Who’re the Berbers ?

Who are the Berbers?

No matter where in Morocco you travel, the word “Berber” surely rings a bell. This indigenous group is an important part of Morocco’s inhabitants and identity. But who are they? Let’s discover who the Berber people are and which importance they have in Morocco.

A little history about the Berbers

The name “Berbers” refers to the original inhabitants (indigenous people) of North Africa. The Berbers or Amazigh, the correct name for this population group (literally meaning “free men”), have lived in North Africa (from Morocco to Egypt, from Mauritania to Mali) for more than 15,000 years.

Shortly after the beginning of our era, the Berbers came into contact with the Romans. The Moroccan territory came under Roman rule, but in the mountains the Berbers remained in power.

In the 8th century, North Africa was invaded by the Arabs. The Arabs brought Islam with them, after which most Berbers converted.

Although the Berbers embraced Islam, they kept their culture, traditions and language.

More recent developments

When King Hassan II came to power, Arabic was introduced as the official language in Morocco. Tamazight, the Berber dialect, wasn’t seen as an official language in the country. As a result, higher education became almost inaccessible to the Amazigh people. When Mohammed VI, the current king, assumed the throne, there came improvement for the Berbers/Imazighen.

In 2011 a new constitution was passed: Tamazight became officially recognized as a language in Morocco and is now taught in primary schools.

Berbers and Arabs: the current situation

The 2016 census in Morocco estimated the number of Tamazight speakers to be 28% of the population, the Amazigh associations claim a rate of 65 to 70%. This means that they may number around 20 million in Morocco. They grew up with Tamazight (Berber) as their mother tongue. Although today Tamazight is taught in schools in Tifinagh (Berber script), originally the language only has an oral tradition and for decades the language was only spoken.

Tamazight consists of several dialects. For example, Berber from the Rif Mountains is almost a completely different language from Berber from the South. All Berber dialects share some similarities but have an Arabic influence.

For a long time, Berbers lived mainly in the mountain regions of Morocco. In recent centuries, numerous Berber families moved to the larger cities in search of a better financial future.

Even today numerous Berber families still live in the mountain regions of the Rif, Anti-Atlas, High-Atlas and Middle-Atlas. If you want to get to know the real Berber culture you can travel to the deep south of Morocco where their traditions and culture is well kept.

60% of Moroccans were raised in Arabic. The language was brought by the Arabs in the 8th century. The Arabs settled on the fertile plains, on the coast and in the big cities.

Even today the Berber culture and the traditions and customs of the Arabs are still very different.

Would you like to immerse yourself in Berber culture and meet these hospitable people during your tour of Morocco? Check out our  Southern Morocco tours.