List of Imazighen
Encyclopedia
Pharaoh
- Ramses II , according to L. Balout, C. Roubet and C. Desroches-Noblecourt, study titled 'La Momie de Ramsès II: Contribution Scientifique à l'Égyptologie (1985).' Balout and Roubet concluded that "the anthropological study and the microscopic analysis" of the pharaoh's hair showed that Ramses II was "a fair-skinned man related to the Prehistoric and Antiquity Mediterranean peoples, or briefly, of the BerberBerber peopleBerbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are continuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke the Berber language or varieties of it, which together form a branch...
of Africa."
- Shoshenq IShoshenq IHedjkheperre Setepenre Shoshenq I , , also known as Sheshonk or Sheshonq I , was a Meshwesh Berber king of Egypt—of Libyan ancestry—and the founder of the Twenty-second Dynasty...
, Egyptian PharaohPharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
of Libyan origin, founder of the Twenty-second dynasty of EgyptTwenty-second dynasty of EgyptThe Twenty-First, Twenty-Second, Twenty-Third, Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Dynasties of ancient Egypt are often combined under the group title, Third Intermediate Period.-Rulers:...
Kings of Numidia
- MasinissaMasinissaMasinissa — also spelled Massinissa and Massena — was the first King of Numidia, an ancient North African nation of ancient Libyan tribes. As a successful general, Masinissa fought in the Second Punic War , first against the Romans as an ally of Carthage an later switching sides when he saw which...
, King of NumidiaNumidiaNumidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
, North Africa, present day Algeria and Tunisia - JugurthaJugurthaJugurtha or Jugurthen was a King of Numidia, , born in Cirta .-Background:Until the reign of Jugurtha's grandfather Masinissa, the people of Numidia were semi-nomadic and indistinguishable from the other Libyans in North Africa...
, King of NumidiaNumidiaNumidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later... - Juba IIJuba IIJuba II or Juba II of Numidia was a king of Numidia and then later moved to Mauretania. His first wife was Cleopatra Selene II, daughter to Greek Ptolemaic Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and Roman triumvir Mark Antony.-Early life:Juba II was a prince of Berber descent from North Africa...
, King of NumidiaNumidiaNumidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
Roman Emperors and Generals
- MacrinusMacrinusMacrinus , was Roman Emperor from 217 to 218. Macrinus was of "Moorish" descent and the first emperor to become so without membership in the senatorial class.-Background and career:...
, Roman emperorRoman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
for 14 months in 217 and 218 - Clodius AlbinusClodius AlbinusClodius Albinus was a Roman usurper proclaimed emperor by the legions in Britain and Hispania upon the murder of Pertinax in 193.-Life:...
, governor of BritanniaBritanniaBritannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the... - Lusius QuietusLusius Quietusthumb|300px|Stylised Moorish Cavalry under Lusius Quietus, fighting against the Dacians. From the Column of Trajan.Lusius Quietus was a Roman general and governor of Iudaea in 117.- Life :...
, governor of JudaeaIudaea ProvinceJudaea or Iudaea are terms used by historians to refer to the Roman province that extended over parts of the former regions of the Hasmonean and Herodian kingdoms of Israel...
and one of the best TrajanTrajanTrajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
's chief generals - Quintus Lollius UrbicusQuintus Lollius UrbicusQuintus Lollius Urbicus was governor of Roman Britain between the years 139 and 142, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. He is named in the text known as the Augustan History, and his name appears on five Roman inscriptions from Britain; his career is set out in detail on a pair...
, governor of BritanniaBritanniaBritannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
from 138 to 144 - Septimius SeverusSeptimius SeverusSeptimius Severus , also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. Severus was born in Leptis Magna in the province of Africa. As a young man he advanced through the customary succession of offices under the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Severus seized power after the death of...
, Roman emperorRoman EmperorThe Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
from 193 to 211
Writers
- TerenceTerencePublius Terentius Afer , better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic, of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on,...
, (Publius Terentius Afer), Roman writer - ApuleiusApuleiusApuleius was a Latin prose writer. He was a Berber, from Madaurus . He studied Platonist philosophy in Athens; travelled to Italy, Asia Minor and Egypt; and was an initiate in several cults or mysteries. The most famous incident in his life was when he was accused of using magic to gain the...
, Roman writer ("half-Numidian, half-Gaetulian") - PriscianPriscianPriscianus Caesariensis , commonly known as Priscian, was a Latin grammarian. He wrote the Institutiones grammaticae on the subject...
, Latin grammarian of the 5th Century, born in modern Algeria
Christians
- Saint Augustine of HippoAugustine of HippoAugustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
, from Tagaste, was Amazigh - Saint Monica of HippoMonica of HippoSaint Monica is a Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo, who wrote extensively of her virtues and his life with her in his Confessions.-Life:...
, Saint Augustine's mother - AriusAriusArius was a Christian presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt of Libyan origins. His teachings about the nature of the Godhead, which emphasized the Father's divinity over the Son , and his opposition to the Athanasian or Trinitarian Christology, made him a controversial figure in the First Council of...
, who proposed the doctrine of ArianismArianismArianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father... - Donatus MagnusDonatus MagnusDonatus Magnus, also known as Donatus of Casae Nigra, became leader of a schismatic Christian sect in North Africa. He is believed to have died in exile around 355.-Life:...
, leader of the DonatistDonatistDonatism was a Christian sect within the Roman province of Africa that flourished in the fourth and fifth centuries. It had its roots in the social pressures among the long-established Christian community of Roman North Africa , during the persecutions of Christians under Diocletian...
schism
Others
- TacfarinasTacfarinasTacfarinas was a Numidian deserter from the Roman army who led his own Musulamii tribe and a loose and changing coalition of other Ancient Libyan tribes in a war against the Romans in North Africa during the rule of emperor Tiberius .Although Tacfarinas' personal motivation is unknown, it is...
, who fought the Romans in the Aures MountainsAurès MountainsThe Aurès , or Aurea, refers to an Amazigh language-speaking region in East Algeria, as well as an extension of the Atlas mountain range that lies to the east of the Saharan Atlas in eastern Algeria and northwestern Tunisia... - FirmusFirmus (4th century usurper)Firmus was a Roman usurper under Valentinian I.Firmus was the son of the Moorish prince Nubel, a powerful Roman military officer, as well as a wealthy Christian...
, who fought the Romans Between 372372Year 372 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Modestus and Arintheus...
and 375375Year 375 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year after the Consulship of Augustus and Equitius... - GildoGildoGildo was a Roman general in the province of Mauretania. He revolted against Honorius and the western empire but was defeated and committed suicide....
, who fought the Romans in 398398Year 398 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Eutychianus...
In medieval times
- Adrian of CanterburyAdrian of CanterburySaint Adrian of Canterbury was a famous scholar and the Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury in the English county of Kent.-Life:...
, Abbot of St Augustine's AbbeySt Augustine's AbbeySt Augustine's Abbey was a Benedictine abbey in Canterbury, Kent, England.-Early history:In 597 Saint Augustine arrived in England, having been sent by Pope Gregory I, on what might nowadays be called a revival mission. The King of Kent at this time was Æthelberht, who happened to be married to a...
in CanterburyCanterburyCanterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour.... - Dihya or al-KahinaKahinaal-Kāhina was a 7th century female Berber religious and military leader, who led indigenous resistance to Arab expansion in Northwest Africa, the region then known as Numidia, known as the Maghreb today...
- Aksil or Kusayla
- Salih ibn TarifSalih ibn Tarif' was the second king of the Berghouata Berber kingdom, and proclaimed himself a prophet of a new religion. He appeared during the caliphate of Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik in 744 AD...
of the BerghouataBerghouataThe Barghawata were a medieval Berber tribe confederation of the Atlantic coast of Morocco, belonging to the Masmuda group of tribes... - Tariq ibn Ziyad, one of the leaders of the Moorish conquest of Iberia in 711.
- Ibn TumartIbn TumartAbu Abd Allah Muhammad Ibn Tumart was a Berber religious Muslim scholar, teacher and later a political leader from the Masmuda tribe federation. He founded the Berber Almohad dynasty. He is also known as El-Mahdi in reference to his prophesied redeeming...
, founder of the AlmohadAlmohadThe Almohad Dynasty , was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his...
dynasty - Yusuf ibn TashfinYusuf ibn TashfinYusef ibn Tashfin also, Tashafin, or Teshufin; or Yusuf; was a king of the Almoravid empire, he founded the city of Marrakech and led the Muslim forces in the Battle of Zallaqa....
, founder of the Almoravid dynasty - Ibn BattutaIbn BattutaAbu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta , or simply Ibn Battuta, also known as Shams ad–Din , was a Muslim Moroccan Berber explorer, known for his extensive travels published in the Rihla...
(1304–1377), MoroccanMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
traveller and explorer - al-Ajurrumi (famous grammarian of ArabicArabic languageArabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
) - Fodhil al-Warthilani, traveler and religious scholar of the 18th century
- Abu Yaqub Yusuf I, who had the GiraldaGiraldathumb|right|The Giralda at its various stages of construction: Almohad , Medieval Christian , and Renaissance .The Giralda is a former minaret that was converted to a bell tower for the Cathedral of Seville in Seville...
in SevilleSevilleSeville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
built. - Abu Yaqub Yusuf II, who had the Torre del OroTorre del OroThe Torre del Oro is a dodecagonal military watchtower in Seville, southern Spain, built by the Almohad dynasty in order to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river....
in SevilleSevilleSeville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
built. - Ziri ibn ManadZiri ibn ManadZiri ibn Manad was founder of the Zirid dynasty in the Maghreb.Ziri ibn Manad was a clan leader of the Berber Sanhaja tribe who, as an ally of the Fatimids, defeated the rebellion of Abu Yazid...
founder of the ZiridZiridThe Zirid dynasty were a Sanhadja Berber dynasty, originating in modern Algeria, initially on behalf of the Fatimids, for about two centuries, until weakened by the Banu Hilal and finally destroyed by the Almohads. Their capital was Kairouan...
dynasty - Sidi Mahrez Tunisian saint
- Ibn Al jهzzar famous doctor of KairouanKairouanKairouan , also known as Kirwan or al-Qayrawan , is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate in Tunisia. Referred to as the Islamic Cultural Capital, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city was founded by the Arabs around 670...
, 980. - Muhammad AwzalMuhammad AwzalMohammed Awzal , also known as Muhammad ibn Ali Awzal or al-Awzali was a religious Berber poet. He is considered the most important author of the Teshelhit literary tradition...
(ca. 1680–1749), prolific Sous Berber poet (see also Ocean of Tears) - Muhammad al-JazuliMuhammad al-JazuliSidi Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli al-Simlali , often known as "Imam al-Jazuli", was a Moroccan Sufi leader of the Berber tribe of the Jazulah. He is especially famous for compiling the Dala'il al-Khayrat, an extremely popular Muslim prayer book...
, author of the Dala'il al-Khairat, Sufi - Imam Buseiri, poet and author of the famous poem Qasida Burda – lived in Alexandria
Politicians
- Mohammed Arav BessaoudMohammed Arav BessaoudMohammed Arav Bessaoud was an Algerian writer and activist.Described as the spiritual father of Berberism, "Dda Moh" was a Mujahideen during the Algerian War of Liberation 1954-62. He was the founder of the Academie Berbere in Paris during the 1960s and the designer of the modern Berber flag...
, Described as the spiritual father of Berberism, Bessaoud was a Muhjahedin during the war of liberation 1954–62, founder of the Académie berbère in Paris during the 1960s, designer of the modern Berber flag, author of several books on the War of Independence, its aftermath and the history of the Berbers, he was one of the leading lights of Berberism during the 20th and early 21st centuries. - Saïd SadiSaïd SadiSaïd Sadi is an Algerian politician and President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy ....
, secularist politician. - Hocine Aït AhmedHocine Aït AhmedHocine Aït Ahmed is an Algerian politician....
, Algerian revolutionary fighter and secularist politician. - Sidi Said, Leader of the Algerian syndicat of workers : UGTA.
- Khalida ToumiKhalida ToumiKhalida Toumi , aka Khalida Messaoudi, is an Algerian politician. She is the Minister of Communication and Culture. She is also a feminist activist...
, Algerian feminist and secularist, currently spokesperson for the Algerian government. - Ahmed OuyahiaAhmed OuyahiaAhmed Ouyahia is an Algerian politician who has been Prime Minister of Algeria since June 2008. He was previously Prime Minister from 1995 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2006. A career diplomat, he also served as Minister of Justice, and was one of the founders and a president of the RND party...
, Prime Minister of AlgeriaPrime Minister of AlgeriaThe Prime Minister is the head of government of Algeria.The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of Algeria, along with other ministers and members of the government that the new Prime Minister recommends. The People's National Assembly must approve the legislative program of the new... - Belaïd AbrikaBelaïd AbrikaBelaïd Abrika is a professor of History at the Mouloud Mammeri University of Tizi-Ouzou. However, he has become one of the best-known modern Kabyles through his role as a leader and spokesperson of the Arouch protest movement in the region of Kabylie in Algeria.He has been arrested several...
, one of the spokesmen of the Arouch. - Nordine Ait Hamouda, secularist politician and son of Colonel AmiroucheColonel AmiroucheAmirouche Aїt Hamouda was born on 31 October 1926 in Tassaft Ouguemoun in the Djurdjura mountains in Kabylia, Algeria...
. - Saadeddine OthmaniSaadeddine OthmaniSaadeddine Othmani is a Moroccan politician and psychiatrist. He was born in 1956 in Inezgane near Agadir in the Souss region. He earned a Doctorate in Medicine from the Hassan II University of Casablanca in...
, deputy of InezganeInezganeInezgane is a city on the north bank of the Oued Souss river, about south of Agadir, on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Morocco. It is in some ways a suburb to the larger Agadir, but unlike the tourism-centered Agadir, Inezgane is a typical Moroccan/Berber city...
, an outer suburb of AgadirAgadirAgadir is a major city in southwest Morocco, capital of the Agadir province and the Sous-Massa-Draa economic region .-Etymology:...
, is the leader of the Justice and Development PartyJustice and Development Party (Morocco)The Justice and Development Party is the largest opposition political party in Morocco. The PJD advocates Islamism and Islamic democracy.-History:...
(Islamist). - Driss JettouDriss Jettou-Early life and education:Jettou was born in the town of El-Jadida. After secondary studies at El Khawarizmi college in Casablanca, he obtained a technical Baccalauréat in mathematics in 1964. He then joined the Faculty of Sciences of Rabat where he graduated in physics and chemistry in 1966...
, Prime Minister of Morocco.
Figures of the Algerian resistance and revolution
- Abane RamdaneAbane RamdaneAbane Ramdane was an Algerian revolutionarist born in Kabylie. He was the architect of the Congress of Soummam in 1956....
, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1957 in an internal purge. - Krim BelkacemKrim BelkacemKrim Belkacem was an Algerian revolutionary fighter and politician....
, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1970, allegedly by Algerian secret services. - Colonel AmiroucheColonel AmiroucheAmirouche Aїt Hamouda was born on 31 October 1926 in Tassaft Ouguemoun in the Djurdjura mountains in Kabylia, Algeria...
, Algerian revolutionary fighter, killed by French troops in 1959. - Lalla Fatma n Soumer, woman who led western KabylieKabylieKabylie or Kabylia , is a region in the north of Algeria.It is part of the Tell Atlas and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Kabylia covers several provinces of Algeria: the whole of Tizi Ouzou and Bejaia , most of Bouira and parts of the wilayas of Bordj Bou Arreridj, Jijel,...
in battle against French troops.
Artists
Morocco- Mohammad Albansir'Damseri' Singer, Composer & Poet
- Ammouri MbarekAmmouri MbarekAmmouri M'barek, considered as the renovator of the Moroccan Amazigh Music, was born in 1951 in Irguiten, a small village located at the bottom of the High Atlas near Taroudant Town, in Taroudant Province, Morocco,...
Singer and Song writer (Considered to be, the john lennon- Beatles in the Berber World, singing since the early 1960s and now), from Morocco - Fatima TabaamrantFatima TabaamrantRayssa, Fatima Tabaamrant is a Moroccan Berber-Amazigh singer. She sings and performs in her native-indigenous Berber tongue.Fatima Tabaamrant, was born in 1963 in Bougafer, into the Idaw Nacer tribe, which is part of the confederation of the Ayt Baamran tribes...
– singer, songwriter from Morocco - Lhaj Belaid – singer, songwriter, poet from Morocco
- Hamed Amentague singer, Poet from Morocco
- Usman (Ousmane)Usman-Places:*Usman, Russia, a town in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia*Usman River, a river in Russia; left tributary of the Voronezh River-See also:*Ottoman Empire, also known as Osmanli, Empire of Osman...
– Music Band 1960s and 1970s ((They are considered to be like, the beatles in the Berber World. Ammouri Mbarek, Said Bijaaden, Tarik El-maarufi, Belaid el-Akkaf, Lyazid Qorfi, Said Butrufin)) from Morocco - Omar Boutmazought - singer
- Ali Chouhad – Singer, songwriter, Writer from Morocco
- Najat AatabouNajat AatabouNajat Aâtabou is a Moroccan singer, songwriter and composer. She is perhaps best known for her song "Hadi Kedba Bayna" which was sampled by the Chemical Brothers on their song Galvanize.- Early life :...
– singer from Morocco - Fatima Tachtoukt – singer from Morocco
- Fatima Tihihit singer from Morocco
- Hindi ZahraHindi ZahraHindi Zahra is a Franco-Moroccan singer . She has a Moroccan mother and a French father. When coming up with a stage name, she simply inverted her birth name Her songs are mostly in English but some lyrics as in the song Imik Si Mik are in the Berber languages.Hindi Zahra grew up with her...
singer from Morocco - YubaYuba-Places:* Yuba City, California* Yuba County, California** North Yuba AVA, California wine region in Yuba County* Yuba River, a major river in California* Yuba State Park, in Utah* Yuba, California, a former settlement* Yuba, Michigan* Yuba, Wisconsin...
– singer from Morocco - Cherifa – singer from Morocco
- Mohamed RouichaMohamed RouichaMohamed Rouicha is a famous Moroccan folk art singer. His songs are about love, roots, and daily Moroccan life. Rouicha is originally from the Atlas region and appears on Moroccan national TV stations and music festival and is very active in recordings....
– singer from Morocco - Saïda Titrit – singer from Morocco
- Cheikh Zaid Oubjna – Singer, poet from Morocco
- Khalid Izri – Singer from Rif
- Izenzaren Chamkh Band from Morocco
- Oudaden Band from Morocco
- Tislatin Onzar singer from Morocco
- Med Demsiri Singer from Morocco
- Rkya Talbensirt Singer from Morocco
- Omar Ait Ulahyan
- Amaray
- El Houcine El Baz
- Omar Wahrouch
- Mohamed Demciri
- Houicne AlMarrakchi
- Elarbi Ihihi
- Hadj Aarab Atiqui
- Khalid Ayour
- Al Assala
- Hadat Ouaaki
- Miouda
- Houssa Mansouri
- El Haddioui
- Abouzane Lahcen
- Ahouzer
- Ochtaine Lahcen
- Izenzarn Band
- Archach Band
- Laryach Band
- Oudaden Band
- Iaacheken Band
- Inzaf L`Familia
Algeria
- Si MohandSi MohandSi Mohand ou-Mhand n At Hmadouch was a Berber poet from Kabylie in Algeria.-Biography:...
, Kabyle folk poet. - IdirIdirHamid Cheriet better known by his stage name Idir is an Algerian musician of Berber origin.- Biography :...
– Kabyle singer. - Ait Menguellet – Kabyle singer
- TakfarinasTakfarinasTakfarinas is the stage name of an Algerian Kabyle Yal musician who was born in 1958. Takfarinas took his surname from the ancient warrior of North Africa Tacfarinas who fought against the presence of the Romans in Algeria. Since 1979 Takfarinas has lived in France...
– Kabyle singer - Sliman Azem – singer
- Souad MassiSouad MassiSouad Massi , born August 23, 1972, is an Algerian singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death threats...
, a young, female Kabyle singer who performs mainly in French and Maghrebin Arabic. - Aît Ouarab Mohamed Idir Halo (Al Anka), Chaabi singer in Both KabyleKabyle languageKabyle or Kabylian is a Berber language spoken by the Kabyle people north and northeast of Algeria. Estimates about the number of speakers range from 5 million to about 7 million speakers worldwide, the majority in Algeria.-Classification:The classification of Kabyle is Afro-Asiatic, Berber and...
and Algerian ArabicAlgerian ArabicAlgerian Arabic is the variety or varieties of Arabic spoken in Algeria. In Algeria, as elsewhere, spoken Arabic differs from written Arabic; Algerian Arabic has a vocabulary mostly Arabic, with significant Berber substrates, and many new words and loanwords borrowed from French, Turkish and...
. - Lounes MatoubLounès MatoubLounès Matoub was a famous Berber Kabyle singer and mondol player who was a prominent advocate of the Berber cause and secularism in Algeria throughout his life.He is revered as a hero and martyr in Kabylie and the Berber World but reviled by most of the Arab...
, Berberist and secularist singer assassinated in 1998. - Karim Ziad – singer
- Taos AmroucheTaos AmroucheMarie-Louise-Taos Amrouche was an Algerian writer and singer....
, (March 4, 1913 in Tunis, Tunisia – April 2, 1976 in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) Algerian writer and singer. - Rim'KRim'KAbdelkrim Brahmi-Benalla a.k.a. Rim'K is a French rapper of Algerian descent. Rim'K was born and raised in the Parisian suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine...
, rapper - Cheb-i-sabbah – DJ and composer in Algeria
- Bachir BensaddekBachir BensaddekBachir Bensaddek is a Canadian television director of Algerian Berber descent, best known for his co-direction of 2002 Emmy Award-winning TV series Cirque du Soleil. Fire Within....
Canadian director. - Amirouche Chaoui singer, musician, song writer, artist Chawi living in France
- Mazryah (Taziri) Soltani poet, song writer Chawi,artist living between Arris Aures Algeria and the USA
Writers
- Kateb YacineKateb YacineKateb Yacine was an Algerian writer notable for his novels and plays, both in French and Algerian Arabic dialect, and his advocacy of the Algerian Berber cause.-Biography:...
, writer founder of the berberiste mouvement. - Tahar Ouettar, writer defender of the arab language in AlgeriaAlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
- Mouloud FeraounMouloud FeraounMouloud Feraoun was an Algerian writer and martyr of the Algerian revolution born in Tizi Hibel, Kabylia. Some of his books, written in French, have been translated into several languages including English and German...
, writer assassinated by the OASOrganisation armée secrèteThe Organisation de l'armée secrète was a short-lived, French far-right nationalist militant and underground organization during the Algerian War . The OAS used armed struggle in an attempt to prevent Algeria's independence...
. - Tahar DjaoutTahar DjaoutTahar Djaout was an Algerian journalist, poet, and fiction writer. He was assassinated by the Armed Islamic Group because of his support of secularism and opposition to what he considered fanaticism. He was attacked on May 26, 1993, as he was leaving his home in Bainem, Algeria. He died on June 2,...
, writer and journalisbet assassinated by the GIAArmed Islamic GroupThe Armed Islamic Group is an Islamist organisation that wants to overthrow the Algerian government and replace it with an Islamic state...
in 1993. - Salem Chaker, Berberist, linguist, cultural and political activist, writer, and director of Berber at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris
- Mouloud MammeriMouloud MammeriMouloud Mammeri is an Algerian Kabyle writer, anthropologist and linguist. Born on December 28, 1917 in Taourirt Mimoune Ait Yenni in Tizi Ouzou Province, Algeria; died in February 1989 near Aïn Defla in a car accident while returning from a conference in Oujda, Morocco.- Biography :Mouloud...
, writer, anthropologist and linguist. His interest and work about Tamazight is behind the popular galvanization towards the Amazigh (Berber) culture and language. - Taos AmroucheTaos AmroucheMarie-Louise-Taos Amrouche was an Algerian writer and singer....
, (March 4, 1913 in Tunis, Tunisia – April 2, 1976 in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) Algerian writer and singer. - Jean AmroucheJean AmroucheJean-Elmouhoub Amrouche was a French-language Algerian poet. Born to a Catholic family in Kabylie in Algeria, Amrouche emigrated with his family to Tunisia while still young...
, (1906–1962) writer and Taos Amrouche's brother. - Mohamed ChafikMohamed ChafikMohamed Chafik is a Moroccan writer and specialist in Berber language and literature.-Career:He is the author of a Berber-Arabic dictionary ....
, Moroccan writer and the dean of the IRCAM. - Ali Yahya Mua'amar, Libyan Islamic Scholar of the Abathi School of Thought, was imprisoned and persecuted under the Gaddafi regime in Libya.
- Mohamed Khir-Eddine,
Sport
- Zinedine ZidaneZinedine ZidaneZinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
(1972 – ), FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
footballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
superstar. - Rabah MadjerRabah MadjerMustapha Rabah Madjer is a retired Algerian footballer.A skilled striker, he reached stardom as an F.C. Porto player during the 1980s, and is widely regarded as one of the best Algerian football players of all time. He is widely remembered for scoring on 77 minutes, an audacious back-heeled...
, Algerian football superstar, Winner of the European Champion's League in 1987 with Porto FC - Mustapha HadjiMustapha HadjiMustapha Hadji in Ifrane, Souss-Massa-Draâ, Morocco is a former Moroccan footballer.-Early life:Hadji was born in Ifrane, Morocco. He immigrated with his family to France.-Club career:Mustapha Hadji began playing football there...
(1972-), Moroccan soccer player nominated best African player of the year 1998. - Khalid BoulahrouzKhalid BoulahrouzKhalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Rif descent, who plays for the Netherlands and VfB Stuttgart. His nickname is "Khalid the Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" his opposition....
(1981-),A Dutch footballer of Moroccan descent, who plays for the Netherlands and Sevilla of the La Liga - Ibrahim AfellayIbrahim AfellayIbrahim Afellay is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as an attacking midfielder or winger.He has played for the Dutch national youth team and is now part of the senior Dutch national team, which he represented at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latter of...
,A Barca footballer. Origine Moroccan from Al-houssaima city
Others
- Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi, leader of the RifRifThe Rif or Riff is a mainly mountainous region of northern Morocco, with some fertile plains, stretching from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Ras Kebdana and the Melwiyya River in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river of Wergha in the south.It is part of the...
guerrillas against the Spanish and French colonizers. - Walid Mimoun – Protest Singer from Rif
- Ali LmrabetAli LmrabetAli Lmrabet is a Moroccan journalist and a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights.He came from a modest Berber family, was born in a small village called Adouz near Al-Hoceima in north Morocco. He was schooled at the International Israelite Alliance which sponsored people from...
, Moroccan journalist. - Kateb YacineKateb YacineKateb Yacine was an Algerian writer notable for his novels and plays, both in French and Algerian Arabic dialect, and his advocacy of the Algerian Berber cause.-Biography:...
, Algerian Writer. - Mohamed ChoukriMohamed ChoukriMohamed Choukri , born on July 15, 1935 and died on November 15, 2003, was a Moroccan author and novelist who is best known for his internationally acclaimed autobiography For Bread Alone , which was described by the American playwright Tennessee Williams as 'A true document of human desperation,...
(famous writer) - Liamine ZeroualLiamine ZéroualLiamine Zéroual was the ninth President of Algeria from 31 January 1994 to 27 April 1999.He was born in Batna and joined the National Liberation Army in 1957, at the age of 16, to fight French rule of Algeria. After independence, he received training in Cairo, Moscow, and Paris...
, President of Algeria between 1994–1999. - Mohamed ChafikMohamed ChafikMohamed Chafik is a Moroccan writer and specialist in Berber language and literature.-Career:He is the author of a Berber-Arabic dictionary ....
- Abdallah Oualline Berber Warrior & freedom fighter. Fought against the Spanish occupation in Ait Baamrane, south of Agadir.
- Didouche MouradDidouche MouradDidouche Mourad is a town and commune in Constantine Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 33,266.-References:...
- Cherif Khedam – composer
- Cheikh El HasnaouiCheikh El HasnaouiCheikh El Hasnaoui was a Berber singer born in small town near Tizi ouzou in Algeria. He sung Algerian chaabi music, and was, along with Slimane Azem, responsible for laying the foundations of modern popular Kabyle music in the 1950s and 60's....
– singer - TinariwenTinariwenTinariwen is a band of Tuareg-Berber musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed around 1979 in refugee camps in Libya but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990s...
– critically acclaimed band of Tuareg musicians - M. Toufali – Writer and composer from the Rif (Melilla)
- Erika SawajiriErika Sawajiriis a Japan-based actress, model, and musician. Her alias in her music career was Kaoru Amane, but she has recently started her own project under the name Erika...
– Japanese actress. Japanese, Algerian-French mix. - Kamel OualiKamel OualiKamel Ouali is a French choreographer.-Biography:Kamel Ouali was born in Paris. He is of Algerian descent.Dance teacher at the Dance Academy of Paris and at the Conservatories of La Courneuve and Saint Denis, Kamel Ouali works with artists on video clips and on some French musicals like Les Dix...
– Choreographer, Dance teacher, Teacher on the French reality TV show Star Academy FranceStar Academy FranceStar Academy was a French reality television show produced by the Dutch company Endemol, based on the Spanish format called Operación Triunfo. It consists of a contest of young singers. It spawned an equally successful show in Quebec called Star Académie. It was broadcast on TF1...
.
Famous people who were either Berber or Punic
- Septimus Severus (Roman emperor from the mainly Punic LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n city of Lepcis Magna, founded by PhoeniciaPhoeniciaPhoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
ns) - CaracallaCaracallaCaracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
, his son - TertullianTertullianQuintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian , was a prolific early Christian author from Carthage in the Roman province of Africa. He is the first Christian author to produce an extensive corpus of Latin Christian literature. He also was a notable early Christian apologist and...
, an early ChristianChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
theologian (born in the highly multiethnic, Phoenician-founded city of CarthageCarthageCarthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
) - Vibia Perpetua (early Christian martyr, also born in CarthageCarthageCarthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
) - CyprianCyprianCyprian was bishop of Carthage and an important Early Christian writer, many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received a classical education...
(also born in CarthageCarthageCarthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
) - Roos, Amirouche, Famous Swedish poet.
French people who have some Berber ancestors
Nearly all North Africans – and many Andalusi MoorsMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
– fall and fell into this category, but do not in general identify themselves as Berber. For lists of them, look under the respective countries.
- Édith PiafÉdith PiafÉdith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
– one of France's most loved singers, her grandmother was Berber. - Rachida DatiRachida DatiRachida Dati is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament, representing Île-de-France. Before her election, she held the cabinet post of Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice. She was a spokesperson for Nicolas Sarkozy during the French presidential election of 2007...
– she was named Minister of Justice on the 18th of May 2007 by Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. - Isabelle AdjaniIsabelle AdjaniIsabelle Yasmine Adjani is a French film actress and singer. Adjani has appeared in 30 films since 1970. She holds the record for most César Awards for Best Actress with five, for Possession , One Deadly Summer , Camille Claudel , Queen Margot and Skirt Day...
– actress - Daniel PrévostDaniel PrévostDaniel Prévost is a French actor and humorist.Daniel Prevost is notably known for his part in the French television series Le Petit Rapporteur.-Early life and Family:...
– comedian - Marcel Mouloudji – singer and actor
- Alain BashungAlain BashungAlain Bashung was a French singer, songwriter and actor.- Youth :Alain Bashung was the son of a Breton factory worker and French Kabyle father, whom he never knew. His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Strasbourg to live with his new stepfather's parents...
– singer, songwriter and actor