The Kabyle people ( kab, Izwawen or ''Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', ) are a
Berber
Berber or Berbers may refer to:
Ethnic group
* Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa
* Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages
Places
* Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile
People with the surname
* Ady Berber (1913–196 ...
ethnic group
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
indigenous to
Kabylia
Kabylia ('' Kabyle: Tamurt n Leqbayel'' or ''Iqbayliyen'', meaning "Land of Kabyles", '','' meaning "Land of the Tribes") is a cultural, natural and historical region in northern Algeria and the homeland of the Kabyle people. It is part of th ...
in the north of
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, spread across the
Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through Moroc ...
, east of
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
. They represent the largest Berber-speaking population of
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
and the second largest in North Africa.
Many of the Kabyles have emigrated from Algeria, influenced by factors such as the
Algerian Civil War
The Algerian Civil War ( ar, rtl=yes, الْحَرْبُ الْأَهْلِيَّةُ الجَزَائِرِيَّةُ, al-Ḥarb al-ʾAhlīyah al-Jazāʾirīyah) was a civil war in Algeria fought between the Algerian government and various Is ...
, cultural repression by the central Algerian government, and overall industrial decline. Their diaspora has resulted in Kabyle people living in numerous countries. Large populations of Kabyle people settled in France and, to a lesser extent, Canada (mainly
Québec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
) and United States.
The Kabyle people speak
Kabyle, a Berber language. Since the
Berber Spring
The Berber Spring (in Berber language, Berber: Tafsut Imaziɣen or simply Tafsut for "Spring") was a period of political protest and civil activism in 1980, claiming recognition of the Berber people, Berber identity and language in Algeria, wit ...
of 1980, they have been at the forefront of the fight for the
official recognition of Berber languages in Algeria.
History
Fatimid Caliphate
![Fall_of_the_Aghlabid_Emirate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/Fall_of_the_Aghlabid_Emirate.svg)
Between 902 and 909 the Fatimid state had been founded by the Kutama Berbers from Lower Kabylie whose conquest of Ifriqiya resulted in the creation of the Caliphate. After the conquest of Ifriqiya the Kutama Berbers conquered the realm of the Rustamids on the way to Sijilmasa which they also then briefly conquered and where
Abdullāh al-Mahdī Billa, who at the time was imprisoned, was then freed and then accepted as the Imam of the movement and installed as the Caliph, becoming the first Caliph and the founder of the ruling dynasty. The historian Heinz Halm describes the early Fatimid state as being "a hegemony of the Kutama and Sanhaja Berbers over the eastern and central Maghrib" and Prof. Dr. Loimeier states that rebellions against the Fatimids were also expressed through protest and opposition to Kutama rule.
[Muslim Societies in Africa: A Historical Anthropology](_blank)
- Roman Loimeier
Indiana University Press, The weakening of the Abbasids allowed Fatimid-Kutama power to quickly expand and in 959 Ziri ibn Manad, Jawhar the Sicilian and a Kutama army conquered Fez and Sijilmasa in Morocco.
In 969 under the command of
Jawhar
Jawhar is a city and a municipal council in Palghar district of Maharashtra state in Konkan division of India. Jawhar was a capital city of the erstwhile Koli princely state of Jawhar.
Situated in the ranges of the Western Ghats, Jawhar is k ...
, the Fatimid Kutama troops conquered Egypt from the Ikhsidids, the Kutama Berber general
Ja'far ibn Fallah was instrumental in this success: he led the troops that crossed the river Nile and according to al-Maqrizi, captured the boats used to do this from a fleet sent by Ikhshidid loyalists from Lower Egypt. The Kutama general Ja’far then invaded Palestine and conquered
Ramla
Ramla or Ramle ( he, רַמְלָה, ''Ramlā''; ar, الرملة, ''ar-Ramleh'') is a city in the Central District of Israel. Today, Ramle is one of Israel's mixed cities, with both a significant Jewish and Arab populations.
The city was f ...
, the capital, he then conquered
Damascus
)), is an adjective which means "spacious".
, motto =
, image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg
, image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg
, seal_type = Seal
, map_caption =
, ...
and made himself the master of the city and then he moved north and conquered
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
. It was around this time period that the Fatimid Caliphate reached its territorial peak of 4,100,000 km2.
Zirid Dynasty
The
Zirid Dynasty
The Zirid dynasty ( ar, الزيريون, translit=az-zīriyyūn), Banu Ziri ( ar, بنو زيري, translit=banū zīrī), or the Zirid state ( ar, الدولة الزيرية, translit=ad-dawla az-zīriyya) was a Sanhaja Berber dynasty from ...
was a family of
Sanhadja
The Sanhaja ( ber, Aẓnag, pl. Iẓnagen, and also Aẓnaj, pl. Iẓnajen; ar, صنهاجة, ''Ṣanhaja'' or زناگة ''Znaga'') were once one of the largest Berber tribal confederations, along with the Zanata and Masmuda confederations. Many ...
Berbers with origins in the Kabyle mountains. During their reign they established their rule over the entire
Maghreb
The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...
and also established rule in parts of
Andalusia
Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...
. They also had
suzerainty
Suzerainty () is the rights and obligations of a person, state or other polity who controls the foreign policy and relations of a tributary state, while allowing the tributary state to have internal autonomy. While the subordinate party is cal ...
over the Emirate of Sicily through the
Kalbite emirs and later assassinated the ruler and took over the island. When the Emirate of Sicily was split into separate
taifa
The ''taifas'' (singular ''taifa'', from ar, طائفة ''ṭā'ifa'', plural طوائف ''ṭawā'if'', a party, band or faction) were the independent Muslim principalities and kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal and Spain), re ...
s, Ayyub Ibn Tamim entered Sicily and united all of the taifas under his rule until he left the island.
Hammadid Dynasty
The
Hammadids
The Hammadid dynasty () was a branch of the Sanhaja Berber dynasty that ruled an area roughly corresponding to north-eastern modern Algeria between 1008 and 1152. The state reached its peak under Nasir ibn Alnas during which it was briefly the m ...
came to power after declaring their independence from the Zirids. They managed to conquer land in all of the Maghreb region, capturing and possessing significant territories such as:
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
,
Béjaïa
Béjaïa (; ; ar, بجاية, Latn, ar, Bijāya, ; kab, Bgayet, Vgayet), formerly Bougie and Bugia, is a Mediterranean port city and commune on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Béjaïa is ...
,
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
,
Sfax
Sfax (; ar, صفاقس, Ṣafāqis ) is a city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Berber Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterranean ...
, Susa,
Fez
Fez most often refers to:
* Fez (hat), a type of felt hat commonly worn in the Ottoman Empire
* Fez, Morocco (or Fes), the second largest city of Morocco
Fez or FEZ may also refer to:
Media
* ''Fez'' (Frank Stella), a 1964 painting by the moder ...
,
Ouargla
Ouargla ( Berber: Wargrən, ar, ورقلة) is the capital city of Ouargla Province in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing petroleum industry and hosts one of Algeria's universities, the University of Ouargla. The commune ...
and
Sijilmasa
, alternate_name =
, image = 1886608-the ruins of Sijilmassa-Rissani.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Sijilmasa ruins
, map_type = Morocco
, map_alt =
, coordinates =
, location = Errachidia, Drâa-Tafilalet, Morocco
, region =
, type = Sett ...
. South of Tunisia, they also possessed a number of
oases
In ecology, an oasis (; ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment'ksar''with its surrounding feeding source, the palm grove, within a relational and circulatory nomadic system.”
The location of oases has been of critical imp ...
that were the termini of
trans-Saharan trade
Trans-Saharan trade requires travel across the Sahara between sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of trade extended from the 8th century until the early 17th century.
The Sahara once had a very d ...
routes.
Kingdom of Ait Abbas and Kingdom of Kuku
These two Kabyle Kingdoms managed to maintain their independence and participated in notable battles alongside the
Regency of Algiers
The Regency of Algiers ( ar, دولة الجزائر, translit=Dawlat al-Jaza'ir) was a state in North Africa lasting from 1516 to 1830, until it was conquered by the French. Situated between the regency of Tunis in the east, the Sultanate o ...
, such as the
campaign of Tlemcen and the
conquest of Fez. In the early 16th century Sultan Abdelaziz of the Beni Abbes managed to defeat the Ottomans several times, notably in the
First Battle of Kalaa of the Beni Abbes.
![Martinus Rørbye - A seated Kabyla](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Martinus_R%C3%B8rbye_-_A_seated_Kabyla.jpg)
The Kabyle were relatively independent of outside control during the period of
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
rule in North Africa. They lived primarily in three different kingdoms: the
Kingdom of Kuku
The Kingdom of Kuku (''Kingdom of Koukou'') was a Kabyle Berber kingdom. It was established around 1515 CE and ruled by the Ath l-Qadi dynasty until 1632 or 1638 CE. Ahmed ou el Khadi (Ou l-Qadi) is acknowledged as the founder.
References
B ...
, the
Kingdom of Ait Abbas
The Kingdom of the Ait Abbas or Sultanate of the Beni Abbas ( ber, translit=tagelda n At Ɛebbas, ⵜⴰⴳⴻⵍⴷⴰ ⵏ ⴰⵜ ⵄⴻⴱⴱⴰⵙ; ar, سلطنة بني عباس ''salṭanat Beni Ɛabbas'') was a Kabyle, Berber state of No ...
, and the principality of Aït Jubar.
[''E. J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936''](_blank)
Volume 4, publié par M. Th. Houtsma, Page: 600 Kabylia was the last part of northern Algeria to be colonised by the French during the years 1854-1857, despite vigorous resistance.
[ Laidani, Amar. (2019)]
The recognition of the Tamazight Languages in the Algerian Law
Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai Iurisprudentia. Such leaders as
Lalla Fatma n Sumer continued the resistance as late as
Mokrani Mokrani is a surname, and may refer to;
Mokrani derives from المقراني ( El Mokrani), a town in Algeria.
* Cheikh Mokrani (1815–1871) - Leader of the Mokrani Revolt
The Mokrani Revolt ( ar, مقاومة الشيخ المقراني, lit ...
's rebellion in 1871.
![Portrait-Fatma N'Soumer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Portrait-Fatma_N%27Soumer.jpg)
Kabyle villages were ruled through an indirect administration based on the preservation of Kabyle traditional political institutions such as the village’s assemblies djemaas, this institution played a central role in the Kabyle’s self-governing.
The djemaas would resolve disputes between the village’s inhabitants and edict the customary law rules.
French officials confiscated much land from the more recalcitrant tribes and granted it to colonists, who became known as ''
pieds-noirs
The ''Pieds-Noirs'' (; ; ''Pied-Noir''), are the people of French and other European descent who were born in Algeria during the period of French rule from 1830 to 1962; the vast majority of whom departed for mainland France as soon as Alger ...
'' During this period, the French carried out many arrests and
deported
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
resisters, mainly to
New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
in the
South Pacific. Due to French colonization, many Kabyle emigrated to other areas inside and outside Algeria.
[Bélaïd Abane, ''L'Algérie en guerre: Abane Ramdane et les fusils de la rébellion'', p. 74](_blank)
/ref> Over time, immigrant workers also began to go to France.
In the 1920s, Algerian immigrant workers in France organized the first party promoting Algerians independence. Messali Hadj
Ahmed Ben Messali Hadj (May 16, 1898 - June 3, 1974), commonly known as Messali Hadj, ar, مصالي الحاج, was an Algerian nationalist politician dedicated to the independence of his homeland from French colonial rule. He is often called ...
, Imache Amar, Si Djilani Mohammed, and Belkacem Radjef rapidly built a strong following throughout France and Algeria in the 1930s. They developed militants who became vital to the fighting for an independent Algeria. This became widespread after World War II.
Since Algeria gained independence in 1962, tensions have arisen between Kabylie and the central government on several occasions. In July 1962, the FLN (National Liberation Front) was split rather than united. Indeed, many actors who contributed to independence wanted a share of power but the ALN
Aluminium nitride ( Al N) is a solid nitride of aluminium. It has a high thermal conductivity of up to 321 W/(m·K) and is an electrical insulator. Its wurtzite phase (w-AlN) has a band gap of ~6 eV at room temperature and has a potent ...
(National Liberation Army) directed by Houari Boumédiène
Houari Boumédiène ( ar, ; ALA-LC: ''Hawwārī Būmadyan''; born Mohammed Ben Brahim Boukherouba; 23 August 1932 – 27 December 1978) was an Algerian politician and army colonel who served as Chairman of the Revolutionary Council of Alge ...
, joined by Ahmed Ben Bella
Ahmed Ben Bella ( ar, أحمد بن بلّة '; 25 December 1916 – 11 April 2012) was an Algerian politician, soldier and socialist revolutionary who served as the head of government of Algeria from 27 September 1962 to 15 September 1963 an ...
, had the upper hand because of their military forces.
In 1963 the FFS party of Hocine Aït Ahmed
Hocine Aït Ahmed ( ar, حسين آيت أحمد; 20 August 1926 – 23 December 2015) was an Algerian politician. He was founder and leader until 2009 of the historical political opposition in Algeria.
Life
Aït Ahmed was born at Aï ...
contested the authority of the FLN, which had promoted itself as the only party in the nation. Aït Ahmed and others considered the central government led by Ben Bella authoritarian, and on September 3, 1963, the FFS (Socialist Forces front) was created by Hocine Aït Ahmed
Hocine Aït Ahmed ( ar, حسين آيت أحمد; 20 August 1926 – 23 December 2015) was an Algerian politician. He was founder and leader until 2009 of the historical political opposition in Algeria.
Life
Aït Ahmed was born at Aï ...
. This party grouped opponents of the regime then in place, and a few days after its proclamation, Ben Bella sent the army into Kabylie to repress the insurrection. Colonel Mohand Oulhadj also took part in the FFS and in the Maquis ( fr) because he considered that the ''mujahideen
''Mujahideen'', or ''Mujahidin'' ( ar, مُجَاهِدِين, mujāhidīn), is the plural form of ''mujahid'' ( ar, مجاهد, mujāhid, strugglers or strivers or justice, right conduct, Godly rule, etc. doers of jihād), an Arabic term th ...
'' were not treated as they should be. In the beginning, the FFS wanted to negotiate with the government but since no agreement was reached, the maquis took up arms and swore not to give them up as long as democratic principles and justice were a part of the system. But after Mohand Oulhadj's defection, Aït Ahmed could barely sustain the movement and after the FLN congress on April 16, 1964, which reinforced the government's legitimacy, he was arrested in October 1964. As a consequence, the insurrection was a failure in 1965 because it was hugely repressed by the forces of the ALN, under Houari Boumédiène. In 1965 Aït Ahmed was sentenced to death, but later pardoned by Ben Bella. Approximately 400 deaths were counted amongst the maquis.
In 1980, protesters mounted several months of demonstrations in Kabylie demanding the recognition of Berber as an official language; this period has been called the Berber Spring
The Berber Spring (in Berber language, Berber: Tafsut Imaziɣen or simply Tafsut for "Spring") was a period of political protest and civil activism in 1980, claiming recognition of the Berber people, Berber identity and language in Algeria, wit ...
. In 1994–1995, the Kabyle conducted a school boycott, termed the "strike of the school bag". In June and July 1998, they protested, in events that turned violent, after the assassination of singer Matoub Lounès and passage of a law requiring use of the Arabic language in all fields.
In the months following April 2001 (called the Black Spring), major riots among the Kabyle took place following the killing of Masinissa Guermah
Masinissa ( nxm, , ''MSNSN''; ''c.'' 238 BC – 148 BC), also spelled Massinissa, Massena and Massan, was an ancient Numidian king best known for leading a federation of Massylii Berber tribes during the Second Punic War (218–201 BC), ulti ...
, a young Kabyle, by gendarmes. At the same time, organized activism produced the '' Arouch'', and neo-traditional local councils. The protests gradually decreased after the Kabyle won some concessions from President Abdelaziz Bouteflika
Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ar, عبد العزيز بوتفليقة, ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Būtaflīqa ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as President of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019 ...
.
On 6 January 2016, Tamazight was officially recognized in Algeria's constitution as a language equal to Arabic.
Geography
The geography of the Kabyle region played an important role in the people's history. The difficult mountainous landscape of the Tizi Ouzou
Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylie region after Bejaia.
History
Etymology
The name ''Tizi Ouzou' ...
and Bejaia provinces served as a refuge, to which most of the Kabyle people retreated when under pressure or occupation. They were able to preserve their cultural heritage in such isolation from other cultural influences.
The area supported local dynasties (Numidia, Fatimids in the Kutama periods, Zirids, Hammadids, and Hafsids of Bejaïa) or Algerian modern nationalism, and the war of independence. The region was repeatedly occupied by various conquerors. Romans and Byzantines controlled the main road and valley during the period of antiquity and avoided the mountains (Mont ferratus). During the spread of Islam, Arabs controlled plains but not all the countryside (they were called ''el aadua'': enemy by the Kabyle).
The Regency of Algiers
The Regency of Algiers ( ar, دولة الجزائر, translit=Dawlat al-Jaza'ir) was a state in North Africa lasting from 1516 to 1830, until it was conquered by the French. Situated between the regency of Tunis in the east, the Sultanate o ...
, under Ottoman influence, tried to have indirect influence over the people (makhzen
Makhzen (Arabic: , Berber: ''Lmexzen'') is the governing institution in Morocco and in pre-1957 Tunisia, centered on the monarch and consisting of royal notables, top-ranking military personnel, landowners, security service bosses, civil servant ...
tribes of Amraoua, and marabout).
The French gradually and totally conquered the region and set up a direct administration.
Algerian provinces with significant Kabyle-speaking populations include Tizi Ouzou
Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylie region after Bejaia.
History
Etymology
The name ''Tizi Ouzou' ...
, Béjaïa
Béjaïa (; ; ar, بجاية, Latn, ar, Bijāya, ; kab, Bgayet, Vgayet), formerly Bougie and Bugia, is a Mediterranean port city and commune on the Gulf of Béjaïa in Algeria; it is the capital of Béjaïa Province, Kabylia. Béjaïa is ...
and Bouira, where they are a majority, as well as Boumerdes, Setif, Bordj Bou Arreridj, and Jijel
Jijel ( ar, جيجل), the classical Igilgili, is the capital of Jijel Province in north-eastern Algeria. It is flanked by the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Corniche Jijelienne and had a population of 131,513 in 2008.
Jijel is the administra ...
. Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
also has a significant Kabyle population, where they make up more than half of the capital's population.
The Kabyle region is referred to as ''Al Qabayel'' ("tribes") by the Arabic-speaking population and as ''Kabylie'' in French. Its indigenous inhabitants call it ''Tamurt Idurar'' ("Land of Mountains") or ''Tamurt n Iqbayliyen''/''Tamurt n Iqbayliyen'' ("Land of the Kabyle"). It is part of the Atlas Mountains
The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. It separates the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range. It stretches around through Moroc ...
and is located at the edge of the Mediterranean.
Culture and society
Language
The Kabyle ethnic group
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
speak Kabyle, a Berber language
The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight,, ber, label=Tuareg Tifinagh, ⵜⵎⵣⵗⵜ, ) are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related languages spoken by Berber commun ...
of the Afro-Asiatic
The Afroasiatic languages (or Afro-Asiatic), also known as Hamito-Semitic, or Semito-Hamitic, and sometimes also as Afrasian, Erythraean or Lisramic, are a language family of about 300 languages that are spoken predominantly in the geographic su ...
family. As second and third languages, many people speak Algerian Arabic
Algerian Arabic (natively known as Dziria) is a dialect derived from the form of Arabic spoken in northern Algeria. It belongs to the Maghrebi Arabic language continuum and is partially mutually intelligible with Tunisian and Moroccan.
Like ...
and French.
During the first centuries of their history, Kabyles used the Tifinagh
Tifinagh ( Tuareg Berber language: or , ) is a script used to write the Berber languages. Tifinagh is descended from the ancient Libyco-Berber alphabet. The traditional Tifinagh, sometimes called Tuareg Tifinagh, is still favored by the Tuare ...
writing system. Since the beginning of the 19th century, and under French influence, Kabyle intellectuals began to use the Latin script
The Latin script, also known as Roman script, is an alphabetic writing system based on the letters of the classical Latin alphabet, derived from a form of the Greek alphabet which was in use in the ancient Greek city of Cumae, in southern Italy ...
. It is the basis for the modern Berber Latin alphabet.
After the independence of Algeria
Independence Day ( ar, عيد استقلال, french: Jour de l'Indépendance), observed annually on 5 July, is a National Holiday in Algeria commemorating colonial Algerian independence from France on 5 July 1962.
Algerian War (1954–196 ...
, some Kabyle activists tried to revive the Old Tifinagh alphabet. This new version of Tifinagh has been called Neo-Tifinagh
Tifinagh ( Tuareg Berber language: or , ) is a script used to write the Berber languages. Tifinagh is descended from the ancient Libyco-Berber alphabet. The traditional Tifinagh, sometimes called Tuareg Tifinagh, is still favored by the Tuare ...
, but its use remains limited to logo
A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name it represents as in a wordma ...
s. Kabyle literature has continued to be written in the Latin script.
Religion
The Kabyle people are mainly Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, with a small Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
minority. Many ''Zawaya
The Zawaya are tribes in the southern Sahara who have traditionally followed a deeply religious way of life. They accepted a subordinate position to the warrior tribes, whether Arab or Berber, who had little interest in Islam. The Zawaya introduce ...
'' exist all over the region; the Rahmaniyya
The Raḥmâniyya (Arabic: الرحمانية) is an Algerian Sufi order (tariqa or brotherhood) founded by Kabyle religious scholar Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Azhari Bu Qabrayn in the 1770s. It was initially a branch of the Khalwat ...
is the most prolific.
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
s of Kabyle background generally live in France. Recently, the Protestant community has had significant growth, particularly among Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
denominations.
Economy
The traditional economy of the area is based on arboriculture
Arboriculture () is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their environmen ...
(orchard
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...
s and olive tree
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' 'M ...
s) and on the craft industry (tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
or pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
). Mountain and hill farming is gradually giving way to local industry (textile and agro-alimentary). In the middle of the 20th century, with the influence and funding by the Kabyle diaspora, many industries were developed in this region. It has become the second most important industrial region in the country after Algiers.
Politics
The Kabyle have been fierce activists in promoting the cause of Berber (''Amazigh'') identity. The movement has three groups: those Kabyle who identify as part of a larger Berber nation (Berberists
Berberism or Amazighism is a Berber political-cultural movement of ethnic, geographic, or cultural nationalism, started mainly in Kabylia (Algeria) and in Morocco, later spreading to the rest of the Berber communities in the Maghreb region of ...
); those who identify as part of the Algerian nation (known as "Algerianists", some view Algeria as an essentially Berber nation); and those who consider the Kabyle to be a distinct nation separate from (but akin to) other Berber peoples (known as Kabylists).
* Two political parties dominate in Kabylie and have their principal support base there: the Socialist Forces Front
, Berber: Tirni Iɣallen Inemlayen (RƔN)
, logo = Socialist Forces Front.png
, leader1_title = First National Secretary
, leader1_name = Youcef Aouchiche
, leader2_title =
, leader2_name =
, foundation =
...
(FFS), led by Ali Laskri who replaced Hocine Aït Ahmed
Hocine Aït Ahmed ( ar, حسين آيت أحمد; 20 August 1926 – 23 December 2015) was an Algerian politician. He was founder and leader until 2009 of the historical political opposition in Algeria.
Life
Aït Ahmed was born at Aï ...
, and the Rally for Culture and Democracy
The Rally for Culture and Democracy ( ber, Agraw i Yidles d Tugdut; ar, التجمع من أجل الثقافة والديمقراطية; french: Rassemblement pour la Culture et la Démocratie, RCD) is a political party in Algeria. It promotes ...
(RCD), led by Mohcine Belabbès who replaced Saïd Sadi
Saïd Sadi ( Kabyle: Saεid Seεdi) (born 26 August 1947) is an Algerian politician who was President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) until 2012. He is founder of the first Algerian human rights league.
Born at Aghribs, now in Tizi ...
. Both parties are secularist
Secularism is the principle of seeking to conduct human affairs based on secular, naturalistic considerations.
Secularism is most commonly defined as the separation of religion from civil affairs and the state, and may be broadened to a sim ...
, Berberist and Algerianist
Algerian nationalism is pride in the Algerian identity and culture. It has been historically infuenced by the conflicts between the conflicts between the Deylik of Algiers and European countries, the French conquest of Algeria and the subseque ...
.
* The Arouch emerged during the Black Spring of 2001 as a revival of the village assembly, a traditional Kabyle form of democratic organization. The Arouch share roughly the same political views as the FFS and the RCD.
* The MAK (Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylie) also emerged during the Black Spring, It claimed the right for a regional autonomy of Kabylie. On 21 April 2010, MAK proclaimed a Provisional Government of Kabylie in exile (ANAVAD). Ferhat Mehenni
Ferhat Imazighen Imula, also known as Ferhat Mehenni ( Kabyle: Ferḥat Mehenni or Ferḥat Imazighen Imula, born March 5, 1951), is a an Algerian Kabyle political activist, singer, and founder and first President of the Movement for the Auton ...
was elected president by the National Council of the MAK. In 2013, MAK officially became an independentist movement and changed its name to The Mouvement for the Self-determination of Kabylie
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
.
Diaspora
For historical and economic reasons, many Kabyles have emigrated to France, both for work and to escape political persecution. They now number around 1 million people.James Minahan, ''Encyclopedia of the Stateless Nations: D-K''
Good Publishing Group, 2002, p.863. Quote: "Outside North Africa, the largest Kabyle community, numbering around 1 million, is in France." Some notable French people are of full or partial Kabyle descent.
Notable people
Sport
![Zinedine Zidane by Tasnim 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Zinedine_Zidane_by_Tasnim_02.jpg)
*
Mohamed Allek
Mohamed Allek ar, محمد علاك ; (17 August 1974 – 8 March 2016) was a Paralympian athlete from Algeria, competing mainly in category T37 sprint events. He was born in Agouni Gueghrane.
In the 1996 Summer Paralympics A ...
*
Karim Benzema
Karim Mostafa Benzema (born 19 December 1987) is a French professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains La Liga club Real Madrid. A creative and prolific forward, Benzema is regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. ...
*
Soraya Haddad
Soraya Haddad (born 30 September 1984) is an Algerian judoka. She won abronze medal in the 52 kg weight class at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She has been the African champion five times: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2012, and also a bron ...
*
Kheira Hamraoui
Kheira Hamraoui (born 13 January 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Division 1 Féminine club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team.
Club career Youth career
Hamraoui began her football career ...
*
Mohand Cherif Hannachi
*
Rabah Madjer
Rabah Mustapha Madjer ( ar, رابح مصطفى ماجر; born 15 December 1958) is an Algerian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
He reached stardom as a Porto player during the 1980s, being widely regarded as one of th ...
*
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé Lottin (born 20 December 1998) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and the France national team. Considered one of the best players in the world, he is renowned for his dribb ...
*
Mahieddine Meftah
Mahieddine "Tchico" Meftah (born 25 September 1968 in Tizi Ouzou) is a former Algerian national footballer. He is one of the most capped Algerian player (with 77 national caps).
Honours Club
; JS Kabylie
* Ligue 1 (3): 1988-89, 1989-90, 1994 ...
*
Moussa Saïb
Moussa Saïb (born 6 March 1969) is an Algerian football manager and former player. He is currently unattached, after last managing JS Kabylie in the Algerian Ligue Professionnelle 1.
Club career
Saïb started his football career with a club fr ...
*
Samir Aït Saïd
Samir Aït Saïd (born 1 November 1989) is a French male artistic gymnast and a member of the national team. He has won a total of three medals, in each color, in the rings apparatus at the European Championships (2013 to 2015), and was also selec ...
*
Hocine Soltani
Hocine Soltani (December 1972 – March 2002) was an Algerian boxer, who won two Olympic medals. In 1992, the southpaw placed third in the featherweight division (54–57 kg), and at the 1996 Summer Olympics he won the gold medal in the ...
*
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane (; born 23 June 1972), popularly known as Zizou, is a French professional football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He most recently coached Spanish club Real Madrid and is one of the most ...
Business
*
Alexandre Djouhri
*
Issad Rebrab
Issad Rebrab ( ar, يسعد ربراب; born 1944), is an Algerian billionaire businessman, CEO of the Cevital industrial group, the largest private company in Algeria, active in steel, food, agribusiness and electronics. In 2019, he was sentence ...
Cinema
*
Isabelle Adjani
Isabelle Yasmina Adjani ; born 27 June 1955) is a French actress and singer of Algerian and German descent. She is the only performer in history to win five César Awards for acting; she won the Best Actress award for ''Possession'' (1981), ''O ...
*
M'hamed Arezki
*
Ramzy Bedia
Ramzy Habib El Haq Bedia ( ar, رمزي حبيب إل حق بيديا ; born March 10, 1972) is a French actor, screenwriter and film director of Algerian descent.
He started his career as a comedian in 1994 after meeting Eric Judor with whom ...
*
Yamina Benguigui
Yamina Benguigui (born Yamina Zora Belaïdi; in Lille on 9 April 1955) is a French film director and politician of Algerian descent. She is known for her films on gender issues in the North African (both Berbers and Arabs) immigrant community in ...
*
Yasmine Bleeth
Yasmine Amanda Bleeth (born June 14, 1968) is an American actress and model. Her television roles include Caroline Holden on ''Baywatch'', Ryan Fenelli on ''Ryan's Hope'', and LeeAnn Demerest on ''One Life to Live''.
Early life and career
Blee ...
*
Dany Boon
Dany Boon (; born Daniel Farid Hamidou on 26 June 1966) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer.
Starting out as a comedian during the 1990s, he found success in 2008 as an actor and director in the film comedy ''Welcome to ...
*
Habiba Djahnine
*
Fellag
Mohamed Fellag (born 31 March 1950 in Azeffoun, Tizi Ouzou) is an Algerian comedian, writer, humorist, and actor. In 1958, at the height of the Algerian war of independence, his father took him and his younger brother, for their safety, to stay w ...
*
Jalil Lespert
Jalil Lespert (born 11 May 1976) is a French actor, screenwriter and director.
Life and career
Born to an ethnic French (Pied-Noir) father, actor Jean Lespert, and an Algerian mother, who is an attorney and a jurist, Lespert first studied law, ...
*
Samy Naceri
Saïd Naceri ( ar, سعيد ناصري, link=no; born 2 July 1961), known as Samy Naceri (), is a French actor known for his work in the four ''Taxi'' films and '' The Code'' (''La Mentale'').
Early life and career
Naceri was born to an Algerian ...
*
Marie-José Nat
Marie-José Benhalassa (22 April 1940 – 10 October 2019), known professionally as Marie-José Nat, was a French actress. Among her notable works in cinema were the sequel films '' Anatomy of a Marriage: My Days with Jean-Marc'' and '' Anatomy ...
*
Daniel Prévost
Daniel Prévost (born 20 October 1939) is a French actor, comedian and writer.
Early life
Daniel Prévost, alias Denis Forestier, was born to Micheline Chevalier and Mohand Ait Salem. His father was of Berber descent from Algeria (Kabylie re ...
*
Rouiched
Ahmed Ayad (Arabic: أحمد عياد) better known by his stage name as Rouiched; was an Algerian comedy actor and singer, born on April 28, 1921, at Algiers and died on January 28, 1999, at El Biar (Algiers).
Biography
Rouiched was from Ka ...
*
Erika Sawajiri
is a Japanese former actress, singer, and model. After starting out as a junior model, Sawajiri transitioned to acting in 2002 and has starred in ''Break Through!'', ''Shinobi: Heart Under Blade'', and ''1 Litre no Namida (TV series), 1 Litre of ...
*
Jacques Villeret
Jacques Villeret (; 6 February 1951 – 28 January 2005) was a French actor, best known internationally for his role as François Pignon in the comedy ''Le Dîner de Cons''. During his career, he earned many awards including the prestigious ...
*
Malik Zidi
Malik Zidi (born 14 February 1975)[ifrance.com](_blank)
is a French film, television and theatre actor. He is a
Music
*
Abderrahmane Abdelli
Abderrahmane Abdelli (born April 2, 1958) is a Berber author, composer, and singer songwriter known for mixing the traditional North African music of his homeland with modern sounds.
Biography
Abdelli was born in Mechta Behalil, a hamlet in the ...
*
Assia
*
Slimane Azem
Slimane Azem (September 19, 1918 – January 31, 1983) was an Algerian singer and poet, born in Agouni Gueghrane (kabylie region),that composed hundreds of songs in more than 40 years of artistic life. A great connoisseur and admirer of the po ...
*
Chimène Badi
Chimène Badi (; born 30 October 1982 in Melun, Seine-et-Marne), also known by her mononym Chimène, is a French singer of Algerian descent.
Early life
Badi was born in Melun in the Paris suburbs to a family of Algerian origin. She spent her enti ...
*
Alain Bashung
Alain Bashung (, born Alain Claude Baschung; 1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor. Credited with reviving the French chanson in "a time of French musical turmoil", he is often regarded in his home country a ...
*
Chérifa
*
Malika Domrane
Malika Domrane (born 12 March 1956 in Tizi Hibel) is an Algerian singer, originally from Kabylie.
Life
Domrane began to sing in her high school choir in Tizi Ouzou. In 1969 she won a gold medal at festival in Algeria. After graduating as a n ...
*
Idir
Idir may refer to:
People
* Ali Idir (born 1966), Algerian judoka
* Idir (singer) (1949–2020), Algerian singer-songwriter and musician
* Idir Khourta (born 1986), French-born Algerian table tennis player
* Idir Ouali (born 1988), French-Alger ...
*
Mohamed Iguerbouchène
*
Marina Kaye
Marina Kaye (born 9 February 1998), born Marina Marie Madeleine Dalmas, is a French singer, songwriter and composer.
Most famous for the hit " Homeless", she has released the EP ''Homeless'' in 2014 and the album ''Fearless'' in 2015. On Octobe ...
*
Souad Massi
Souad Massi (سعاد ماسي; born August 23, 1972), is an Algerian Berber singer, songwriter and guitarist. She began her career performing in the Kabyle political rock band Atakor, before leaving the country following a series of death thre ...
*
Matoub Lounes
*
Lounis Aït Menguellet
*
Kamel Messaoudi
Kamel Messaoudi ( ar, كمال مسعودي), (30 January 1961; Bouzaréah, Algeria – 10 December 1998; Algiers) was an Algerian Chaabi music performer, highly regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Algeria history.
Biography
He was ...
*
Emma Saïd Ben Mohamed
Emma Saïd Ben Mohamed (10 December 1876 – 18 July 1930) was a French singer and circus performer. She was the maternal grandmother of Edith Piaf, France's national chanteuse. she worked as a singer and circus performer.
Early life
Emma was bo ...
*
Marcel Mouloudji
Marcel André Mouloudji (16 September 1922 – 14 June 1994) was a French singer and actor who was born in Paris and died in Neuilly-sur-Seine. He sang songs written by Boris Vian and Jacques Prévert.
Personal life
Mouloudji was born to Algeria ...
*
El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka
El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka ( ar, الحاج محمد العنقة}), (May 20, 1907 in Algiers – November 23, 1978 in Algiers) also known as Hadj Muhammed Al Anka, El-Hadj M'Hamed El Anka (and various other combinations), was considered a Grand Ma ...
*
Rilès
*
Sinik
Thomas Gérard Idir (; born 26 June 1980), better known by his stage name Sinik, is a French-language rap artist. He is also known as Malsain, L'assassin and S.I.N.I.K.. His father is Algerian while his mother is French. In 2001, he founded hi ...
*
DJ Snake
William Sami Étienne Grigahcine (born 13 June 1986), known by his stage name DJ Snake, is an Algerian French music producer and DJ, first achieving international recognition in 2013 by releasing an instrumentation-oriented single called " Turn D ...
*
Soolking
Abderraouf Derradji ( ar, عبد الرؤوف درّاجي; born 10 December 1989), known professionally as Soolking, is an Algerian singer and rapper. He started his career under the pseudonym MC Sool until 2013 before adopting his new stage na ...
*
Rachid Taha
Rachid Taha ( ar, رشيد طه, Latn, ar, Rashīd Ṭāhā, ; 18 September 1958 – 12 September 2018) was an Algerian singer and activist based in France described as "sonically adventurous". His music was influenced by many different styles i ...
*
Takfarinas
Hacène Zermani (born 1958 in Algiers, Algeria), known by the stage name Takfarinas, is an Algerian Kabyle Yal musician. Takfarinas took his surname from the ancient warrior of North Africa Tacfarinas who fought against the presence of the Rom ...
Paint
*
M'hamed Issiakhem
M'hamed Issiakhem (17 June 1928 – 1 December 1985) is one of the founders of the modern Algerian painting.
Biography
M'hamed Issiakhem born on 17 June 1928 in Taboudoucht, a small village near Azeffoun, around 43 kilometers from Tizi Ouz ...
*
Hamid Tibouchi
Politics
*
Abane Ramdane
Abane Ramdane (June 10, 1920 – December 26, 1957) was an Algerian political activist and revolutionary. He played a key role in the organization of the independence struggle during the Algerian war. His influence was so great that he was know ...
*
Ferhat Abbas Ferhat is a Turkish given name and the Turkish spelling of the Persian name Ferhad ( fa, فرهاد, ''farhād''). It may refer to:
Given name Ferhad
* Ferhad Ayaz (born 1994), Turkish-Swedish footballer
* Ferhad Pasha Sokolović 16th-century Ott ...
*
Belaïd Abrika
*
Hocine Aït Ahmed
Hocine Aït Ahmed ( ar, حسين آيت أحمد; 20 August 1926 – 23 December 2015) was an Algerian politician. He was founder and leader until 2009 of the historical political opposition in Algeria.
Life
Aït Ahmed was born at Aï ...
*
Lucius Alfenus Senecio Lucius Alfenus Senecio was a Roman figure of the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries.
Career
Born in Curculum, Africa (Roman province) ( Djemila, Algeria), Lucius Alfenus Senecio was a Numidian ( Romanised Berber). He served as ''procurator Augusti' ...
*
Nasir ibn Alnas
An-Nasir ibn Alnas, (Arabic: الناصر بن الناس) ''(Alnnasir bin Alnaas)'' (died 1088) was the fifth ruler of the Hammadids in Algeria, from 1062 until his death.
Life
An-Nasir succeeded Buluggin ibn Muhammad (1055–1062) after hi ...
*
Fadela Amara
Fadela Amara (born Fatiha Amara on 25 April 1964) is a French feminism, French feminist and politician, who began her political life as an advocate for women in the impoverished ''banlieues''. She was the Secretary of State for Urban Policies in ...
*
Belkacem Lounes
Belkacem Lounes (in Tifinagh: ⴱⴻⵍⴿⴰⵚⴻⵎ ⵍⵓⵏⴻⵙ; born 6 February 1955) is an Algerian Kabyle indigenous politician, economist and activist who was President of the World Amazigh Congress (also known as the CMA) during 20 ...
*
Mohand Arav Bessaoud
*
Lalla Fatma n Sumer
*
Firmus
According to the ''Historia Augusta'', Firmus (died 273) was a usurper during the reign of Aurelian. The contradictory accounts of his life and the man himself are considered to be a complete fabrication, perhaps based on the later Firmus.
Hist ...
*
Amirouche Aït Hamouda
*
Krim Belkacem
*
Ferhat Mehenni
Ferhat Imazighen Imula, also known as Ferhat Mehenni ( Kabyle: Ferḥat Mehenni or Ferḥat Imazighen Imula, born March 5, 1951), is a an Algerian Kabyle political activist, singer, and founder and first President of the Movement for the Auton ...
*
Saïd Mohammedi
*
Sheikh Mokrani
*
Belkacem Radjef
*
Saïd Sadi
Saïd Sadi ( Kabyle: Saεid Seεdi) (born 26 August 1947) is an Algerian politician who was President of the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) until 2012. He is founder of the first Algerian human rights league.
Born at Aghribs, now in Tizi ...
*
Buluggin ibn Ziri
Buluggin ibn Ziri, often transliterated Bologhine, in full ʾAbū al Futūḥ Sayf ad Dawlah Bulukīn ibn Zīrī ibn Manād aṣ Ṣanhājī ( ar, أبو الفتوح سيف الدولة بلكين بن زيري بن مناد الصنهاجي; die ...
Natural Science
*
Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki
*
Noureddine Melikechi
*
Rachid Ouyed
Literature
*
Si Amar
*
Mohammed Arkoun
Mohammed Arkoun ( ar, محمد أركون; 1 February 1928 – 14 September 2010) was an Algerian scholar and thinker. He was considered to have been one of the most influential secular scholars in Islamic studies contributing to contemporary inte ...
*
Taos Amrouche
Marie-Louise-Taos Amrouche (born 4 March 1913 in Tunis, Tunisia; died 2 April 1976 in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) was an Algerian writer and singer. In 1947, she became the first Algerian woman to publish a novel.
Biography
She was ...
*
Salem Chaker
Salem Chaker (born 1950 in Nevers) is an Algerian linguist. A specialist in Berber linguistics (syntax, diachrony, sociolinguistics), he is recognized as the "dean" of modern Berber studies.
Biography
Salem Chaker was born in 1950 in Nevers, ...
*
Tahar Djaout
Tahar Djaout (11 January 1954 – 2 June 1993) was an Algerian journalist, poet, and fiction writer. He was assassinated in 1993 by the Armed Islamic Group.
Early life
He was born in 1954 in Oulkhou, a village in the Kabylie region. After unive ...
*
Nabile Farès
Nabile Farès (25 September 1940 – 30 August 2016) was an Algerian-born French novelist. He was born in Collo, a part of Skikda Province, Algeria.
Farès left his studies and prepared (in the camps in Tunisia) to fight against the French towards ...
*
Mouloud Feraoun
Mouloud Feraoun (8 March 1913 – 15 March 1962) was an Algerian writer and martyr of the Algerian revolution born in Tizi Hibel, Kabylie. Some of his books, written in French, have been translated into several languages including English and Ge ...
*
Mouloud Mammeri
Mouloud Mammeri () was an Algerian writer, anthropologist and linguist.
Biography
He was born on December 28, 1917, in Ait Yenni, in Tizi Ouzou Province, French Algeria. He attended a primary school in his native village, then emigrated to ...
*
Si Mohand Si Mohand ou-Mhand n At Hmadouch, also known as Si Mhand, (Icerɛiwen, Tizi Rached, about 1848 - Ain El Hammam, 28 December 1905) was a widely known Berber-Amazigh poet from Kabylie in Algeria. Called the "Kabyle Verlaine" by French scholars, his wo ...
*
Mohand Tazerout
*
Tassadit Yacine
*
Salem Zenia
See also
*
List of Kabyle people
A list of Kabyle people
Musicians
* Amour Abdenour, Algerian singer (active since 1969)
* Abderrahmane Abdelli, singer
* Myriam Abel, singer
* Kenza Farah, French singer
* Lounis Ait Menguellet, singer
* Idir, singer
* Lounes Matoub, Berb ...
Notes and references
External links
Provisional Government of Kabylie (ANAVAD)Kabyle Movement of AutonomyKabyle centric news site
Social web siteKabyle centric news site
Ethnologue.com about Kabyle language
Cultural site
Analysis
{{authority control
Ethnic groups in Algeria
Indigenous peoples of North Africa
Berber peoples and tribes