The Ghomara (Arabic: غمارة, Berber languages: ⵉⵖⵎⴰⵔⵏ Ighmarn) are a group of tribes in northern Morocco of about 12,000 people[dubiousdiscuss],[citation needed] living between the rivers Oued Laou and Ouringa, east of Chefchaouen and south of Tetouan, in the Western Rif. The river Tiguisas runs through their territory.[2]

Ghomaras
غمارة
ⵉⵖⵎⴰⵔⵏ
Location map of the Ghomara tribes[1]
Total population
12,000[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
Western Rif, Morocco
Languages
Ghomara Berber, Arabic
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
other Berbers

Originally, Ghomaras were a Berber tribal group belonging to the Masmuda confederacy. While most have shifted to speaking Arabic, a minority continue to speak the Berber Ghomara language.[2]

Tribes

edit

The Ghomaras are traditionally divided into nine tribes:[2]

  • Beni Bouzra
  • Beni Grir
  • Beni Khaled
  • Beni Mansour
  • Beni Rezin
  • Beni Selman
  • Beni Smih
  • Beni Zejel
  • Beni Ziat

Bibliography

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ A. Zouggari & J. Vignet-Zunz, "Jbala: Histoire et société", in Sciences Humaines, (1991), p.463. (ISBN 2-222-04574-6)
  2. ^ a b c G. Camps & J. Vignet-Zunz, "Ghomâra", in Encyclopédie berbère, vol. 20, 1998