JERUSALEM TATTOOS

Beginning around the 13th century, Crusaders and Christian pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem started to adopt the practice of tattooing their skin. The marks signified their Christian faith and their time in the Holy Land.

The custom is older than the Crusades. Its roots reach back to Egyptian Christians of the early centuries. Over time, Copts, Crusaders, Franciscans, Armenians, Dragomans and pilgrims all kept the tradition alive in the city, so that it was never broken. Today, a family in Jerusalem still continues this lineage, tattooing ancient designs onto the skin of pilgrims.