Lebanon— Tattoo scenes & cities

In an article on Qantara.de dated 17 March 2017, journalist Mey Dudin describes Lebanon as one of the centres of the Arab tattoo scene, attributing this partly to the rivalry between communities (Christians, Sunnis, Shias, Druze), which leaves room for subcultures. She notes religious motifs: crucifixes and Jesus among Maronites, the name of Ali, the number 313 and the Zulfiqar sword among conservative Shias.

After the Beirut port explosion of 4 August 2020, Lebanese people had tattoos made in memory of the tragedy, according to a Reuters report carried by LBCI on 25 July 2021. Tattoo artist Joa Antoun did more than thirty tattoos of the word "Beirut" and drew victims on the skin of their relatives; Roy Samaha wears on his arm the face of his cousin Joe Noun, a firefighter killed during the port fires.