Inside an Amazigh Village in Morocco

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Driving for miles along the brownish red plateaus out of Marrakech reminded me of the red clay earth that my home state of Georgia is known for. The snow-capped peaks in the distance, however, was not a sight I was used to seeing. This mountain range called the High Atlas is the tallest section of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.

The High Atlas is the region where the Imazighen or Amazigh (Berber) people, a northern African cultural group, reside. These ancient indigenous tribes, traditionally referred to as Berbers, prefer the name Amazigh, which translates to “free people.”

The Amazigh live in small villages situated in a rural and demanding environment. Some homes in the village are huts built into the ridges of the hills using local timber and brown clay bricks. Many villagers have houses built with rocks and cement, while others live in tents constructed from wood and goat’s hair.

The house we visited during our trip to the High Atlas was one of the more modern ones.  It featured intricately crafted doors adorned with metal mosaic plates and handles. Morocco is known for its unique doors, which are often the subject of travelers' photographs. Inside the house wooden beams supported thatched ceilings. The walls were covered with beautiful mosaic tiles and the floors with colorful rugs. Moroccan tiles and tapestries are distinctive to the region.

A Tribe of Herders & Artisans

The people are mainly farmers and herders. We could see their goats easily maneuvering the steep slopes of the hillside. They don’t fall off the narrow cliffs because they have “sticky” hooves that help them scale precipitous rocky surfaces. Mountain goats have elastic, and rubbery like pads with sharp outer edges on the soles of their hooves. It gives them traction and keeps them from slipping.

The Amazigh use camels and mules to transport not only themselves but also their belongings, food, and goods. As we walked around the village, we encountered a father being welcomed by his young daughters as he returned home on his mule. A woman wearing a long dress, a sweater, and the traditional hijab (headscarf) waved to us as her mule carrying a load of material and long tree limbs walked slowly behind her.

For thousands of years the Amazigh have also passed their artisan skills like tapestry weaving, crafting tagines, jewelery making, metalwork, and leatherwork down through the generations. They became essential local merchant traders. In many villages, the women have been the expert rug weavers. They have helped to keep their culture and language alive by incorporating symbols, patterns, and characters into their rug designs distinguishing them as part of an Amazigh tribe.

Where did the Amazigh Come From

The Amazigh people can be traced back to 10,000 B.C. They are believed to originate from the Sahara region, with their earliest roots along Africa’s Mediterranean coast. There is evidence from early Greek writing of their existence at the start of written history.  They are also mentioned in Egyptian and Roman texts, historically referred to as Libyan and Temehu.

The French, Spanish, Egyptians, Romans, and the Arabs had a significant impact on them. In fact, it was the Romans that gave them the name Berber, derived from a Roman word that means “barbarian.” Arab culture greatly influenced their language and religious beliefs; today, the Amazigh are predominantly Sunni Muslims and many speak Arabic.

Amazigh Today

Today, the Amazigh makes up over three-fifths of the population in Morocco. Previously marginalized, the Amazigh language, Tamazight, has been recognized as an official written language. Moroccan tourist industry benefits from the Amazigh, drawing global attention with their beautifully crafted artisan products, the hospitality of its people, and the vast landscapes of their homeland.

Where they once traditionally led a nomadic lifestyle, herding and selling their goods in trade caravans across the desert, many Amazigh people today sell their crafts in the souks of Marrakech and Fez. Most villages even have their own olive presses, allowing them to produce olive oil from crops for their families and, if they have enough, to sell for profit.

Our host Said from Berber Homestay and his family greeted us with an Amazigh welcome of dates and milk, fresh baked bread, almond butter, olive oil and mint tea. As was the custom in Morocco when serving tea, he lifted a teapot and poured out a long thin stream filling several small glasses on a silver tray in a single pour. Our group was able to see and participate in the art of tagine crafting and to purchase our first tagines. Tagines are earthenware pots and the dish of stewed meat, potatoes, and vegetables prepared in it has the same name. We also visited a women’s cooperative for rug making and learned about their empowering community.

Visiting an Amazigh village was the experience I was looking forward to the most on my trip through Morocco with World Towning Voyages. I was excited to engage with the people and culture of this country. The moments we spent laughing, sharing sweets, and playing futbol with the village children was truly very special. World Towning’s original vlog about their visit to the Amazigh community was one of the first I watched on their YouTube channel, and it is also their most viewed vlog. Even though it was only our third day traveling as a group, I already knew this was going to be an unforgettable trip. Morocco will stay with me for a long time, it already holds a special place in my heart.