History and Influence of the Berbers

For centuries a group of people named the Berbers occupied and ruled Northern Africa (See image below). While the Berbers had existed for centuries, the mid 11thcentury was a turning point. During this time, Ibn Abdullah as-Samin gained power by pulling together tribes in Western Sahara and calling himself a spiritual leader. His goal was to spread a “true” understanding of Islam and turn the Berbers into “proper” Muslims. As mentioned in the documentary, “The Kingdom of Morocco,” the Almoravids eventually took over the trading hub, Sidula Massa. In taking control of water and trading gold, the Almoravids were able to spread the “proper” form of Islam to the Berbers. 

The Almoravids spread across Northern Africa with as many as 2,000-foot soldiers and began to look for a place to settle. Eventually, the Almoravids set up an entire city, the region of Marrakech, with outstanding architecture and even one of the biggest hamams in Morocco, possibly the Islamic world. However, in 1106, Ibn Abdullah as-Samin died and Ibn Teshrin took over and expanded the Almoravid culture up into Southern Spain and even more Eastward in Northern Africa. 

Like many other powerful groups, the Almoravids and Berber culture eventually came to a downfall. While Ibn Abdullah as-Samin had faced the uphill battles of overtaking the Berbers, his son had not and thus, underestimated the rival Berbers: the Almohads. The Almohads eventually started to overtake Marrakech and were successful (see image below). The government was directly linked to religion; making it the most important aspect of daily life. However, not all places within the Sahara had the same interpretation of Islam, causing disconnect. While the Berbers were too busy focusing on the different interpretations of Islam, Christian armies then were able to take back Spain from the Berbers. 



After the documentary, I believe there are two significant impacts the Berbers had on Western Sahara. First, the documentary talks about the beauties of their culture through landscapes, the Koran and architecture. The Koran was detailed uniquely that are still present today even in its fragile state. In addition, the exquisite architecture was lavish in its day and attracted individuals from around the world, including scholars, philosophers, and artists (see images below).

















Second, another substantial impact that the Berbers have on the Sahara is their devotion to Islam. While there were numerous different types of Islam, Ibn Abdullah as-Samin was not only able to spread Islam but of course his version of Islam. Today, Islam remains the majority religion within the Sahara, in part due to Ibn Abdullah as-Samin. The beauties of landscapes, the Koran, and architecture in addition to Islam remained two of the greatest impacts on the region to this day. After the people had been living in multiple different countries, the Arabic had united the people through Morocco. 

While the Berbers have a long, complex history in Northern Africa, the Berbers remained an ethnic group within Morocco and other countries to this day (see image below). 


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