Berber Tattooing: in Morocco's Middle Atlas

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Aesthetic function: The tattoo is often done in an aesthetic way, which gives women the virtue of beauty. Therefore, the woman places it in different parts of her body, especially the appearance and exactly where it is engraved in the chin, forehead, nose and cheeks. The however is to attract and impress others, like the textual style of many Berber tribes. In other words, tattoos are a kind of makeup that is generally used by women for beauty, arousing admiration, the body becomes a painting canvas with its bright and shiny shapes, lines and colors or a text where the tattoo becomes a speech. This means that the tattoo was the true indication of the beauty of Berber women but also a faithful articulation of her beauty, which impressed others with interest and lust. Felix had a flowing way of drawing. I love his lines and colours in all of his designs. One of my favourites is the dragon and opium pipe he drew for a client in Goa, and of course all the little sundowns over the sea with a few palm trees which he created. I love his psychedelic and freehand work, particularly his forearm which he designed and tattooed on himself in 1978. I also like his traditional flash with hearts and roses and I have two of these which he designed for me tattooed on my arms; one is a series of hearts and a rose with our kids’ names in scrolls and the other is a heart with two bluebirds and a scroll which reads “Felix Forever”. Amazigh use many symbols, in various types of carpets, ornaments for women, as well as in tattoos,'' says Es-Semmar.

Tattoos have largely disappeared among the Berber tribes due to the fact that the Berber tribes have disappeared. Is there still a tribe? The Berber society has changed," says Es-Semmar. For these women, tattoos mark different phases in their lives, and consequently start at a young age.

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ANY TATTOO ENTHUSIAST WILL HAVE HEARD OF THE LEU’S - THE SWISS-BASED TATTOO FAMILY FAMED FOR PIONEERING AND EVOLVING THE ART-FORM OVER TWO GENERATIONS

Albeit sharing similar culture, Amazighs are part of many regional sub-tribes that spread in different parts of North Africa, that include:However, as part of the Muslim conquests, when Arabs invaded North Africa, most Amazigh people converted to Islam. As a result, the practice of Amazigh tattoos saw a significant decline in the XXe century, for tattoos in Islam are considered unlawful (haram).

There is such a rich archive of material throughout the book, from photographs of your travels to letters and interview snippets. Did you recall any particularly fond memories through its creation? Much more than aesthetic, Amazigh tattoos are a means of expression and relieving the vagaries of life and a sign of identity and belonging. Men, among the Berbers, are rarely tattooed, except among the Zemmour, the Beni-Mguild, and the Aït-Youssi. But these body designs also have an important symbolic dimension. Some marked an identity belonging to a group, a family, a region. Others signified the marital status of the woman who wears it: widow, single, or newly married. Still others represented animals symbolizing essential values in Berber culture, such as fertility, wisdom or goodness. But whilst many are well-acquainted with eldest son Filip Leu’s Japanese-style works (thanks largely to the tattoo publications which grew in number and accessibility during his rise), fewer people have been able to appreciate the art of his father and mentor Felix Leu (1945 - 2002).For Amazighs, tattoos are generally transmitted from generation to generation, practised by expert women in the Chaouia villages. In the oases of the South, it seems that the women from the same family tattooed each other. The decoration of the tattoo is composed almost exclusively of geometric figures and straight, broken lines, most often similar to the patterns of carpets and fabrics of Berber tribes. Berber weddings hold significant cultural significance, symbolising joy, and community cohesion. The festivities span three days, filled with exuberant singing, dancing, and abundant culinary delights. The bride takes center stage, adorned in elegant attire and embellished with henna tattoos.

She compiled and interpreted hundreds of drawings by her close friend Elaine Ocre. Ocre made these drawings of the tattoos during her nursing career in Algeria. From the photographic series ‘C’est Haram’, documenting the dying tradition of facial tattooing of Berber women, Morocco, 2020.Photo: Giulia Frigieri / Culture Trip Today, it’s rare to see a woman sporting deq face tattoos, as many in younger generations view it as old-fashioned. Tattooing in North Africa is an ancient practice that pre-dates Islam, and is still relatively common among the Amazigh women of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya.Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in. This would make a perfect gift or coffee table book for those in the market for that kind of thing, or anyone who has traveled to or longs to travel to Morocco, but the content is so culturally relevant, meaningful and important, that it would make a worthy and valuable addition to personal, public, private and academic libraries around the world for its art historic, sociological, and anthropological significance alone. Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family. Function of purity: The tattoo is associated with the function of purity: as it purifies the human soul from evils and sins, and purifies them from impurities, sins by arousing fear, empathy, repentance and the desire to seek forgiveness … That is to desperate: The tattoo in the sense of scratching and penetrating the skin in the desire to purify, according to a group of rules of rituals and rules of ceremony. Additionally, tattoos are penances and fidelity, loyalty, sincerity, redemption for spiritual fulfillment. Thus, obtaining holiness of soul and attaining perfect transcendence. what it means to cleanse with the intention of attaining spiritual purity thus The tattoo also expresses an intermediate bridge between matter and spirit, between body and sanctuary. The facial tattooing of women in the ancient Berber tradition is a mark of cultural identity and womanhood. Many tribes in Africa view the body as a canvas for decoration and would prefer to wear little to no clothing. Body decorations and transformationswere made to mark certain milestones in a person’s life.