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.
