North Africa

People and Dances

North Africa and

Mediterranean

El Maghrib (The Islamic West)

Ancient History

•Settlement by Phoenicians from the 10th century BCE : Carthage (Gades in Spain)

•Greek presence from 6th century BCE; intermarriage with local “Libyans” but distinct culture

•Roman domination from 2nd century BCE onward

•Invasion by Visigoths and other late Roman presences in 5th century BCE

•Longstanding distinct Jewish presence

•Islamicized in 7th century BCE

•Berber population only nominally Islamic

Berbers

Ancient origins

Not Arabic speakers

Culturally distinct from Arab world but must fit in with it

Both nomads and farmers

Focus on:

Morocco

Algeria

Tunisia

Libya

French influence

French colonial domination in 19th and early 20th centuries

Sahara desert and desert nomads: Tuareg and Berber

Kabyle peoples – from the mountains

Morocco’s Atlas Mountains

Sahara Desert

Morocco’s Coast

Urban produce markets

Orientalizing ...

or not ...

Presentation of women as exotic others in Western travel images

Malik Alloula, The Colonial Harem

Many images showed women minus key elements of their clothing, and had a frankly sexual quality

Eastern women as “owned” by the Western, male gaze

La Danse du Ventre

Ouled Nail Dancers

Tribal site

Depiction of Ouled Nail in Art

Etienne Dinet

More Dinet