When I was invited in for tea in Harran, I noticed that the older ladies had little markings on their face, specifically on the chin and lip area. These body tattoos sometimes are extended to the hands and usually marked with very simple designs. When I asked my Turkish friend about them he told me that these villages may be bored so they tattoo each other. When I posed the question in class, I didn’t get a realistic answer either. After investigating I found out that these were Arab custom that distinguish them from different clans. They are no longer common among the younger ladies, but sometimes visible among the older group. No wonder when I asked my peers, they didn’t know. They are probably too young or not of Arabic origin to see and question this. Here is what professor R. Dietrich has to say:
It is a purely Arab custom but seems to be fading - younger women
are less enthusiastic about being tattooed to show their tribal
affiliation. I attached two pictures I took in Urfa in 2006 of these
tattoos.
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