List of Berber people

This is a list of famous Amazigh people. The Imazighen are a transnational North African ethnic group who speak the Amazigh languages.

Royalty and nobility

Ancient period

Osorkon the Elder, fifth king of the twenty-first dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was the first Pharaoh of Libyan origin
Shoshenq I, Egyptian Pharaoh of Libyan origin, founder of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt
Masinissa, King of Numidia, North Africa, present day Algeria and Tunisia
Jugurtha, King of Numidia
Syphax, King of Numidia
Baga (also Bagas), king of Mauretania about 225 BC.
Bocchus, king of Mauretania about 110 BC.
Bocchus II, king of Mauretania. Son of Bocchus.
Juba II, king of Numidia and then later moved to Mauretania.
Macrinus, Roman emperor for 14 months in 217 and 218
Aemilianus, Roman emperor
Lusius Quietus, governor of Judaea and one of Trajan's chief generals
Quintus Lollius Urbicus, governor of Britannia from 138 to 144
Gildo, Roman general who turned against the Romans and fought them in 398

Medieval period

Dihya
Aksel
Muhammad ibn Wasul, Midrarid emir of Sijilmasa.
Safiyy al-Dawla, Fatimid governor of Aleppo between October 1022 and April 1023
Thu'ban ibn Muhammad, Fatimid governor of Aleppo between 27 July 1024 and 30 June 1025
Ziri ibn Manad, founder of the Zirid dynasty
Yusuf ibn Tashfin, founder of the Almoravid dynasty
Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah, Berber woman of influence in the early days of the Almoravid Berber empire
Fannu (died April 1147), Almoravid princess, in the guise of a man, she participated in the defense of Almoravid Marrakech.
'Abdallah ibn Ghaniya, Amir of Majorca from c. 1187 to 1203
Abd al-Mu'min (c. 1094–1163), first Caliph of the Almohad Empire
Abu Yaqub Yusuf, had the Giralda in Seville built
Yusuf II, Almohad caliph, had the Torre del Oro in Seville built
Abu Said Uthman III, Marinid ruler of Morocco from 19 March 1398 to 1420

Military

Medieval period

Tacfarinas, fought the Romans in the Aures Mountains
Firmus, fought the Romans Between 372 and 375
Cutzinas (died January 563), Berber tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa
Antalas (born c. 500), tribal leader who played a major role in the wars of the Byzantine Empire against the Berber tribes in Africa.
Ierna, tribal leader of the Laguatan and also high priest of the god Gurzil
Tariq ibn Ziyad (670–720), led the Islamic Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania (711–718)
Ja'far ibn Fallah (died August 971), Berber general of the Kutama tribe in the service of the Fatimid Caliphate.
Mazdali ibn Tilankan, Almoravid military commander and diplomat
Syr ibn Abi Bakr, Almoravid military commander
Ibn Masal, military commander and official of the Fatimid Caliphate
Hammu ibn Abd al-Haqq, Marinid prince Commander (shaykh al-ghuzat) of the Volunteers of the Faith of Granada
Uthman ibn Abi al-Ula, Marinid prince Commander (shaykh al-ghuzat) of the Volunteers of the Faith of Granada

Modern period

Abd el-Krim, leader of the Rif guerrillas against the Spanish and French colonizers
Larbi Ben M'Hidi
Abdelhafid Boussouf, founder of the Algerian Military intelligence
Mustapha Benboulaïd
Abane Ramdane, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1957 in an internal purge.
Krim Belkacem, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1970, allegedly by Algerian secret services.
Colonel Amirouche, Algerian revolutionary fighter, killed by French troops in 1959.
Lalla Fatma n Soumer, woman who led western Kabylie in battle against French troops.
Belkacem Radjef, early leading figure of the movement for independence.

Art

Tinariwen

Writers and poets

Ancient period

Terence, (Publius Terentius Afer), Roman writer
Apuleius, (125–170), born in Madaurus (M'Daourouch), Philosopher and Rhetorician.

Medieval period

Ibn Darraj al-Qastalli (958–1030), andalusi poet of Berber origin.

Hafsa bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniyya (born c. 1135, died AH 1190–91), one of the most celebrated Andalusian female poets of medieval Arabic literature.
Ibn Muti al-Zawawi (1168-69—1231 AD), grammarian, philologian, and poet

Al-Busiri (1211–1294), sufi poet

Mohammed Awzal (ca. 1680–1749), prolific Sous Berber poet

Modern period

Fadhma Aït Mansour, Algerian poet and folksinger. Mother of Jean Amrouche and Taos Amrouche
Taos Amrouche (4 March 1913 – 2 April 1976), Algerian writer and singer.
Jean Amrouche (7 February 1906 – 16 April 1962), Algerian writer and Taos Amrouche's brother.
Nadia Chafik (born 1962), Moroccan novelist.
Mohamed Chafik (born 17 September 1926), Moroccan writer and the dean of the IRCAM.
Mohamed Choukri, Moroccan writer
Mouloud Kacem Naît Belkacem writer and defender of the Arab language in Algeria
Mouloud Feraoun, writer assassinated by the OAS.
Assia Djebar, Algerian novelist, translator and filmmaker.
Tahar Djaout, writer and journalisbet assassinated by the GIA in 1993.
Hawad (born 1950), Tuareg poet and author
Kateb Yacine, Algerian writer
Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine, Moroccan poet and novelist
Ali Lmrabet, Moroccan journalist
Ahmed Sefrioui, Moroccan novelist and pioneer of Moroccan literature in the French language.
Tahar Ouettar
Si Mohand, Kabyle folk poet

Music

Singers

Loreen, singer

Ammouri Mbarek, Moroccan singer and songwriter
Fatima Tabaamrant, Moroccan singer
Najat Aatabou, Moroccan singer
Hindi Zahra, Moroccan singer
Chérifa, Algerian singer
Mohamed Rouicha, Moroccan singer
Lounès Matoub, Algerian Berberist and secularist singer assassinated in 1998
Takfarinas, Algerian singer
Idir, Algerian singer
Katchou, Algerian singer
Lounis Aït Menguellet, Algerian singer
Slimane Azem, Algerian singer
Souad Massi, Algerian singer
El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka Algerian chaabi singer
Rim'K, rapper
Taos Amrouche, Algerian writer and singer
Aïssa Djermouni, Chaoui folk poet
Cheikh El Hasnaoui, Algerian singer
Lhaj Belaid, Moroccan singer and poet

Composers

Cheb i Sabbah, DJ and composer in Algeria

Bands

Oudaden, Moroccan band
Tinariwen, Tuareg band

Performing Arts

Actors

Erika Sawajiri, Japanese actress, Japanese, Algerian mix
Isabelle Adjani, french actress of kabyle descent
Saïd Taghmaoui, French-American actor and screenwriter of Moroccan descent.

Film directors

Bachir Bensaddek, Canadian director

Dancers

Kamel Ouali, choreographer, dance teacher, teacher on the French reality TV show Star Academy France

Academic sciences

Linguistics and philology

Medieval times

Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati, commentator on the Quran and foremost Arabic grammarian of his era
Abu Musa al-Jazuli, philologian and grammarian
Ibn Adjurrum, famous grammarian of Arabic

Modern times

Saïd Cid Kaoui, Algerian berberologist and lexicographer
Boulifa, Algerian Berberologist and teacher
Salem Chaker, Algerian Berberologist and director of Berber at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris. He is recognized as the "dean" of modern Berber studies
Mouloud Mammeri, writer, anthropologist and linguist.
Abdellah Bounfour, Moroccan linguist and philologist

History

Medieval period

Mohammed al-Baydhaq, chronicler of the Almohads
Ibn Amira, historian, poet, and scholar of law from al-Andalus
Ibn Ghazi al-Miknasi, Moroccan historian, poet, and scholar of law from al-Andalus
Ibn Hammad, medieval Berber qadi and historian
Abd al-Aziz ibn Shaddad, Zirid chronicler
Abu al-Hasan Ali al-Jaznai

Modern period

Mohammed Akensus (1797–1877)
Ahmad Ibn al-Qadi (December 18, 1552 – December 6, 1616)
Mohammed al-Ifrani (1670–1747)
Abu al-Qasim al-Zayyani (1734/35–1833), Moroccan historian, geographer, poet and statesman
Ali Azayku (1942–2004)
Abdelaziz al-Malzuzi
Mohammed al-Mokhtar Soussi
Mohamed Salah Mzali
Mohammed Arkoun, Algerian historian of Islamic thought

Science

Abbas ibn Firnas, polymath
Ibn al-Yasamin, Berber mathematician

Religion

Christians

Tertullian, early Christian author
Pope Victor I, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 189–199)
Pope Miltiades, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 311–314)
Pope Gelasius I, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 492–496)
Saint Monica of Hippo (Thagaste/Souk Ahras), (322–387), Saint Augustine's mother
Saint Alypius, (360–430) from Thagaste, bishop of Thagaste (394)
Faustus of Mileve, from Milevis, bishop of Milevis (Mila) late 4th century
Saint Augustine of Hippo, (354–430), from Thagaste (Souk Ahras), bishop of Hippo Regius (Annaba) (395)
Arius, proposed the doctrine of Arianism
Donatus Magnus, leader of the Donatist schism
Adrian of Canterbury, Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury

Muslims

Ibn Tumart, founder of the Almohad dynasty
Muhammad al-Jazuli, author of the Dala'il al-Khairat, Sufi
Muhammad al-Maghili, Berber 'alim from Tlemcen

Other

Salih ibn Tarif of the Berghouata

Law

Ahmad ibn Abi Jum'ah, Maliki scholar of Islamic law

Mundhir ibn Sa'īd al-Ballūṭī, judge for the Caliph of Cordoba
Ahmad al-Wansharisi, Muslim theologian and jurist of the Maliki school
Ibn Arafa
Abu al-Hassan Ali ibn Mohammed al-Zarwili, qadi of Taza and later qadi of Fez.

Travel

Ibn Battuta (1304–1377), Moroccan traveller and explorer
Leo Africanus (c. 1494 – c. 1554), Berber Andalusi diplomat and Travel writer

Politics

Politicians

Thami El Glaoui, Pasha of Marrakesh from 1912 to 1956
Mohand Arav Bessaoud, Algerian writer and activist. He was described as the spiritual father of Berberism.
Saïd Sadi, secularist politician
Hocine Aït Ahmed, Algerian revolutionary fighter and secularist politician
Sidi Said, leader of the Algerian syndicat of workers : UGTA
Khalida Toumi, Algerian feminist and secularist, currently spokesperson for the Algerian government
Ahmed Ouyahia, Prime Minister of Algeria
Belaïd Abrika, one of the spokesmen of the Arouch
Saadeddine Othmani, deputy of Inezgane, an outer suburb of Agadir, is the leader of the Justice and Development Party (Islamist) and head of the Moroccan government.
Liamine Zeroual and Houari Boumedienne former Presidents of Algeria
Nouri Abusahmain, President of the Libyan General National Congress
Mohamed Seghir Boushaki
Liamine Zéroual, President of Algeria between 1994–1999

Sport

Rabah Madjer, Algerian footballer, winner of the 1986–87 European Cup with FC Porto
Zinedine Zidane, French footballer and manager of Real Madrid
Karim Benzema, French-Algerian footballer
Mustapha Hadji, Moroccan footballer nominated as the best African player of the year 1998
Youssouf Hadji, Moroccan footballer
Khalid Boulahrouz, Dutch footballer of Moroccan descent
Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch footballer of Moroccan origin
Riyad Mahrez, Algerian footballer won the English Premier League with Leicester City
Islam Slimani, Algerian footballer
Adel Taarabt, Moroccan footballer
Hakim Ziyech, Moroccan footballer
Oussama Assaidi, Moroccan footballer
Zakaria Labyad, Moroccan footballer
Abdeslam Ouaddou, Moroccan footballer
Youssef Mokhtari, Moroccan footballer
Samir Nasri, French-Algerian footballer
Nordin Amrabat, Moroccan footballer
Sofyan Amrabat, Moroccan footballer