Even though tattooing has only blown up to become quite commonplace in popularity relatively recently, it has been practiced in cultures around the world for thousands of years. And one of the oldest standing tattoo shops that you can still visit (and get tattooed at!) today is located in Jerusalem, Israel.
We’re talking about Razzouk Tattoo, opened by the Razzouk family who came from Egypt for a pilgrimage before opening up their tattoo shop in the holy land. They used to tattoo Christian Copts with a small cross on the inside of their wrist to grant them access to churches, but now their tattoos are more diverse.
The Razzouk family still owns and operates their shop in the old city of Jerusalem, with Wassim Razzouk representing the 27th generation of tattoo artists in his family. Soon, his son, Nizar, will become the 28th.
If you visit Razzouk Tattoo today, which is now the oldest remaining pilgrimage tattoo business in the world, you can get a tattoo in modern styles and with modern techniques. Or to honor the tradition of the shop, you can still get a cross on the inside of your wrist and ink a little piece of history into your body.