Why British royals and elderly pilgrims are drawn to Jerusalem's tattoo artists

The Razzouk family uses olive wood stamps to ink visitors to the Old City

Waseem Razzouk tattoos a client in the Old City of Jerusalem. Rosie Scammell / The National

Tucked down an alley in Jerusalem’s Old City, Waseem Razzouk is keeping up a tradition that he says has drawn everyone from British royals to elderly pilgrims: Holy Land tattoos.

With a tattoo pen buzzing in his hand, Mr Razzouk is busy inking stars on to a client’s arm.

“It was like the tradition to get tattooed in the Holy Land for British royalty and for a lot of people,” he said, rock music blending with the neighbourhood’s church bells. "As pilgrims, as visitors to the Holy Land."

The Razzouk family have been tattooing visitors for centuries, particularly Christian pilgrims visiting the surrounding streets where they believe Jesus was crucified and buried.

They include three British royals in the 19th century, Mr Razzouk says, a record the country’s Jerusalem consulate was not immediately able to confirm.

Many of those getting tattooed in the small shop, where priests pass by, are attracted by the olive wood stamps used by the family.

“The designs are Christian motifs,” said Mr Razzouk, such as the five-fold Jerusalem Cross and images of the crucifixion.

The family of tattoo artists — currently Mr Razzouk, 49, and his two sons — use a regular inkpad to stamp on a client’s skin before drawing in the tattoo.

“People love the simplicity of the designs of the Coptic art,” said the artist.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is a Christian denomination predominant in Egypt, from where the Razzouk family emigrated about 500 years ago.

After initially moving to Bethlehem, the family settled a few kilometres to the north in Jerusalem.

Tools used by Mr Razzouk’s ancestors, such as a stick which he attributes to his great-grandfather, are displayed in a cabinet.

“All you need is a needle and something dark,” said Mr Razzouk.

He is using a modern-day pen to tattoo the stars, whose design he said were taken from an Old City church. His customer’s arm is covered with tattoos taken from the family’s stamps.

Across from them, another client lies down while one of Mr Razzouk’s sons tattoos over a stamp of the Jerusalem Cross.

The family has learnt how to tattoo the worn skin of elderly pilgrims, including nonagenarians getting inked for the first time.

Mr Razzouk said most of these older people "never imagined that they would ever be doing something like this”.

“It’s an amazing experience," he said.

The artist himself has been getting tattooed for decades; first by his aunt as a child, then by relatives including his wife and sons.

While the family has stayed put for centuries, Mr Razzouk said the pilgrims have travelled with their tales to his nook of the Old City.

“A lot of people ask me: 'have you been to this part of the world, have you been to that part of the world?'” he said.

“No, I haven’t been – but that part of the world has been here.”