Preserving Kurdish Identity Through Deq Tattoo*
Deq, the symbol of dreams, fear, belief, wishes, love, wealth, health, and memory; is a traditional Kurdish tattoo practice carried out by elderly women across Kurdistan. This precious tradition dates back thousands of years, originally practiced by tribal Kurdish women to identify tribal affiliation and to invoke predictions of health, wealth, love, and positive energy (IU 2025).
For beautification, Kurdish women used their bodies as canvases, adorning their chins, hands, necks, ankles, and foreheads with this traditional art form, which is now at risk of disappearing. The ink used in Deq is a mixture of mother’s milk and charcoal ash (IU 2025), believed to be both healthy and long-lasting. The process is carried out by gently needling the ink into the skin using a sharp sewing needle.
Each Deq motif carries a specific meaning and purpose, often associated with blessings, positive energy, balance, success, friendship, power, health, knowledge, and protection. Fatme Tamal, a Kurdish Deq artist featured in this article is from Mardin in North Kurdistan, originally born in Amed, has dedicated her passion and career to preserving Kurdish identity through her art and reviving this ancient practice. Fatme has been practicing Deq for nearly nine years. Initially, Deq sparked her curiosity, leading her to seek out elderly women to learn how the practice was carried out in earlier generations. In 2017, she performed her first Deq, and her work has continued ever since.
Fatme explains that Deq ink consists of mother’s milk and charcoal ash, which she believes is the healthiest mixture and the most durable over time. Using a single needle, she practices the art by hand. In 2021, while still a journalism student at Amed University, Fatme opened her own studio. The space welcomes those interested in learning about Deq, conducting research, or engaging with the practice.
Deq serves as a means of preserving a nation’s identity by transforming the body into a canvas across generations. Fatme states, “When I first started Deq, I wanted to learn more about my Kurdish culture and identity. No matter how much you study Deq, it remains a very broad science, you always discover more.”
Through her research journeys to Kurdish villages, Fatme discovered that over 500 to 600 motifs have been identified. She explains, “Many motifs have been lost because they were practiced on human bodies, and with death, those motifs were buried as well. Yet, many more remain undiscovered.”
I asked Fatme whether new Deq motifs could be created or whether contemporary artists should revive only historical designs. She explained, “These motifs are original main sets dating back five thousand years, each with its own story and meaning. However, people today can decorate them as they wish.”
A Comparison Between Deq and Modern Tattooing
Deq is more than a form of decoration; it expresses cultural identity, carries knowledge across generations, and can bring communities together. One key difference between traditional Deq and many forms of modern tattooing lies in the materials and techniques used.
Modern tattoo ink consists of sterile mixtures of colored pigments such as carbon black, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, or copper salts, combined with carrier solutions like distilled water, alcohol, and glycerin (IARC, n.d.) Deq, by contrast, relies on a natural mixture of mother’s milk and charcoal ash.
Another major difference is technique. Modern tattoos are applied using electric machines that rapidly move multiple needles to insert ink into the skin. Deq, however, is applied manually using a single needle and hand pressure.
Deq also preserves the ancient motifs and symbols of our grandmothers, living reflections of Kurdish origins and identity. Fatme reflects, “For me, when I do a Deq, I believe it transfers positive energy, health, and good intentions. No matter how much you study Deq, it remains a very broad science. That’s why, in the future, I want to travel across all four parts of Kurdistan to research and document more Deq motifs to preserve Kurdish identity.”
Deq in a Global Context
For global audiences, Deq is a compelling and widely admired art form. Kurdish researcher Suad Adnan is currently co-authoring a chapter titled “Fading Lines: Deq, Erasure and Beauty Trends,” part of the Routledge series Erasures in Iraq. The research explores the erasure of communities in Iraq, including the Kurds. Suad recounts how her involvement began: “I shared a photo of my hand with scratched Deq motifs with a researcher friend, and she was immediately fascinated. She decided to include an entire chapter on this ancient Kurdish practice.”
Despite the fact that permanent tattooing is considered haram by many practitioners of Islam due to its interpretation as altering God’s creation, many Kurdish women continue to practice Deq using Henna. Henna (Begum, n.d.) is a natural dye derived from dried leaves, traditionally used for decorative, ritual, medicinal, and symbolic purposes. Unlike permanent tattoos, Henna stains are temporary, lasting from several days to a few weeks. Suad explains, “I personally believe tattooing is haram, but with henna, it is not.” She often designs Deq motifs with Henna for special occasions.
For Suad, Deq represents a broader Kurdish identity: “Deq symbols are aesthetic and deeply meaningful. We, as Kurds, need to show the world our art. I personally support reviving Deq because it is unique to our culture—something that makes us stand out.”
Deq also serve as Political and Social Identity; During protests and public solidarity campaigns, Kurds often paint Deq motifs temporarily on their faces using henna or kohl eyeliner. These motifs are now widely recognized as symbols of Kurdish identity. Understood without explanation and carried unapologetically.
Once at risk of disappearance, Deq is now being reclaimed by a new generation determined to rediscover their ancestry and cultural identity. Through contemporary reinterpretation, they are carrying Kurdish heritage onto the global stage while preserving its meaning for future generations.
A short visual Guide to Deq Motifs in Kurdish Culture
Crown — Power and courage
Rebab — A happy and successful life
Sun — Knowledge and protection
Ganm (Wheat) — Wealth
Human Symbol — Friendship
Star — Truth
References
Taylor Nasim Stone, An Introduction to Kurdish Tattoos, Muslim Voices Indiana University(IU). 27.2025. https://blogs.iu.edu/muslimvoices/2025/04/27/an-introduction-to-kurdish-tattoos-by-taylor-nasim-stone/
International Agency for Research on Cancer. (n.d.). Background. World Health Organization.
Begum, T. (n.d.). The henna plant: Transcending time, religion and culture. Natural History Museum. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-henna-plant-transcending-time-religion-and-culture.html
*Savan Abdulrahman Ahmed is the editor-in-chief at DidiMn, a Kurdish cultural website and The Co-founder of Cinemachi a collaborative space for arts and cinema. She has worked on LSE Research project on the Roots of Masculinity as Research Assistant at CGDS in American University in Iraq. As a literary translator, Ahmed has worked in consultation with the director of Zheen Archive to select and translate Piramerd’s selected prose and poetry into English. There, she also worked in bringing fifteen major Kurdish classical poets of the 19th century into English.Ahmed has earned an accounting degree from the Administration and Economics department at the University of Sulaimani in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. She is Also the founder of Tema Creative Hub which is dedicated for Education and conducting research, there she supervised research on Abortion as a moral Act and women’s freedom to make choices titled “91 Days”. Her translated works has appeared in, M—Dash, Mask Magazine and The Militant. DidiMn has published Ahmed's book “Translation: An Act More Than Changing Words” and May68 Youth Group has published her translated book “Universities in a Neoliberal World.”
**Image Credits – Savan Abdulrahman
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