Facial tattoo tradition fades among Morocco's tribeswomen

Hannou Mouloud, 67, recalls being taken as a child to have her chin tattooed with traditional designs, a once-common practice among Moroccan Amazigh tribeswomen in the Atlas Mountains. "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. The Amazigh, often referred to as Berbers by outsiders, prefer the name "Amazigh," meaning "free people."

These facial tattoos, used to signify beauty, origin, and protection, have now largely disappeared.

The decline of this tradition is linked to Morocco's shifting religious attitudes, with interpretations of Islam increasingly viewing tattoos and other body modifications as forbidden.

Amazigh women once adorned their chins, foreheads, and hands with tattoos, which held different meanings depending on the community. While some saw the designs as symbols of beauty and independence, others, influenced by fundamentalist views, now regard tattoos as sinful. Social pressure has led some women to remove their tattoos out of fear of spiritual consequences. This fading tradition reflects broader changes in Morocco’s cultural and religious landscape.