On the path of the Berbers Morocco

Τhe author in the Merzouga desert at sunset, southern Morocco

The Berbers belong to one of the oldest civilizations of humanity. They have inhabited North Africa since at least 10,000 BC. They are the Imazighen or Amazigh “the free people” who, when the Romans conquered them, called them Barbarians –Berbers to differentiate them from the Egyptians and the Greeks who founded the Greek colonies in North Africa.

Herodotus called them Libyans

Invasions, wars, and colonization have punctuated the existence of the Berbers. However, this gigantic community and its mosaic of tribes in the desert and the mountains of North Africa have managed to preserve their traditions and folklore even today

Berber musicians in the Merzouga desert, southern Morocco

On my Grand Tour of Morocco, I met them in the Atlas Mountains and Southern Morocco – from the Sahara to Marrakech. This is where they are most concentrated today, which, after all, is their ancestral land.

They were excellent horsemen. When they converted to Islam in the middle of the 7th century (647), the Arabs sent them to invade the Iberian Peninsula (711). Their leader was Tariq Ibn Ziyad, born in Tangier, hence the origin of Gibraltar’s name: Jabal Tariq (Tariq’s Mountain), where he encamped with his men under the Rock.

Tbourida, Morrocan folkloric Fantasia Image Credit: Houssain Tork

Today, the heritage of those impressive Berber raids that were breathtaking due to the high speed of the cavalry, are the traditional performances (a form of martial art) during religious and cultural festivals in Morocco. They are called Fantasia and symbolize the close relationship between a man and his horse, as well as an attachment to tradition.

Some Moroccan dynasties were Berbers: the Almoravides, the Almohads and the Merinids emerged from the southern deserts or the Atlas Mountains. They spread throughout the country, and expanded to today’s Algeria and Tunisia, succeeding one another in power. Then they rushed out to Andalucía where they left their Moorish cultural mark (11th - 14th century). In the following images, we observe the similarities of the minaret between the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech and the Giralda bell tower in Seville.

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

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

However, Islamization, the struggles between the dynasties, rebellions and conflicts with the Turks (Morocco was never conquered by the Ottomans) weakened the force of the Berbers.

And now let us talk about Berber women.

It is more correct to call them Amazigh women, as the Berbers dislike the term “Berber”, which derives from Latin, and they find it offensive. It was the Romans, as previously mentioned, who called them Barbarians. However, the Berbers have world-famous names, such as that of the scholar and traveller Ibn Battuta, who was born in Tangier and travelled further 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 play a central role in their families and communities, managing to combine the Islamic faith with their ancestral tradition, mainly through the oral tradition: poetry, songs, and fairy tales. The oral lore also served as an instrument of linguistic loyalty because the Berber language was never the official language of Morocco, even during the reign of the Berber dynasties. Today, however, the Tamazight language, spoken by Moroccan-Berbers, has been recognized as an official language of the country along with Arabic.

Amazigh women committed to weaving

Amazigh women are the artists of their communities; especially for carpet and cloth weaving. Traditionally, women who work wool are held in high esteem and it is said that a woman who makes forty carpets in her lifetime is guaranteed entry to Paradise after her death. This art is a source of pride and self-confidence. The practice of carpet weaving dates back nearly 2.200 years and is said to have originated in farming communities in the Middle Atlas Mountains and around Marrakech.

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

In the old times, Berbers were nomadic. The women, therefore, took advantage of every stop to make fabrics for mattresses and blankets with the wool of the sheep or goats of their herd. Proud of their freedom, these artisans never use a model. They weave according to their own inspiration, making each rug a unique creation, presented as a mirror of their inner world. When the weaving is finished, the carpets arrive from the Atlas Mountains in Marrakech to be auctioned off to the souk merchants.

Their home, as we mentioned, is the majestic Atlas mountain range. Berber villages are scattered in the mountains, where the Berbers live in defiance of the harsh environment and remain true to their traditions, as well as their way of life, in some of the most inaccessible parts of the African continent.

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

I was extremely impressed by the Berber architecture, famous for its distinctive style. It is characterized by the use of natural materials such as red mud clay, stone and wood. Kasbahs (fortified houses) and Ksars(fortified villages) are typical architectural wonders in Morocco!

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

In Marrakech, I was keen to visit the Yves Saint Laurent Museum and the Majorelle Gardens. The former atelier of the painter Jacques Majorelle, who lived in Marrakech from 1923 to 1950, now houses the Berber Museum, which was inaugurated in 2011 by the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI. The exhibition presents a panorama of the extraordinary creativity of the Berbers with more than 600 objects. They were collected by Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent from the Rif Mountains in the north of the country to the south in the Sahara desert.

The beauty of Amazigh women

The museum’s collection is devoted to the richness of the Amazigh heritage and honours the women to whom it owes much to its survival. Silver jewelry, textiles, carpets, and ceramics testify the passion of the collectors for Morocco. If the jewellery is the work of male artisans intended for women, the art of weaving is exclusively a female creation.

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

A creation exalted by the proud demeanour of Amazigh women, instinctively dedicated to the beauty of colours, which deeply inspired the fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.

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