The Amazigh People
In ancient and medieval times, the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines all used words which are similar to "Berber" in reference to various tribes that inhabited “Greater Libya" (that is, the area which is now called North Africa), in areas where Berbers were later to be found. The term is often referenced coming from the word "barbarian." Although the following tribal names differ from the names used in those classical sources, they are nevertheless probably related to the modern Amazigh. The Meshwesh tribe was the first of these tribes to be identified by researchers. Scholars believe it is the same tribe that was called Mazyes by the ancient Greek writer Hektaios and Maxyes by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. In Latin sources, the tribe was called Mazaces and Mazax, and was related to the later Massylii and Masaesyli. Late antiquity Roman and Coptic language sources record that a tribe referred to as Mazices conducted multiple raids against Egypt. All these names are similar to the names used by the Berbers to refer to themselves, and are perhaps foreign renditions of Amazigh,
Very Welcoming People
The Amazigh people are incredibly friendly. Whether you visit one of the wealthiest family or one of the more modest ones, they will make it a point to welcome you with tea, snacks, and to show you around their house. On some occasions, they will even show your their best dresses and ask you to try them on, and then pose for photos with you.
Especially the children, Amazigh people have lots of children, and these are absolutely adorable and during a trip to the Berber villages in Morocco you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with them. As soon as they realize there’s a visitor in the village, they’ll come running and make a show of their best tricks, engage you in a game of soccer, pull you by your hand to take you around the village and show you to their family and friends. They will be all smiles and hugs and will make your time even more memorable.
Mules
Mules are working animals to the Amazigh and when you’ll visit you will notice that a lot of them are charged with weights or that that people ride them. Please keep in mind that using mules for work purposes is part of the local culture, and that these animals are nicely treated and well taken care of – it’s in the interest of their owners to make sure that the animals are healthy and fit to work.
Waste disposal
Although it is doing much better than its neighboring countries, waste disposal is very much an issue in Morocco, and even more so in the Berber villages of the Atlas Mountains where there is no garbage collection system. You may not notice if you just visit for a day, but there are large waste dumps close to the villages and people often set them on fire, with terrible consequences for the environment and their health.
Terminology and Language
A polite way to refer to them is as the Amazigh, though they use Berber as well, to describe their culture. They rarely consider themselves Moroccan and separate themselves from those that do. 40% of these people make up the diversity of Morocco and are in every part, especially the High Atlas Mountains. They speak their own language and in many cases they do not speak much French or Arabic.
In ancient and medieval times, the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines all used words which are similar to "Berber" in reference to various tribes that inhabited “Greater Libya" (that is, the area which is now called North Africa), in areas where Berbers were later to be found. The term is often referenced coming from the word "barbarian." Although the following tribal names differ from the names used in those classical sources, they are nevertheless probably related to the modern Amazigh. The Meshwesh tribe was the first of these tribes to be identified by researchers. Scholars believe it is the same tribe that was called Mazyes by the ancient Greek writer Hektaios and Maxyes by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. In Latin sources, the tribe was called Mazaces and Mazax, and was related to the later Massylii and Masaesyli. Late antiquity Roman and Coptic language sources record that a tribe referred to as Mazices conducted multiple raids against Egypt. All these names are similar to the names used by the Berbers to refer to themselves, and are perhaps foreign renditions of Amazigh,
Very Welcoming People
The Amazigh people are incredibly friendly. Whether you visit one of the wealthiest family or one of the more modest ones, they will make it a point to welcome you with tea, snacks, and to show you around their house. On some occasions, they will even show your their best dresses and ask you to try them on, and then pose for photos with you.
Especially the children, Amazigh people have lots of children, and these are absolutely adorable and during a trip to the Berber villages in Morocco you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with them. As soon as they realize there’s a visitor in the village, they’ll come running and make a show of their best tricks, engage you in a game of soccer, pull you by your hand to take you around the village and show you to their family and friends. They will be all smiles and hugs and will make your time even more memorable.
Mules
Mules are working animals to the Amazigh and when you’ll visit you will notice that a lot of them are charged with weights or that that people ride them. Please keep in mind that using mules for work purposes is part of the local culture, and that these animals are nicely treated and well taken care of – it’s in the interest of their owners to make sure that the animals are healthy and fit to work.
Waste disposal
Although it is doing much better than its neighboring countries, waste disposal is very much an issue in Morocco, and even more so in the Berber villages of the Atlas Mountains where there is no garbage collection system. You may not notice if you just visit for a day, but there are large waste dumps close to the villages and people often set them on fire, with terrible consequences for the environment and their health.
Terminology and Language
A polite way to refer to them is as the Amazigh, though they use Berber as well, to describe their culture. They rarely consider themselves Moroccan and separate themselves from those that do. 40% of these people make up the diversity of Morocco and are in every part, especially the High Atlas Mountains. They speak their own language and in many cases they do not speak much French or Arabic.
