Visiting a Berber Family in the Ourika Valley

Ourika Valley is located in the High Atlas Mountains. It's scenic with lush landscapes, beautiful waterfalls, and very close to Marrakesh, which made it an easy day trip to visit the small community of an authentic Berber home. 

The Berber people, also known as Amazigh, are proud indigenous people of North Africa including Morocco. They have a distinct language and culture. They are considered the oldest inhabitants of North Africa with roots going back 20,000 years.

Berber tribes have various social structures, including Patriarchal and matriarchal systems, and unique approaches to leadership and family roles. The family we visited is matriarchal.

                                        Street views outside the Berber home.

 

                                              Inside the  Berber home.

                                               Rasheed telling us about this Berber home.

 The family has invited us for tea and snacks. The favourite drank is mint tea made with fresh mint leaves. Over the duration of our trip, we drank  lot of mint tea. The Moroccans are very fussy how the tea is prepared and poured.

 

                                                 This granny is the head of her family.

This cone shape is a block of sugar that is hit with a knife to break off pieces to sweeten the tea.

This young family member is 9 years old and helped with serving the tea and snacks.

                                         Rasheed is pouring the tea is the proper Moroccan way. 

                                                The family's kitchen.

                                              This was a very interesting tour.