On the path of the Berbers Morocco

Τhe author in the Merzouga desert at sunset, southern Morocco.

The Berbers belong to one of humanity’s most ancient civilisations, having inhabited North Africa since at least 10,000 BC. They are the Imazighen, or Amazigh — “the free people”. When the Romans encountered them, they called them barbari, “barbarians”, a term that evolved into “Berbers”, used to distinguish them from the Egyptians and the Greeks who had established colonies along the North African coast. Herodotus referred to them simply as Libyans.

Across millennia, invasions, wars, and waves of colonisation have punctuated the history of the Amazigh. Yet this vast community — a mosaic of tribes scattered across deserts and mountain ranges — has managed to preserve its traditions and folklore to this day.

During my Grand Tour of Morocco, I encountered them in the Atlas Mountains and throughout the south, from the sands of the Sahara to the ochre lanes of Marrakech. This remains their heartland, the cradle of their ancestral culture.

Renowned for their horsemanship, the Amazigh played a decisive role in the early Islamic era. After their conversion in the mid-7th century (647), Arab commanders called upon them to lead the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula in 711. Their leader, Tariq ibn Ziyad — born in Tangier — gave his name to Gibraltar: Jabal Tariq, “Tariq’s Mountain”, where he and his troops established their encampment beneath the iconic Rock.

Berber musicians in the Merzouga desert, southern Morocco.

Tbourida, Morrocan folkloric “Fantasia” - Image Credit: Houssain Tork.

The legacy of those breathtaking cavalry raids lives on today in Fantasia, the traditional equestrian performances showcased during religious and cultural festivals. This dramatic martial art celebrates both the intimate bond between rider and horse and the community’s enduring attachment to ancestral customs.

Several Moroccan dynasties were of Amazigh origin. The Almoravids, Almohads, and Marinids emerged from the southern deserts and the Atlas Mountains, expanding their dominion across today’s Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Their influence extended into al-Andalus, where they left an indelible mark on Moorish art and architecture between the 11th and 14th centuries. One need only compare the minaret of Marrakech’s Koutoubia Mosque with the Giralda bell tower in Seville to appreciate the shared aesthetic lineage.

The Koutoubia Mosque (13th-century) in Marrakech - Image Credit: Sammy Six.

The stunning bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville, la Giralda, (13th-century).

Yet Islamisation, internecine struggles, dynastic rivalries, and conflicts with the Turks — the Ottomans never succeeded in conquering Morocco — gradually diminished Amazigh power.

Now let us speak of Amazigh women.

It is more accurate to use this term, for many regard “Berber” — a legacy of the Roman epithet “barbarian” — as offensive. Yet the Amazigh can claim illustrious names, none more celebrated than the great scholar-traveller Ibn Battuta of Tangier, who journeyed farther than Marco Polo.

Amazigh women attending folkloric music at Ait Ben Haddou in southern Morocco - Image of Morocco Road Travel.

After the Arab conquest, Amazigh women continued to occupy a central place within their families and communities. They preserved their ancestral culture through oral tradition — poetry, song, and storytelling — which also served as a safeguard for the Amazigh language, long deprived of official status even under Amazigh dynasties. Today, however, Tamazight has been recognised as an official language of Morocco alongside Arabic.

Amazigh women committed to weaving.

Amazigh women are the artistic soul of their communities, particularly in the weaving of carpets and textiles. Traditionally, those who worked wool were held in high esteem; it is said that a woman who weaves forty carpets in her lifetime is assured a place in Paradise. This ancient art, a source of immense pride and confidence, dates back nearly 2,200 years and is believed to have originated in farming communities of the Middle Atlas and around Marrakech.

Berber textiles and rugs are widely used in the traditional Moroccan decoration.

In earlier times, as pastoral nomads, Amazigh women would make the most of each halt to create fabrics for mattresses and blankets from the wool of their sheep and goats. Proud of their freedom, these artisans never followed a pattern: each design springs from personal inspiration, a unique creation reflecting the inner world of its maker. Once completed, the carpets travel down from the Atlas to Marrakech, where they are auctioned in the bustling souks.

The Atlas Mountains, majestic and formidable, are the homeland of the Amazigh. Their villages cling to hillsides and valleys, defying harsh conditions. Here, in some of the most inaccessible regions of the African continent, they remain steadfastly faithful to their traditions and way of life.

Ait Ben Haddou, the fortified village along the old caravan route between the old Sahara route and Marrakech.

I was deeply impressed by Amazigh architecture, celebrated for its distinctive use of natural materials — red mud-brick, stone, and wood. Kasbahs (fortified houses) and ksars (fortified villages) stand as monumental tributes to this aesthetic, among the architectural wonders of Morocco.

The atelier of the painter Jacques Majorelle houses the Berber Museum, Marrakech.

In Marrakech, I was particularly eager to visit the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the enchanting Majorelle Garden. The former atelier of the painter Jacques Majorelle, who lived in the city from 1923 to 1950, is now home to the Berber Museum, inaugurated in 2011 by King Mohammed VI. Its collection, assembled by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent, comprises more than six hundred objects gathered from the Rif Mountains to the Sahara — a remarkable panorama of Amazigh creativity.

The beauty of Amazigh women.

The museum’s collection highlights the richness of Amazigh heritage and pays homage to the women to whom its preservation is so deeply owed. Silver jewellery, textiles, carpets, and ceramics testify to the collectors’ profound passion for Morocco. While jewellery is traditionally crafted by male artisans for women, the art of weaving remains an exclusively female domain — a creative legacy elevated by the proud bearing of Amazigh women, instinctively attuned to the beauty of colour. Their artistry profoundly inspired Yves Saint Laurent and continues to captivate all who encounter it.

Morocco became an endless source for Yves Saint Laurent. He would go there twice a year - December and June - to design his collections.

Travel with my Books in English