Morocco's Tribeswomen See Facial Tattoo Tradition Fade

Amazigh women pose for a picture in the village of Imilchil in central Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains on September on August 19, 2024. Agence France-Presse
Amazigh women pose for a picture in the village of Imilchil in central Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains on September on August 19, 2024. Agence France-Presse
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Morocco's Tribeswomen See Facial Tattoo Tradition Fade

Amazigh women pose for a picture in the village of Imilchil in central Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains on September on August 19, 2024. Agence France-Presse
Amazigh women pose for a picture in the village of Imilchil in central Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains on September on August 19, 2024. Agence France-Presse

As a young girl growing up in the Atlas mountains, Hannou Mouloud's family took her to have her chin tattooed with the cherished lines that generations of Moroccan Amazigh tribeswomen wore.
"When I was six, they told me tattoos were pretty adornments," recalled the 67-year-old from Imilchil village of the once-common practice among women in North Africa's Amazigh groups, AFP reported.
Long referred to as Berbers, many tribespeople from the area prefer to be called Amazigh, or Imazighen, which means "free people".
Today, like in many of the Indigenous cultures across the world where facial tattoos were long prevalent, the practice has largely faded.
Many attribute the near-disappearance of facial tattoos to Morocco's changing religious attitudes in recent decades, with interpretations of Islam where inked skin and other body modifications like piercings are prohibited taking hold.
"We would use charcoal to draw the designs on our faces, then a woman would prick the drawing with a needle until blood came out," Mouloud told AFP, adding that they would rub the wound daily with a chewed green herb to deepen the tattoo's color.
The markings vary in design between the minority's tribes and were used to signify the wearer's origin while offering beauty and protection.
Being tattooed would hurt, said Hannou Ait Mjane, 71, and "we couldn't hold back our tears" but it "remains a tradition that our ancestors passed down to us".
Fundamentalism
Morocco has the largest Amazigh population in North Africa, with Tamazight, the community's language, recognised as an official language alongside Arabic.
According to the most recent census in 2014, more than a quarter of Morocco's 35 million inhabitants speak at least one dialect -- Tarifit, Tamazight or Tachelhit.
Abdelouahed Finigue, a geography teacher and researcher from Imilchil, told AFP that women often had their chins, foreheads or hands tattooed.
The designs held different meanings to the different communities.
"The woman, through her tattoos, expresses her beauty and her value as an individual independent of the man," he said, explaining what the different shapes can mean.
"The circle, for example, represents the universe and beauty, just like the moon and the sun which occupied an important place in local rites," he said.
But changing religious trends means fewer women are getting inked.
Bassou Oujabbour, member of local development association AKHIAM, said women with the markings have faced social pressure.
"Fundamentalists sometimes describe tattooing as the devil's book or as the first thing to be burned on the human body," he said.
"Some women even removed the tattoos long after getting them for fear of punishment after death."



‘Arts Telling Stories’ Exhibition Showcases Saudi Heritage under Year of Handicrafts 2025

The exhibition is part of the “Year of Handicrafts 2025” initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture. SPA
The exhibition is part of the “Year of Handicrafts 2025” initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture. SPA
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‘Arts Telling Stories’ Exhibition Showcases Saudi Heritage under Year of Handicrafts 2025

The exhibition is part of the “Year of Handicrafts 2025” initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture. SPA
The exhibition is part of the “Year of Handicrafts 2025” initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture. SPA

The "Arts Telling Stories" Exhibition in Madinah serves as a cultural platform that narrates Saudi stories through authentic handicrafts, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

It said that the exhibition is part of the “Year of Handicrafts 2025” initiatives launched by the Ministry of Culture.

The exhibition features a diverse collection of handcrafted creations that reflect the identity of the local community. Elements of heritage are embodied in palm-based crafts such as baskets, incense burners, and decorative pieces, telling the story of the historical bond between people and palm trees in the environment of Madinah.

The exhibition also showcases wooden artwork, including decorated boxes, vases, and household items crafted with techniques that blend traditional sensibility with modern innovation. It features colorful pottery pieces reflecting folk art, inspired by the colors and landscapes of the region’s geography.

The exhibition represents a valuable addition to the local cultural scene, reflecting the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to activate the role of traditional arts in fostering community awareness and encouraging the younger generation to connect with their cultural roots.