A Moroccan Love Story : Amazigh Culture & Tamazight Language
Asgas Amgaz / Aseggas Ameggaz (Happy New Year 2970) to my Amazigh Friends!🇲🇦
To celebrate I give you my Tamazight language / Amazigh designs. Well known facts about Morocco are tagine, camels, couscous, Arabic Calligraphy, large/ornate jewels women wear, caftans, cute shoes, the desert, Zalige patterns etc. 😉
But what about the Amazigh people? They have such a beautiful, vibrant, distinct, ancient, unique culture/history and language (Tamazight) which is overshadowed by Arabic culture.
Spending nearly a month in Morocco, I felt right at home ( I long to return soon IA), perhaps because Amazigh culture is so similar to my Tamil Culture. 🥰
Tamil Culture in the US is overshadowed by North Indian culture. When you say “Indian” most people associate chai, samosas, bollywood, expect you to speak Hindi language etc🙄- none of which is native to the state of Tamil Nadu 😉
Tamil people like the Amazigh have a harvest New Year called Pongal which is Jan 15.
My scarf design says TILLEI ABDA meaning ALWAYS BE FREE- something I live by.
Here’s a mockup on Hassan, I’m wearing my Inshallah scarf.😉
The t-shirt designs combine geometric patterns, Southern Mosque architecture (very distinct & unique to desert Mosques), Jewelry carvings (I bought a vintage Amazigh bracelet from the 19th C & our silver rings), traditional colors (Blue, Brown, Cream for Men’s Clothing of the Desert), & Tamazight script.
The V-neck says TIHLI or BEAUTY. Regular Tee says TUSNA or KNOWLEDGE
The offset triangular shape is inspired by a men’s outfit called a Djellaba - but this design is native to Amazigh people from the Desert. There’s a huge pocket heavily embroidered stitched on the front. I thought it was the coolest design ever, plus it looks like an Indian Salwar Kameez. 😉
Hassan still makes fun of me for buying a men’s outfit (how we managed to find a hot pink one for me in the village, God knows! ),😂🤣 but some Moroccan website featured me wearing it, though it’s a dudes outfit! haha!
The Tamazight language was not taught in schools but is slowly making a comeback. That’s why it's difficult to find correct information online, only the younger generations are learning to fully write it.
I’m blessed I have good friends excited to share their culture/heritage with me! I find the letterforms to be very interesting/inspiring and am enjoying designing/experimenting with them!
Please don’t use the term “Berber” that’s kind of an offensive term given by the Romans/colonizers. Correct term for people is Amazigh, Tamazight is language, Tamazirt is Country.
