Indispensable in Morocco for hair care or for the ephemeral tattoos it can be used to create, henna also embodies a cultural and social dimension throughout the Arab-Berber world. It was to preserve this tradition that UNESCO approved its inclusion on the World Intangible Heritage List on 3 December, at the request of a group of sixteen Arab countries, including Morocco.
Henna, a plant used for centuries
Henna and related rituals in the Arabian Peninsula and Maghreb countries have been added to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list, the UN agency for education, science and culture has announced. The application was submitted by sixteen Arab-Berber countries, including Morocco, where tradition is still very strong and accompanies the important stages of life.
This plant, whose leaves are dried, crushed and then transformed into a paste, is used to tattoo the forearms and feet of women taking part in religious or social celebrations, as well as for skin care and hair colouring.
Originally from Mesopotamia and southern Iran, henna was already used on mummies in ancient Egypt. In Morocco, it grows in desert regions, particularly in the Drâa Valley, and its use dates back to pre-Islamic times.
Henna tattooing, a tradition still very much alive in Morocco
While the motifs and designs may vary from region to region (from Amazigh inspiration in North Africa to complex floral creations in the Arabian Peninsula), many of the rituals associated with the use of henna are common to all countries, and are still very much alive in Morocco.
Henna powder is in fact an everyday product, and its bronze-green powder can be found in any herbalist’s shop, alongside black soap and ghassoul, the essential products for a hammam session.
‘Henna symbolises the life cycle of an individual, from birth to death, and is present at all the major stages of a person’s life’, states the Unesco text. In Morocco, it is used on all the major occasions, including weddings, engagements, christenings, circumcisions and Eid festivities, when naqqacha (women who specialise in henna tattoos) compete in terms of talent.
Recommandations of Palais Faraj
▪ Do you dream of returning from your stay in Fès with an ephemeral henna tattoo? You’ll have no trouble finding a tattoo artist in the traditional herbal and cosmetics stalls in the medina on the two main thoroughfares (la grande and la petite Talaa)
.▪ Be careful, though, if you’re offered ‘black henna’: it doesn’t exist in its natural state. It is a pretty toxic colouring additive added to the henna paste that can be highly allergenic. Absolutely avoid.
▪ Real henna contains only the powder of crushed leaves diluted with water. The resulting paste has a dark bronze-green colour and the final tattoo will be a beautiful orange-red shade. Your tattoo will then gradually fade, disappearing after 2 to 3 weeks.
