Morocco Berber History

Who Are The Morocco Berbers? The history of the Berbers dates back to prehistoric times. In fact, Morocco is home to the oldest Homo sapiens ever found – almost 300,000 years old! This means that the indigenous people of Morocco have been here for a very long time. Much of what we know about the very first people of Morocco comes from the archaeological record. Much of the history of the Berbers themselves is oral. In fact, it’s probably a mistake to even call them “Berbers”!

The Berbers proudly call themselves Amazigh, the “free people”. The name “Berber” derives from “Barbary”, from the Greek barbaria. It’s probably not the nicest or most accurate name, although ‘Berber’ is widely used throughout Morocco, both by those who identify as Amazigh and by other Moroccans. On the other hand, if you are ever called an arumi, you are called a foreigner, or literally a Roman.

The Amazigh, largely through various tribes, ruled all of North Africa thousands of years ago. They crossed the Sahara and the southern basin of the Mediterranean for trade and travel. They have been called many names over the centuries: The ancient Greeks called them ‘Libyans’; the Romans variously called them ‘Numidians’ and ‘Africans’, while much of medieval Europe referred to as ‘Moors’ to those living in North Africa. In fact, it was the Arabs who invented the Berber name: Al-Barbar. This was probably a re-adaptation of the ancient Greek term “barbarian”. However, there is some thought, as in the Arabic scholar Ibn Khaldun’s writing, that there may have been an ancient person by the name of “Barbar”, in some texts, a mother by the name of “Barbara”, who gave the name to the tribes, perhaps in the Somali region.

As Moulay Idriss, the founder of modern Morocco, fled the Abbasid dynasty, he brought Islam with him, peacefully converting the Awraba tribes and founding the Idrissid dynasty. Prior to this, most Berbers throughout North Africa were Animists, Christians, or Jews. Islam spread rapidly throughout the region, although in a slightly different form to that practiced in the Middle East. Two of Morocco’s greatest historical dynasties, the Almoravids and Almohads, were Islamic Berber dynasties that ruled large parts of Spain and Northwest Africa.

Over the years, the Amazigh have fought, traded, negotiated, and hosted the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Spanish and French. Although the Romans and others tried to colonize the Berber people, they managed to preserve their own language and culture, and in fact, were never conquered!

The language of the Berbers is primarily oral in nature, although they have had their own system of writing for at least 2,500 years. The earliest writings are sometimes difficult to find. They are cataloged in small museums throughout the South. It is one of Morocco’s two official languages, alongside classical Arabic, and has recently been officially codified.

Morocco Berbers today

Most estimates put Morocco’s Berber population at around 40 percent of the country’s 32 million inhabitants, although nearly 80 percent of the country has at least some Berber heritage. Smaller Berber populations are also found in Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Mali. Today, the majority of Morocco’s thirty-six million inhabitants are probably a mixture of Berber and Arab. ‘Berber pride’ stickers, graffiti, T-shirts, and caps are ubiquitous and many Moroccans are extremely proud of their ethnicity and heritage. In 2014, the state lifted the ban on Amazigh names, thus embracing this pride at the state level.

Until recently, it was thought that the country was largely divided, with Berbers living largely in Morocco’s High Atlas, Central Atlas, and Rif mountain ranges, and Arabs in the cities and valleys, but this division is now less apparent. Still, Moroccans living in the highlands tend to identify themselves as ‘Amazigh’, while in the cities identity is more malleable.

In some parts of the Western world, the Berbers are wrongly portrayed as nomadic people who cross the Sahara Desert mainly by camel. While this is only true of some tribes, it is a common stereotype throughout the Berber world. It has to be said that the long-standing influence of the Amazigh has also had an impact on trade, as they established trade routes between West Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. They transported goods from outside the Sahara Desert to the northern cities of Morocco, especially Fez and Marrakech. In Morocco, however, most Berbers are farmers who live in the mountains and valleys. Others are merchants and shopkeepers. The traders were a higher class than the farmers, but their role shifted over time.

Berber Tribes in Morocco

Although the Berbers of Morocco share a common identity, they can be divided into three distinct tribes. Although almost all Berbers call their language Tamazight, it is far from monolithic. A Berber may not understand fellow Berber several hours away, and the dialects of the country’s tribes are virtually unrecognizable.

In the north of the country, the Berbers of the Rif region speak a dialect called Tarafite. The Rif region of Morocco is home to the Gomara people. The Gomara are the smallest Berber people in Morocco and live in the Rif Mountains.

The Zayan people of the Middle Atlas region live in Fez in the north and Marrakech in the south. Their dialect is Tamazight, which varies considerably from region to region but is generally understood by the locals. Some Zaynis, especially those near Ouarzazate in the south, remain nomadic, traveling with their herds of cattle as the seasons change.

The southern Atlas Mountains and Ante Atlas are home to the Shilhah people, the largest Berber tribe in the country, who are generally considered to speak Tashlheit, the most “pure” Berber language, which is also the language of most Berber movies and music.

The Draa Valley is home to the Berber people of the Draa tribe. The Dardus tribe inhabits the northeastern part of the country, and the Mesquite, Sedrat, and Zer tribes live along the river in the northwest.

Berber food and flavors

To learn about the Berber tribes of Morocco, book a Morocco tour with your local travel agent and make sure you have time to hike in the Atlas Mountains. Visit the palm-fringed oases of the Draa Valley or explore the Sahara by camel. Visit the many villages along the way and be sure to stop if you see a sign for medfouna (med-foon-aaa), also known as Berber pizza. medina means “to bury” and refers to the traditional way of cooking bread that is buried in the Sahara Desert. Berbers are traditionally very friendly and will often offer to share a cup of their famous Moroccan mint tea or cook you a traditional Moroccan meal, which inevitably includes freshly baked bread (Aghrom) for dinner.

Berber artisans and crafts

Your Moroccan guide will help you choose the route that suits you best, and if you’re interested in crafts, you can (and should) stop by the carpet markets! Visit the markets in Marrakech or Fez and you’ll find many Berber handicrafts. Fine silver jewelry from Tuareg and Amazonian artists, babouches, or belga from artisan workshops are just some of the treasures you’ll find. Berber motifs and designs are distinctive and often colorful and can be seen embossed or painted on many of the handicrafts. Textiles, especially carpets, run throughout the culture, from sequin-embellished wedding blankets (handira) to black and white wool Beni Ourain rugs. It’s worth noting that if you’re shopping in Morocco, it’s best to choose fair trade goods that benefit the local people and economy.