Sassiya shares her tattoos in Tamezret, Tunisia. She was one of the few encounters we had in which the women no longer found joy in her tattoos, as well as one of the most heavily tattooed. She claimed that she once loved them, but her children and those around her who were more educated told her that the tattoos would make her go to hell. She says she spends every day praying for forgiveness. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
An Amazigh woman shares her tattoo on her chin, an homage to Fatima, the prophet Muhammed’s beloved daughter. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
A woman adorning the typical tattoos and clothing of Tunisia drives her family through their farm. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi,
An Amazigh woman transports water and apples back to her village a day after a blizzard hit the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Women in the Atlas mountains of Algeria share their tattoos. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Habiba in the suburbs of Tunis. Habiba stated that she loved her tattoos, and that any woman who wanted to be beautiful had them. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Zazia and Rabeeha in Tunisia. Photograph from the project Face, by Yumna Al-Arashi. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi, 2017
Aisha in Tunisia, who had tattoos on her arms and face. She was a belly dancer and had many tattoos to emphasize her beauty. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Zeyna in Zeraoua, Tunisia, who traveled to Germany to visit her daughter and had her tattoos on her cheeks removed due to pressure of fitting into the Western setting. She insisted on leaving the sun symbol on her hand. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Sassiya shares her tattoos in Tamezret, Tunisia. She was one of the few encounters we had in which the women no longer found joy in her tattoos, as well as one of the most heavily tattooed. She claimed that she once loved them, but her children and those around her who were more educated told her that the tattoos would make her go to hell. She says she spends every day praying for forgiveness. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
An Amazigh woman shares her tattoo on her chin, an homage to Fatima, the prophet Muhammed’s beloved daughter. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
A woman adorning the typical tattoos and clothing of Tunisia drives her family through their farm. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi,
An Amazigh woman transports water and apples back to her village a day after a blizzard hit the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Women in the Atlas mountains of Algeria share their tattoos. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Habiba in the suburbs of Tunis. Habiba stated that she loved her tattoos, and that any woman who wanted to be beautiful had them. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Zazia and Rabeeha in Tunisia. Photograph from the project Face, by Yumna Al-Arashi. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi, 2017
Aisha in Tunisia, who had tattoos on her arms and face. She was a belly dancer and had many tattoos to emphasize her beauty. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Zeyna in Zeraoua, Tunisia, who traveled to Germany to visit her daughter and had her tattoos on her cheeks removed due to pressure of fitting into the Western setting. She insisted on leaving the sun symbol on her hand. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Sassiya shares her tattoos in Tamezret, Tunisia. She was one of the few encounters we had in which the women no longer found joy in her tattoos, as well as one of the most heavily tattooed. She claimed that she once loved them, but her children and those around her who were more educated told her that the tattoos would make her go to hell. She says she spends every day praying for forgiveness. Courtesy Yumna Al-Araishi
Photography: Yumna Al-Araishi’s images of the tattooed women of North Africa
Yumna Al-Arashi has been documenting the region’s ancient but fast-disappearing tradition of female tattooing
