The Berbers are the indigenous people of North Africa. They
are herders, nomads, mountain rug weavers of the land and they leave a
free spirited mountain lifestyle; very liberal and democratic compared
with their Arab neighbors. Throughout the centuries, Berbers have been
exposed to organized faiths with Islam at last, they have nevertheless
kept their rituals and beliefs, a heritage which can be traced to the
Neolithic period.
One of the most unique of these rituals is the betrothal
ceremony at the Imilchil fair. High on a verdant plateau sits Imichil,
the pastoral gathering place for the surrounding tribes of the Ait
Sokham and Ait Bougemmaz. They gather at the end of summer, in the
early days of September, having spent the spring and the hot days of
summer, in the early mountain peaks with their flocks. Now it is time
to begin the transition to leave the nomadic life behind and settle in
for the winter months. It is the time to prepare the plots and terraces
for the fall plough. And now it is the time, as it has been for
centuries, for the social gathering to occur. Now it is time for the
fair.
