Later, as the faithful came to the Holy Land on pilgrimage, the practice expanded to offer these travelers permanent evidence of their devotion and peregrination. Early tattoos self-identified indigenous Christians in the Middle East and Egypt. Evidence of such tattoos dates back at least as far as the 8th century in Egypt and the 6th century in the Holy Land, where Procopius of Gaza wrote of tattooed Christians bearing designs of crosses and Christ’s name. Coptic Christians who settled in Jerusalem four generations ago, the family had learned the craft of tattooing in Egypt, where the devout wear similar inscriptions. George and the Dragon is a common pilgrimage tattoo motif.įor 700 years the Razzouk family has been tattooing marks of faith. George Street seems a particularly appropriate location, since St. If you didn’t know anything about the incredible, centuries-long history of the family who runs this particular shop, the sign’s tagline might cause you to do a double-take: “Tattoo With Heritage Since 1300” it reads. A tiny shop, almost dwarfed by its prominent sign, lies across a quiet cobblestone road. Just inside the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, you can duck down the second side street to the left, as I did, finding respite from the beating sun and leaving the bustle of the crowded main square. I never expected to one day get the opportunity to follow in their footsteps and receive my own. Twenty years ago, as a budding tattoo scholar, I first read about the adventures of Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land and the indelible souvenirs they had inscribed under their skin.
It’s a place where ancient artifacts meet contemporary machines, rich history intersects with modern technology. In Jerusalem’s Old City today, you can find a uniquely obscure historical relic-the sole surviving pilgrimage tattoo business, Razzouk Ink. Wassim Razzouk tattooing the classic Jerusalem Cross motif known to look exactly like this since at least the early 1600s.(All Photos: Anna Felicity Friedman)
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