THE BERBERS OF MOROCCO

Posted April 2, 2015

Every year Moroccan Berber’s cross the Anti Atlas Mountains, seeking out the fertile plains to the north for their herds to graze. It’s these sort of ‘pilgrimages’ that typify Berber tradition. Paying no taxes and referring to themselves as ‘The Free People’, Berbers argue that people who live in fixed homes have surrendered their freedom. The security that we see with permanence is viewed by nomads as a restriction on ones liberty. Berber life is a sort of pilgrimage that ties them to the world in a different way.

Something that exemplifies their close relationship with the natural world is the Berber’s relationship with their animals. Animals are regarded as individuals and all play an essential role within each tribe – whether it be providing milk for the family or, in the case of dogs, guarding the camp from jackals at night. Animals that are too young to walk are carried by the Berber woman and are doted on like young children.

At first light, the camp is packed and loaded onto camels by the Berber men who then march ahead to the next campsite. Once there, the men doze in the late afternoon sun, waiting for the woman to arrive with the herd of sheep and goats. Often in the evenings, the tribe calmly sip sweet-mint tea and sleep beneath the starry-desert sky.

Berber’s are Muslim, but the way in which they live with such a reverence for the natural world around them, can often make you forget this. Their lives are simple, but their security lies in this simplicity that relies on the world that surrounds them.

If you would like the opportunity to trek with Berbers in Morocco, contact us to find out about our private tours.