Tattooing In Moroccan Culture

Tattooing is one of the most ancient rites of the Moroccan culture, which dates way back to the pre-Islamic period. More exactly, it goes back to when Berbers were the only habitants of Morocco. Traditionally, tattooing was a custom among the women for ornamental purposes instead of jewelry, in order to make themselves more desirable and attractive with a subtle touch of eroticism. It would also be used as identification to their specific tribes or to symbolize their social status (married, widow etc…) For others, those tattoos were simply supposed to ward off bad luck (the evil eye), as they were bound to a set of pagan rituals of witchcraft and magic. These beliefs are still subject to customs in our country, especially in Berber mountains and poor country sides where Islam has only partially integrated these ancient practices. Islam has been present in Morocco since the 7th century, yet only recently after literacy rate slightly increased that

The tattoo she has on her shin represents ink, which is supposed to express fidelity and inner balance. When I asked her about it recently, she told me that it wasn’t something she regrets even though she knows that it is strictly prohibited in our religion, because those tattoos meant so much at her time and it was a deeply rooted culture. She told me that all the women she knew in the countryside she was living in had one, and that they have many different meanings. Every time I look at her tattoo, I don’t see a stupid and simple symbol with no real meaning like those that we frequently see nowadays. Instead I see an amazing culture, a tattoo that represents an old tradition, and a symbol that tells so much about the person. I started understanding how deeply rooter this tradition is in our culture is and felt sorry that it