Berber heritage

The Berber people represent the oldest inhabitants of North Africa, also known as Amazigh. Currently, their tribes extend from Mauritania to Egypt, inhabiting the mountainous regions and in some parts of the huge Sahara desert. The Berbers are recognized as Amazigh , which means free or noble, which would be "the noble and free man." "Berber" is a derogatory word derived from the Greco-Roman culture, which was used to refer to all those who did not speak Greek and, therefore, were considered barbarians. The symbols, motifs or designs that were originally used in Berber tattoos were born in pre-Islamic times. All this symbolism was later influenced by the geometric patterns typical of Islamic culture and they have been used to decorate Berber rugs and all kinds of jewelry and handicrafts of the Amazigh tribes. Lion's paw: the lion's claws symbolize strength. It is a symbol of protection. Ouarida: the shape of the diamonds symbolizes a kind of flower. It is a...

Tattoos in a tribal environment serve both to communicate and aesthetically. They can be interpreted as the innate talent for expression that each one possesses, as signs of social or religious belonging or also to calm the ills of physical or spiritual illnesses. Always, tattoos are a means of personal identity representation, strongly marked by the idiosyncrasy of each one. Historically, in the Amazigh or Berber culture, women had the custom of tattooing their faces. Before Islam appeared in North Africa, this was a very common practice of the Berber tribes, even with permanent tattoos. However, these covenants were lost as the faith of Islam penetrated Amazigh societies, since modifying the divine creation is something forbidden or haram in Arabic language. In the past, body tattoos often served to decorate the openings of the body: eyes, mouth, nose, belly button and vagina. or on the most sensitive or vulnerable body surfaces, such as the hands or feet. Currently, for the most ...

Colors , during the history of humanity, have always had connotations and meanings that artisans from different cultures have used to convey sensations and emotions. Most of the colors are associated in positive aspects and have a psychological dimension, linked to the personality and psyche of each individual. At the beginning, the Berber culture developed the decorative arts using mainly six colors: black, white, green, blue, red and yellow, which are the basic colors. However, nowadays rugs craftsmen have a wider color palette, in order to satisfy the most demanding tastes. The symbolism of colors in the Amazigh or Berber culture has Islamic influences. White is associated with wisdom, purity, creativity, and honor. White represents the inner light and the divine. Thus, the Berbers wear white in their ceremonies to celebrate the most loved. Instead, black is often related to the dark, the satanic. In fact, in North Africa, some families do not want to use it, both in their dresses ...

The symbolism of the Berber signs has its origin several thousand years ago. Therefore, analyzing these codes cannot be done in a few lines. In addition, it must be taken into account that all this symbolism varies from one region to another and according to countries and both the colors and the shapes or the belonging of each tribe incorporates its unique idiosyncrasy. The tattoos represented in the Berber culture are positioned as the oldest practice of their civilization. This custom probably comes from the importance that women have in the Berber tribe, historically representative of the land and all its symbolism. Berber women often apply tattoos to their face, chin, forehead, and cheeks, and to the body on their hands, belly, thighs, and legs. The drawings that are usually used are usually quite simple, in the form of a point or a series of points, straight lines, curved lines, V-shaped, straight or curved geometric shapes, shapes of flowers and plants, animals, etc. Tattoos, m...