Mauri (people)
Encyclopedia
The Mauri were an ancient Berber people
inhabiting the territory of modern Algeria
and Morocco
. Much of that territory was annexed to the Roman empire
in 44 AD, as the province of Mauretania
(later divided into Mauretania Caesariensis
and Mauretania Tingitana
). Subgroups of Mauri continued to inhabit the desert regions south of the Roman border. A subgroup of the Mauri were known as the Musulamii
.
Berber people
Berbers 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...
inhabiting the territory of modern Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , 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...
and Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , 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...
. Much of that territory was annexed to the Roman empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in 44 AD, as the province of Mauretania
Mauretania
Mauretania is a part of the historical Ancient Libyan land in North Africa. It corresponds to present day Morocco and a part of western Algeria...
(later divided into Mauretania Caesariensis
Mauretania Caesariensis
Mauretania Caesariensis was a Roman province located in northwestern Africa. It was the easternmost of the North African Roman provinces, mainly in present Algeria, with its capital at Caesarea , now Cherchell.-Historical background:In the first century AD, Roman...
and Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana
Mauretania Tingitana was a Roman province located in northwestern Africa, coinciding roughly with the northern part of present-day Morocco. The province extended from the northern peninsula, opposite Gibraltar, to Chellah and Volubilis to the south, and as far east as the Oued Laou river. Its...
). Subgroups of Mauri continued to inhabit the desert regions south of the Roman border. A subgroup of the Mauri were known as the Musulamii
Musulamii
The Roman empire under Hadrian , showing the location of the Musulamii Mauri tribe, then inhabiting the desert regions of mod. Tunisia and Algeria...
.