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Blending modern technology with tradition, the
Razzouk family uses the Internet to draw clients to their
business in a place that is sacred to Christians, Jews and
Muslims.
Noel Heavey, 54, from Ireland, never thought he would want a
tattoo. But he said he stumbled on the Razzouks' website and
"was just really taken by it".
So on his first trip to Jerusalem, as the city's Christian
Quarter began to prepare for Christmas, he chose a pattern with
clean and simple lines. It was a black and red Jerusalem cross,
made up of one central cross and four smaller ones, adorned with
palm trees and the number 2017, representing his pilgrimage and
the year his mother died.
The Razzouks began their craft in Egypt, where fellow Coptic
Christians traditionally mark their wrists with a cross.
Proprietor Wassim Razzouk, 44, said he resisted going into the
family business for many years. But now the motorcycle-riding
owner is teaching the art of tattooing to his 14-year-old son.
Some of the shop's designs date back to Crusader times, but
Razzouk can customize ancient patterns to fit client
preferences.
"It’s something that you will never regret, because you are
proud of it. And it's the traditional thing to do," said Razzouk,
whose own collection of tattoos bears witness to that
conviction.
(Editing by Jeffrey Heller and John Stonestreet)
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
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