The Dom are believed to have migrated to the region from India in Byzantine times, through Iran and into Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and beyond. Like so-called "Gypsies" in other regions, Syrian Dom live on the margins of the rest Syrian society, which regards them with suspicion, if not all-out loathing. Dom have traditionally provided musical entertainment at weddings and other special occasions, worked as blacksmiths, fortune tellers or tattoo artists.
The Dom: Syria's Forgotten Refugees
1
Dom in Damascus garden, date unknown.
2
Dom blacksmith, Syria, ca. 1900
3
Dom entertainers at Bedouin wedding, Syria, date unknown.
4
Syrian Dom Refugees at Gaziantep, Turkey