When the Phoenicians first found their way to the new settlement in Carthage, they encountered local tribesmen who had been around in North Africa centuries ago. After Carthaginians, there came other colonists, including Romans, Arabs, Turks and French, to the Maghreb area. The original tribesmen, Berbers, were marginalized to the mountains and deserts. Nowadays, Berbers are scattered in the southern parts of Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco.
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| (Berber man standing in his village in the mountain oasis) |
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| (Berber woman at work) |
The Berber people have their own languages. Many still maintain their nomadic or pastoral life in the Mountain Atlas ranges and the Sahara deserts. They survive in these challenging environments and try to retain their own culture.
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| (Berber tent in the semi-desert area) |
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| (Berber cave dwellings in Matmata) |
During our trip to South Tunisia, we came across few Berber villages and some of their art works. Even though their homes are now far away from the sea, they still have fish as their symbol of fortune.
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| (Fish motif in the entrance of a Berber house) |
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| (Fish and triangle symbols are used in Berber decorative items) |
Berbers also like to use triangles and camels as their decorative motifs. Berbers make carpets for the use in their tents and dwellings. We have brought home two Berber carpets from this trip.
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| (Decorative items for Berber women) |
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| (Carpet with Berber decorative motif) |
Berber people are minority in the North Africa countries. Younger generations are more likely to learn other languages, such as Arab and French, and move to cities for better livings. Berber identities are in danger of dilution. In recent years, there are new social movements among the Berbers. They are trying to have their children learning the Berber languages and cultural heritages. If you are interested to know more about the Berbers, you can read the book from Brett, Michael and
Elizabeth Fentress, The Berbers. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 1996.
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