I got this wonderful letter from Isabel (click the photos to enlarge) –
Hello ModBlog,
Thanks for all the great images and stories and for updating them so often. It’s always a fun place to visit.
In June 2000, my husband and I quit our jobs, put our stuff in storage, and traveled around for almost nine months. We started in Indonesia and came home (grudgingly) after South Africa. In the process we visited Syria and fell in love with the people and culture. So much in fact that our daughter’s middle name is Damascus. While there, we saw several older women with the traditional face and hand tattoos. This beautiful lady was selling vegetables in a market and was kind enough to let us take her photo. Unfortunately, the new generation seems to have left the practice behind and they’re either covered up or very Western looking.
The other two shots are from our visit to a Batonga village in Tanzania. They welcomed us, showed us how they milk their cows and we got a few pictures. After this visit we went to a small bushman settlement and the only body mod we saw was a young kid with scars from a leopard attack. But that doesn’t seem to really qualify — wasn’t voluntary.
Hope you enjoy the pics as much as we love reliving the memories of all the beautiful people we met.
Best,
Isabel
Comments
22 responses to “Body Modification in Syria and Tanzania”
Actually I’ve seen facial tattoos like that myself in the U.A.E. on older expats.
I’ve seen them here in Toronto, but what I see here more often is facial scars… Very common.
the first photo reminds me of the berber women i saw in morocco. i loved the tattoos but most were so faided, you didnt even realize they were there
i love the facial scars.. i can’t wait to travel!
I love those facial scars, they are sooo freakin beautiful.
beautiful 🙂
I’ve fallen in love with that first photograph.
Thanks for sharing these! 😀
The facial scarifications are very lovely.
the paragraph at the top is interesting,how theyre trying to look more western,we’re almosting want to switch cultures
the bottom right girl looks kinda surprised…
i really like it,looks like theyve left there goggles on too long… =D
Those facial scarifications are so striking! Especially the way they’ve healed more raised on the bottom right girl. Beautiful pictures 🙂
I looove the lady in the top picture. she looks so comfortable in her own skin.
Those plugs are so awesome, I have always wanted to find plugs from another country. Any known sites hit me up.
this just makes the desire to travel increase 1,000,000 times!!!!!
There is definitely a beautiful world out there, and stories like these are proof.
Glad to hear isabel enjoyed her journey!
Nice!
I’m a fan!!!
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those facial scars. . .wow. so beautiful. i wish i scarred like that 🙁
I LOVE the facial scars.
Love the ear jewellery on the lower left woman
Those facial scars are beautiful.
I used to work in Kensington Market here in T.O and there was an Ethiopian food store next to it and one of the women who worked there had the most beautiful facial tattoos, she was fantastic and so sweet.
That scar thing around the eyes is just plain beautiful.
No, really.