The Saʿada (singular Saʿdawi) and Murabtin (singular Murabit) form a twofold social division within the

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

s of western Egypt and

eastern Libya Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika (, , after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between the 16th and 25th meridians east, including the Kufra District. The coastal region, als ...

. In modern times, the term ''Murabit'' contrasts with ''Saʿdawi'' and marks a division of social status among the Bedouin component of the population of this region, where the ''Murabtin'' are of lower status. The existence of such a division is a sensitive issue, and its continued observation in Matruh is discouraged by the Egyptian government. Likewise, categorization of the Murabtin as

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

Bedouins. The etymology of ''murābiṭ'' is unclear. It is interpreted as "the tied" (cf.

marabout In the Muslim world, the marabout () is a Sayyid, descendant of Muhammad (Arabic: سـيّد, Romanization of Arabic, romanized: ''sayyid'' and ''sidi'' in the Maghreb) and a Islam, Muslim religious leader and teacher who historically had the f ...

), but it is also derived from '' ribaṭ'', the term for a border fortress.

References

*Donald Powell Cole, Soraya Altorki, "The Saʿada and the Murabtin", ''Bedouin, settlers, and holiday-makers: Egypt's changing northwest coast'', American Univ in Cairo Press, 1998,
pp. 51-56
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saada and Murabtin Nomads Bedouins in Egypt Bedouins in Libya Ethnic groups in Libya Ethnic groups in Egypt Society of Libya