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 The amazighs of the Middle Atlas in Morocco cannot live their parties and their joys, whether they are weddings, aqeeqah or circumcision, without “Ahidous”.


It is a amazigh folklore that combines dance, singing and improvisation in poetry, expressing the spirit of the group, its solidarity and the love of nature.

Here are 8 things you may not know about this Amazigh heritage, according to the Amazigh scholar Hamzawy Abdel-Malik, author of the book “Treasures of the Atlas.”

Mixing is sacred

In the dance of Ahidous, men and women line up side by side, and express their joy in their bodies on the occasion they celebrate, by moving their shoulders, hands and feet under the guidance of the leader of the dance, who is called the “Rayes”.

Circular dances

Initially, the Ahidous dance track was a closed circle denoting the union and interdependence, which were bringing together the inhabitants of the tribe, and then turned into a semicircular track, in the form of two opposite rows of dancers, circling around the leader of the dance, who walks and controls their rhythm.

From margin to global

The Ahidous dance reached the world through its participation in about 150 international festivals, and Aidos was the first activity that opened the FIFA World Cup in Spain in 1982, and Aidos was the first activity to open the Disneyland games city in Florida, USA.

One uniform

Among the sacred things in Ahaidous is the wearing of a traditional uniform, often a white robes as a symbol of peace and honesty, a white turban and a yellow language (light shoes). Silk, silver earrings.

Amhrab

This name is given to the group leader inside the dance floor, it is he who gives the starting and ending signal, and he is the one who harmonizes the movement with the rhythm, and draws the path through which the movements and habits of the group pass.

As for the rest of the members of the group, their role is mainly limited to controlling the rhythm of the tambourines and keeping pace with their bodies, and chanting the necessary alternately.

The maestro Moha Ashiban


The maestro

Moha Al-Hussein Ashiban, known as the Maestro, is a famous artistic face, whose prints imprinted the art of “Ahidus” in the Middle Atlas, and enabled him to achieve national and global radiance.

The Maestro of Acheban received several international accolades and awards handed to him by international personalities such as the World Artist, who was handed over to him by the Queen of Britain in 1981. The maestro was known for his clothes, which were white robes and a black bronze.

Women are an important component



The presence of the Amazigh woman in the Ahidous dance is very important, and it reflects the position she enjoys in the Middle Atlas region, as she adjusts the rhythm of the dance in light movements by hands and at the shoulder level.