Berber Daily Life
A brief overview of the traditional lifestyles, cuisine, clothing, and housing of Berber peoples.
The Imazighen, or Berbers, have practiced many lifestyles across their long history. Their ways of life can generally be divided between urban tradespeople, rural farmers, and nomadic herders of the desert.
Traditional Berber Foods
The staple foods of Maghrebi cuisine are wheat-based, including couscous, semolina, and bread. Rural families historically grew their own wheat as well as olives, plums, figs, dates, herbs, lemons, and other fruits and vegetables. They cooked with spices like coriander, cinnamon, parsley, mint, and ginger. Farmers also raised chickens, goats, sheep, and cattle. Milk was then converted into cheeses and yogurts. Additionally, coastal peoples enjoyed access to abundant seafoods. Pork, forbidden by Islam and Judaism, is rarely consumed.
All of these ingredients are still represented in modern North African cuisines. Tajine, named after the dish it is cooked in, is a popular form of soup or stew. Shakshouka, another common meal, consists of poached eggs in a chili pepper, tomato, and onion sauce.
Further Reading:
Historic Berber Housing
The traditional urban home, especially in Morocco, is the riad. This type of house presents a plain facade, often with an ornamental door. Inside, its living quarters are divided by gender. A central enclosed courtyard provides a private space for families to relax and cool off. In more rural areas, farmers are more likely to live in adobe or clay brick houses, sometimes set into hillsides. Saharan nomads, meanwhile, construct tents from wool, camel, or goat hair. These tents may be arranged within walls to form a compound. Carpets, sometimes woven within the family, are the standard form of flooring. All of these housing styles see variations between cities, cultures, and social classes.
Further Reading:
North African Clothing Customs
Traditional Berber clothing is designed to be cool and loose. Historically, both men and women wore the djellaba, a hooded outer robe of wool or cotton. The color of a djellaba may reveal the origin or marital status of its wearer. The Tuaregs, for example, are famous for their vibrant blue robes dyed with woad or indigo. Men generally cover their heads in wrapped turbans, while women wear headscarves. Women may also wear kaftan and takchita dresses. The white haik, mainly seen in Algeria, is a more conservative women’s outfit similar to the Arabic niqab.
Further Reading:
Modern Lifestyles of the Maghreb
Colonialism and modernization have brought changes to the Maghreb, though many Berber communities continue to lead traditional lifestyles. New technologies and the pressures of modern economics both connect and divide communities. While communication and transportation are simpler, many young men now leave their homes to work as laborers in cities. Migrant populations commonly travel to European nations like Spain and France in search of work. Increasing drought and desertification also place pressure on rural farmers and herders. Navigating these challenges and keeping Berber societies intact is a key priority among activist groups today.
Learn More About Berber Culture
Cultural Overview | Geography | History | Daily Life | Society | Economy | Beliefs | Art & Music
References
Goodman, Jane. Berber Culture on the World Stage: From Village to Video. Indiana University Press. 2005.
Hart, David M. Tribe and Society in Rural Morocco. Routledge. 2014.
Maddy-Weitzman, Bruce. The Berber Identity Movement and the Challenge to North African States. University of Texas Press. 2011.
Nisan, Mordechai. Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-Expression. 2nd ed. McFarland. 2012.
About TOTA
TOTA.world provides cultural information and sharing across the world to help you explore your Family’s Cultural History and create deep connections with the lives and cultures of your ancestors.
