Ait Seddat (Senhaja De Srair: Ayt Seddat) is a Berber tribe belonging to the Senhaja de Srair confederation, located in the central Rif Mountains of northern Morocco. Geographically and administratively, the tribe's territory is divided between the rural communes of Issaguen and Moulay Ahmed Cherif within the Al Hoceïma Province.[1][2]
Geography and organization
By surface area, Ait Seddat is the second largest tribe of Senhaja de Srair, surpassed only by the neighboring Ketama tribe. The tribal homeland is characterized by the high-altitude mountainous terrain, dense surrounding cedar forests, and steep slopes that are heavily blanketed in snow during the winter months, as it directly neighbors Mount Tidighin, the highest moutain in the Rif range.[3][4][5]
The biggest center of Ait Seddat is Issaguen, which serves as the primary economic and administrative hub for the region. While Issaguen is the most prominent urban locality, the tribal territory also spans numerous rural villages and fractions scattered across the commune, including those within the neighboring Moulay Ahmed Cherif commune.[1][2]
Ait Seddat consists of three tribal fractions, each with its own villages, such as:[2]
Ait Arbi
- Azila
- Aguersif
- Tighissa
- Ain El Bida
Ait Douriyyin
- Stah
- Bougherda
- Imassinen
- Imaziouen
- Ouareg
Tala Rouaq
- Tala Rouaq
- Tidouin
- Tamedda
- Tisseghra
- Tacht
References
- 1 2 Gutova, Evgeniya. Senhaja Berber Varieties : phonology, Morphology, and Morphosyntax (Thesis). Agence Bibliographique de l'Enseignement Supérieur.
- 1 2 3 ADARDAK, Charif (2016). "Processus d'organisation territoriale de la Région de «Senhaja Sraîr» jusqu'à la fin du Protectorat espagnol (1956)". Revue "Tidighin" des Recherches Amazighes et Développement (in French). 0 (5). ISSN 2028-9782. Archived from the original on 2023-11-12.
- ↑ عماد أدرداك (2014). "قبائل "صنهاجة اسراير" بالريف: التسمية والأصول". revues.imist.ma (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2024-02-07.
- ↑ Coon, Carleton Stevens (1970). Tribes of the Rif. Kraus Reprint Company.
- ↑ Mikesell, Marvin W. (1961). Northern Morocco: a Cultural Geography. University of California Press.
