Culture of Morocco

The Culture of Morocco has changed 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, Andalusians both Muslims and Jewish). Morocco also has many dresses like the caftan which is worn worldwide today.

The majority of Morocco's population is Berber and 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.

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.

Morocco is considered by some as an Arab-Amazigh country. Others insist on the Amazigh-African identity of Morocco.

Classical Arabic and Tamazight are official language of Morocco. Classical Arabic 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. The most common spoken languages of Morocco are Tamazight and Moroccan Arabic.

Linguistically, Amazigh 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 Tamazigh.

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