By

Brahim Boussaid
Amazigh Culture Interpreter
boussaidbrahim@hotmail.com

Morocco, the land of the moors, is a country with multi-ethnic groups. Throughout Moroccan history, it has hosted many nations coming from East and West. Even though old civilizations have had an impact on the social structure of Moroccan Villages, it is important to pay close attention to the features of a modern Moroccan village and study its features. In this article, I will focus the structure of my village in terms of people, space, and power.

The countryside of Morocco is organized with several tribes:

Takbilte, (Tribe) the main unit in Moroccan village, is generally led by an elected council called Imzura or Inghramen (the elected council). All the tribes are presented by their fractions in the council, which stands as the executive committee that manages the daily matters in the village. In addition to the tribes, Amghar (Tribal leader) lays a pivotal role in dealing with inter-family problems. The term of “Amghar” is related to Tamghart, an authority and a power given by the people of the village. The people of the tribe respect the power of the elected council and the tribal leader. Their main functions are: 1) keeping peace in the village, and 2) establishing rules related to the village and its agricultural activities.

A village is generally built on a hill or on a mountain. The location is selected on the basis of its potential to protect villagers from assaults of enemies and harsh weather conditions such as rain and snow. In rocky places, people prefer to build villages at the tops of mountains in order to allow more space for the green fields. The village is built like some of the older Moroccan cities (such as Marrakesh or Taroudante). They are surrounded by walls for protection with two main gates and labyrinth streets. Well organized, the Amazigh village houses shows and places for dancers and singers. The Amazigh village is a testimony of the culture and the history of its people.