Regraga
Encyclopedia
The Regraga are a sub-tribe of the Masmuda
. They are also one of three tribes that formed the population of Essaouira
, Morocco
. The Regraga came from the Jbel Hadid mountains and introduced Islam
to the region; the other tribes were the Berber
Haha and the Chiadma
. These tribes, along with the local large Jewish community, lived in harmony.
Today, there is an annual musem of the Regraga, which is a large pilgrimage
effectuated annually by the Chiadma tribes of the Jbel Hadid and the Haha tribes southeast of Essaouira. It takes place in spring and lasts 40 days. During these weeks, pilgrims visit a series of local shrines, from the mouth of the Tensift
river south of Safi
to the northern outskirts of the High Atlas
, including the city of Essaouira itself. They are led by two groups that effectuate a kind of round trip, stopping at every shrine on the way. One must dress at every shrine a holy tent made of fan palm
fibres and dyed with henna
, the other one arrives in procession with a muqaddim (religious leader) riding a white horse.
Masmuda
The Masmuda were a Berber tribal confederacy of Morocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the Sanhaja. They were composed of several sub-tribes: The Berghouatas, Ghumaras , Hintatas , Tinmelel, Hergha, Genfisa, Seksiwa, Gedmiwa, Hezerdja, Urika, Guerouanes, Bni...
. They are also one of three tribes that formed the population of Essaouira
Essaouira
Mogador redirects here, for the hamlet in Surrey see Mogador, Surrey.Essaouira is a city in the western Moroccan economic region of Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz, on the Atlantic coast. Since the 16th century, the city has also been known by its Portuguese name of Mogador or Mogadore...
, 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...
. The Regraga came from the Jbel Hadid mountains and introduced Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to the region; the other tribes were the Berber
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...
Haha and the Chiadma
Chiadma
Chiadma is a tribe located in the Morocco, dwelling mainly at the Atlantic coast in the region between Safi and Essaouira. They mainly speak Moroccan Arabic with a special accent...
. These tribes, along with the local large Jewish community, lived in harmony.
Today, there is an annual musem of the Regraga, which is a large pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
effectuated annually by the Chiadma tribes of the Jbel Hadid and the Haha tribes southeast of Essaouira. It takes place in spring and lasts 40 days. During these weeks, pilgrims visit a series of local shrines, from the mouth of the Tensift
Tensift
The Tensift is a river in central Morocco. It takes spring in the eastern High Atlas, north of the Tizi-n-Tichka pass. It passes close to the city of Marrakech and has its outlet into the Atlantic Ocean at the ancient fortress of Souira Qedima, around 40 km south from Safi...
river south of Safi
Safi, Morocco
Safi is a city in western Morocco on the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of the Doukkala-Abda Region, it has a population of 282,227 , but is also the centre of an agglomeration which has an estimated 793,000 inhabitants ....
to the northern outskirts of the High Atlas
High Atlas
High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas Mountains is a mountain range in central Morocco in Northern Africa.The High Atlas rises in the west at the Atlantic Ocean and stretches in an eastern direction to the Moroccan-Algerian border. At the Atlantic and to the southwest the range drops abruptly...
, including the city of Essaouira itself. They are led by two groups that effectuate a kind of round trip, stopping at every shrine on the way. One must dress at every shrine a holy tent made of fan palm
Chamaerops
Chamaerops is a genus of flowering plants in the family Arecaceae , comprising a single species Chamaerops humilis , representative of the Pre-Pliocene paleo-tropical ancestral lineages in the area.-Distribution:It is the only palm species native to continental Europe...
fibres and dyed with henna
Henna
Henna is a flowering plant used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather and wool. The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes...
, the other one arrives in procession with a muqaddim (religious leader) riding a white horse.