The short answer
The Amazigh, often called Berbers, are North Africa's indigenous people, and their culture runs through Morocco: in its languages, villages, crafts, music and calendar. Amazigh (Tamazight) is one of Morocco's two official languages alongside Arabic. Around Marrakech, Amazigh culture is most visible in the High Atlas villages, in weaving and in the Yennayer new year.
In more detail
Many visitors meet Amazigh culture first on a day trip into the Atlas, where Tamazight is the everyday language in the villages and tea is offered in family homes. Ask your guide about the village you are in; customs and dialects differ from valley to valley.
Crafts carry much of the culture. Much of Moroccan rug-making is rooted in Berber and Amazigh culture, where weaving has long carried meaning as well as use. In Marrakech, the museum of Amazigh arts in the Majorelle villa and the Tiskiwin museum, near the Bahia Palace, both give space to Amazigh textiles, jewellery and objects of daily life.
Many Moroccans prefer the word Amazigh to Berber, and you will see both. Using Amazigh is a small, respectful choice.
The Amazigh new year, Yennayer, falls on 13 or 14 January and has been a public holiday in Morocco since 2024. It is mostly a family occasion, marked with a shared meal, and you are more likely to notice it in the Atlas villages than in the city.
Good to know
- Visit the Berber museum at Majorelle for an introduction.
- Learn a Tamazight greeting from your guide in the Atlas.
- Ask before photographing people in villages.