Morocco
Culture of Morocco
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Please help improve it or
discuss these issues on the talk
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Morocco is a country with a multiethnic
society and a rich culture, civilization, and
etiquette. Throughout Moroccan history ,
Morocco has hosted many peoples, in
addition to the indigenous Berbers, coming
from the East (Phoenicians , Arabs ), South
(Sub-Saharan African ), and North (Romans,
Vandals, Andalousians both Muslims and
Jewish). All of these have left an impact on
the social structure of Morocco. It has also
hosted many forms of beliefs, from
Paganism, Judaism, Christianity to Islam.
Each region possesses its own uniqueness,
contributing to the national culture.
Morocco has set among its top priorities,
the protection of its diversity, and the
preservation of its cultural heritage.
In the political world, Morocco is referred
to as an African state. The majority of
Morocco's population is Arab by identity.
At least a third of the population speaks
the Amazigh language. During the Islamic
expansion, some Arabs came to Morocco
and settled in the flat regions, such as
Tadla and Doukkala. For example, there are
groups called Charkawa and Arbawa who
settled in Morocco from Arabia. The
Charkawa claimed to be descended from
Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second caliph of
Islam.
Facts and figures
Main article: Demographics of Morocco
Moroccan-born singer Hindi Zahra,
who writes songs and sings in
French, English and Berber.
Inside a ceramics workshop in the
city of Fes .
The following figures are taken from the
CIA Factbook .
Population: 33,757,176 (July 2007 est.)
Ethnic groups : Maghrebians (Arab-
Berbers) by heritage, and Arab or Berber by
identity.
Languages :
Classical Arabic (official, though not
used in daily speech)
Amazigh (A standardized version of all
Moroccan Berber languages, official
since July 2011)
Moroccan Arabic (not used in writing,
locally known as Darija)
Vernacular Berber: Tarifit, Tachelhit,
and Central Atlas Tamazight (spoken
and written but not fully standardized).
Hassaniya Arabic: Primarily in the
south
French and Spanish: used along
Arabic in business, government, military,
and diplomacy.
Literacy : (definition: age 15 and over can
read and write) total population: 52.3%
(male: 64.7% / female: 40.6%) (2004
census)
Legal system : based partly on Islamic
law , French and Spanish civil law systems;
judicial review of legislative acts in
Constitutional Chamber of The Moroccan
Higher Council (the equivalent of the US
Supreme Court).
↑Jump back a section
Literature
Main article: Moroccan literature
The history of Moroccan literature started
in the early Middle Ages. In the era of the
Berber dynasties, coinciding with the
flowering of Al-Andalus , there were several
important Moroccan writers, especially in
the fields of religion and
↑Jump back a section
Ethnic groups and languages
Jewish Wedding in Morocco by Eugène
Delacroix, Louvre , Paris
Morocco is considered by some as an Arab-
Berber country. Others insist on the
Berber-African identity of Morocco.
Classical Arabic is an official language of
Morocco, rather than a mother tongue, and
is used in a limited and formal socio-
economic and cultural range of activities
(like newspapers and official documents), in
competition with French, and until recently,
Berber . The most common spoken
languages of Morocco are Berber and
Moroccan Arabic .
Linguistically, Berber belongs to the Afro-
Asiatic group, and has many variants. The
three main varieties used in Morocco are
Shilha, Central Atlas Tamazight, and Riff
(also called Tamazight by its speakers).
Collectively, they are known as Shelha in
Moroccan Arabic, and as Barbaria in the
Classical Arabic used in the Middle East.
The terms Barbar and Shelha are
considered offensive by most Berber
activists, who prefer the term Amazigh.
Shilha (also known locally as Soussia) is
spoken in southwest Morocco, in an area
between Sidi Ifni in the south, Agadir in
the north, and Marrakesh and the Draa/
Sous valleys in the east. Central Atlas
Tamazight is spoken in the Middle Atlas,
between Taza, Khemisset , Azilal, and
Errachidia. Riff is spoken in the Rif area of
northern Morocco in towns like Nador, Al
Hoceima , Ajdir , Tétouan, Taourirt, and Taza .
Most Berbers embraced Islam quickly,
though their non-Arab ethnic and linguistic
distinction has resisted the Arab-Islamic
influence. Hundreds of Amazigh (Berber)
associations have been created to defend
their culture and identity in the last few
decades in Morocco and Algeria.
Newsstands and bookstores in all the major
cities are filled with new Berber
publications that provide articles and
essays about the Amazigh culture and art.
In 1994, the state-owned TV station RTM
(now TVM) started broadcasting a daily, 10
minute long news bulletin in the 3 Berber
dialects. Berber activists are repeatedly
demanding a 50% share of broadcasting
time in standardized Berber (Tamazight) on
all state-owned TV channels. There is also
a national Tamazight channel in Morocco,
called Tamazight TV. It opened in 2010,
and broadcasts for over 6 hours a day, with
an extended broadcast on weekends.
↑Jump back a section
Traditional clothing
A Moroccan kaftan
The traditional dress for men and women
is called djellaba; a long, loose, hooded
garment with full sleeves. For special
occasions, men also wear a red cap called a
bernousse , more commonly referred to as a
Fez . Women wear kaftans decorated with
ornaments. Nearly all men, and most
women, wear balgha (ﺑﻠﻐﻪ ) —- soft leather
slippers with no heel, often dyed yellow.
Women also wear high-heeled sandals,
often with silver or gold tinsel.
The distinction between a djellaba and a
kaftan is that the djellaba has a hood,
while a kaftan does not. Most women’s
djellabas are brightly colored and have
ornate patterns, stitching, or beading,
while men's djellabas are usually plainer
and colored neutrally. Women are strongly
attached to their "Moroccan wardrobe,"
despite the financial costs involved; the
production of such garments is relatively
expensive, as most of the work is done by
hand, yet most women purchase a
minimum of one new kaftan or takchita
every year, normally for a special social
event, such as a religious festival or a
wedding. These days, it is an unwritten
rule that traditional Moroccan dress is
worn at such events.
This article has multiple issues .
Please help improve it or
discuss these issues on the talk
page .
Morocco is a country with a multiethnic
society and a rich culture, civilization, and
etiquette. Throughout Moroccan history ,
Morocco has hosted many peoples, in
addition to the indigenous Berbers, coming
from the East (Phoenicians , Arabs ), South
(Sub-Saharan African ), and North (Romans,
Vandals, Andalousians both Muslims and
Jewish). All of these have left an impact on
the social structure of Morocco. It has also
hosted many forms of beliefs, from
Paganism, Judaism, Christianity to Islam.
Each region possesses its own uniqueness,
contributing to the national culture.
Morocco has set among its top priorities,
the protection of its diversity, and the
preservation of its cultural heritage.
In the political world, Morocco is referred
to as an African state. The majority of
Morocco's population is Arab by identity.
At least a third of the population speaks
the Amazigh language. During the Islamic
expansion, some Arabs came to Morocco
and settled in the flat regions, such as
Tadla and Doukkala. For example, there are
groups called Charkawa and Arbawa who
settled in Morocco from Arabia. The
Charkawa claimed to be descended from
Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the second caliph of
Islam.
Facts and figures
Main article: Demographics of Morocco
Moroccan-born singer Hindi Zahra,
who writes songs and sings in
French, English and Berber.
Inside a ceramics workshop in the
city of Fes .
The following figures are taken from the
CIA Factbook .
Population: 33,757,176 (July 2007 est.)
Ethnic groups : Maghrebians (Arab-
Berbers) by heritage, and Arab or Berber by
identity.
Languages :
Classical Arabic (official, though not
used in daily speech)
Amazigh (A standardized version of all
Moroccan Berber languages, official
since July 2011)
Moroccan Arabic (not used in writing,
locally known as Darija)
Vernacular Berber: Tarifit, Tachelhit,
and Central Atlas Tamazight (spoken
and written but not fully standardized).
Hassaniya Arabic: Primarily in the
south
French and Spanish: used along
Arabic in business, government, military,
and diplomacy.
Literacy : (definition: age 15 and over can
read and write) total population: 52.3%
(male: 64.7% / female: 40.6%) (2004
census)
Legal system : based partly on Islamic
law , French and Spanish civil law systems;
judicial review of legislative acts in
Constitutional Chamber of The Moroccan
Higher Council (the equivalent of the US
Supreme Court).
↑Jump back a section
Literature
Main article: Moroccan literature
The history of Moroccan literature started
in the early Middle Ages. In the era of the
Berber dynasties, coinciding with the
flowering of Al-Andalus , there were several
important Moroccan writers, especially in
the fields of religion and
↑Jump back a section
Ethnic groups and languages
Jewish Wedding in Morocco by Eugène
Delacroix, Louvre , Paris
Morocco is considered by some as an Arab-
Berber country. Others insist on the
Berber-African identity of Morocco.
Classical Arabic is an official language of
Morocco, rather than a mother tongue, and
is used in a limited and formal socio-
economic and cultural range of activities
(like newspapers and official documents), in
competition with French, and until recently,
Berber . The most common spoken
languages of Morocco are Berber and
Moroccan Arabic .
Linguistically, Berber belongs to the Afro-
Asiatic group, and has many variants. The
three main varieties used in Morocco are
Shilha, Central Atlas Tamazight, and Riff
(also called Tamazight by its speakers).
Collectively, they are known as Shelha in
Moroccan Arabic, and as Barbaria in the
Classical Arabic used in the Middle East.
The terms Barbar and Shelha are
considered offensive by most Berber
activists, who prefer the term Amazigh.
Shilha (also known locally as Soussia) is
spoken in southwest Morocco, in an area
between Sidi Ifni in the south, Agadir in
the north, and Marrakesh and the Draa/
Sous valleys in the east. Central Atlas
Tamazight is spoken in the Middle Atlas,
between Taza, Khemisset , Azilal, and
Errachidia. Riff is spoken in the Rif area of
northern Morocco in towns like Nador, Al
Hoceima , Ajdir , Tétouan, Taourirt, and Taza .
Most Berbers embraced Islam quickly,
though their non-Arab ethnic and linguistic
distinction has resisted the Arab-Islamic
influence. Hundreds of Amazigh (Berber)
associations have been created to defend
their culture and identity in the last few
decades in Morocco and Algeria.
Newsstands and bookstores in all the major
cities are filled with new Berber
publications that provide articles and
essays about the Amazigh culture and art.
In 1994, the state-owned TV station RTM
(now TVM) started broadcasting a daily, 10
minute long news bulletin in the 3 Berber
dialects. Berber activists are repeatedly
demanding a 50% share of broadcasting
time in standardized Berber (Tamazight) on
all state-owned TV channels. There is also
a national Tamazight channel in Morocco,
called Tamazight TV. It opened in 2010,
and broadcasts for over 6 hours a day, with
an extended broadcast on weekends.
↑Jump back a section
Traditional clothing
A Moroccan kaftan
The traditional dress for men and women
is called djellaba; a long, loose, hooded
garment with full sleeves. For special
occasions, men also wear a red cap called a
bernousse , more commonly referred to as a
Fez . Women wear kaftans decorated with
ornaments. Nearly all men, and most
women, wear balgha (ﺑﻠﻐﻪ ) —- soft leather
slippers with no heel, often dyed yellow.
Women also wear high-heeled sandals,
often with silver or gold tinsel.
The distinction between a djellaba and a
kaftan is that the djellaba has a hood,
while a kaftan does not. Most women’s
djellabas are brightly colored and have
ornate patterns, stitching, or beading,
while men's djellabas are usually plainer
and colored neutrally. Women are strongly
attached to their "Moroccan wardrobe,"
despite the financial costs involved; the
production of such garments is relatively
expensive, as most of the work is done by
hand, yet most women purchase a
minimum of one new kaftan or takchita
every year, normally for a special social
event, such as a religious festival or a
wedding. These days, it is an unwritten
rule that traditional Moroccan dress is
worn at such events.
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