking. Still, Al-Abbo continues to uphold this craft, ensuring that Mosul’s rich heritage in leather production endures.