Maghrebi Arabs ( ar, :العرب المغاربة ''al-‘Arab al-Maghariba'') or North African Arabs ( ar, عرب شمال أفريقيا ''‘Arab Shamal Ifriqiya'') are the inhabitants of the North African

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

region whose native language is

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

and identify as

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

. This ethnic identity is a product of the Arab conquest of North Africa during the Arab–Byzantine wars and the spread of Islam to Africa. The migration of Arabs to North Africa in the 11th century was a major factor in the ethnical, linguistic and cultural Arabization of the Maghreb region.

Traditions

Morocco

Moroccan women traditionally wear copious amounts of jewelry on their neck, arms, head and ears. Preferably, the jewelry should be made from pure gold as this signifies that the family is economically well-off. The jewelry tends to be decorated with different jewels like

rubies A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sap ...

olivine The mineral olivine () is a magnesium iron silicate with the chemical formula . It is a type of nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle, it is a common mineral in Earth's subsurface, but weathers quickl ...

s, Andalucian beads, pearls and

diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, bu ...

. The olivines and the pearls are traditionally used in most Maghrebi jewelry. The olivine represents female beauty, and was historically associated with the pre-Islamic goddesses of the Arabian pantheon. The pearls used in the jewelry represent wealth and fortune.

Weddings

Brides in Morocco adorn themselves in extensive amounts of jewelry, the amount of jewelry depends on the economic status of the family. Different regions in Morocco have different types of traditional jewelry. Brides in the region of

Tanger Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the ca ...

- Tetouan add pearls to their traditional jewelry, whereas brides in the region of Fes add pheridot jewels and gold. In the Sahara, gold and coloured beads are added to the outfit. Families that can't afford to buy jewelry rent it for the occasion. The headdresses used in the ceremony also tend to differ depending on the region. The northern region of Morocco, (

- Tetouan), use a striped and glittery fabric to cover the bride's head. A headpiece in either silver or gold (depending on the region) is placed over the fabrics and is sometimes decorated with jewels. In the central region, Fes-Meknes, a decorated dark green and golden fabric is used, over it a golden headpiece is placed, decorated with dark green pheridot jewels and pearls hanging down over the face. In the southern region, Western Sahara, the women wear a headpiece decorated with gold pieces and coloured beads that differ from tribe to tribe. The bride's head is covered with a black fabric.

Cuisine

Morocco

* Tharid *

Chermoula Chermoula (Berber: ''tacermult'' or ''tacermilt'', ar, شرمولة) or charmoula is a marinade and relish used in Algerian, Libyan, Moroccan and Tunisian cooking. It is traditionally used to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other ...

harira Harira ( ar, الحريرة ''al-ḥarīra'', shi, ⴰⵣⴽⴽⵉⴼ ''azkkif'' or ⴰⵙⴽⴽⵉⴼ ''askkif'') is a traditional North African soup prepared in Morocco and Algeria. Algerian harira differs from Moroccan harira in that Algerian ...

Pastilla Pastilla ( ara, بسطيلة, basṭīla, also called North African pie) is a North African meat or seafood pie made with ''warqa'' dough (), which is similar to filo. It is a specialty of Morocco and Algeria. It has more recently been spread ...

* Rfissa * Tangia * Amlou * Djaj mhameer * Seffa * Mechoui Couscous

Algeria

* Shorba *Chakchoukha * *Hem Ahlo

Tunisia

* Assidat Zgougou *

Brik Brik ( ; ) or ''burek'' is the north African version of borek, a stuffed filo pastry which is commonly deep fried. The best-known version is the egg brik, a whole egg in a triangular pastry pocket with chopped onion, tuna, harissa and parsley ...

* Fricasse *

Harissa Harissa ( ar, هريسة ''harīsa'', from Maghrebi Arabic) is a hot chili pepper paste, native to the Maghreb. The main ingredients are roasted red peppers, Baklouti peppers (), spices and herbs such as garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander ...

* Lablabi

Libya

* Basin * Sharba * couscous belbuslah * Ftàt * Ousban * psisa

List of tribes

Morocco

Azwafit The Azwafit or Azwafayt ( ar, أزوفيت) is a tribe of bedouin (nomad) Arab origin. Etymology The word "Azwafit" ( ar, أزوفيت) is derived from the Arabic word "zfata", means "To protect from the Zfata". The Zfata is a group of people ...

, a tribe of Bedouin

origin, part of the greater Tekna confederation. Historically the tribe would escort and protect caravans for the payment of a fee known as "Ztata" or "Zfata", whence the name Azwafit. Because they became part of a bigger Berber tribe, the Arab sub-tribes are partially Berberised and speak Berber today. The writer La Chapelle noted that Azwafits counted the following five branches: Ait Ahmed Ou Ali, Ahl Hayin, Mhamd Ait Ait El Khennous, Ait Messaoud Ait Boukko and Ida Ou Louggan. * Ahl Rachida, an

tribe, also referred to as Ouled Sidi Yaakoub. The tribe can trace its lineage to the Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...

through his grandson,

Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali ( ar, الحسن بن علي, translit=Al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī; ) was a prominent early Islamic figure. He was the eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He briefly ruled as caliph from Jan ...

. * Hyayna * Hamyane * Rhamna *

Abda The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA) Command, or ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia in early 1942, during the Pacific War in World War II. The command consists of the forces of Austra ...

, an Arab tribe whose origin dates back to the arrival of the Beni

Maqil The Banu Ma'qil ( ar, بنو معقل) was an Arab nomadic tribe that originated in South Arabia. The tribe emigrated to the Maghreb region of North Africa with the Banu Hilal and Banu Sulaym tribes in the 11th century. They mainly settled in and ...

tribe at the end of the Merinid era. Historian Eugene Aubin wrote: "The Abda are a powerful tribe, consisting of thirty-thousand cind lights, Arab purment race, they occupy a fertile territory, rich in horses and cattle. It is one of five quasi-Makhzen tribes of Morocco." It consists of three branches, Bhatra, Rabiaa and Ouled Amer. *

Beni Ahsen The Beni Ahsen ( ar, بني احسن) is an Arabian Moroccan tribe which belongs to the bigger Maqil tribe.Historical dictionary of the bedouins. Muhammad Suwaed. 2015. History The tribe settled in Morocco, north-Africa in the 12th century. Aro ...

, an Arab-Moroccan tribe, part of Beni Maqil. They settled in the Missour and Almis area around the 16th century, and migrated northwest of the Sefrou region in the 17th century. In the 18th century they were pushed west by the Zemmour tribe, which had migrated north from the south. Today they are located in the region of Rabat and the Atlantic coast.Historical dictionary of the bedouins. Muhammad Suwaed. 2015 * Beni Amir * Beni Guil, an Arab tribe that can trace its lineage to the prophet's grandson,

. In the 10th century their ancestors were given the right to graze in eastern and western Morocco by the Fatimid ruler Al-Mu'izz li-Din Allah. * Beni Mathar *

Beni Hassan is a Japanese R&B singer, who debuted in 2004 under the Avex Trax label. In 2008, Arashiro left Avex Trax and transferred to Universal Music Japan where she started to perform as simply Beni (stylized as BENI). She was initially best known fo ...

* Beni Khirane *

Beni Zemmour Beni Zemmour is a Arab tribe descendant of Banu Hilal It is part of the Tadla confederacy."Bulletin". ''Société de géographie d'Alger et de l'Afrique du Nord'', Vol. 24, 1923, p. 191. See also *Tadla *Beni Hassan * Beni Ahsen * Rahamna *Maqil ...

References

{{Demographics of Morocco Arabs in Morocco Arabs in Algeria Arabs in Tunisia Arabs in Libya Andalusia Tribes of Africa Tribes of Arabia Arabs Arabs in North Africa Arab groups Maghreb Ethnic groups in North Africa