The Regraga are a sub-tribe of the

Masmuda The Masmuda ( ar, المصمودة, Berber: ⵉⵎⵙⵎⵓⴷⵏ) is a Berber tribal confederation of Morocco and one of the largest in the Maghreb, along with the Zanata and the Sanhaja. They were composed of several sub-tribes: Berghouat ...

Berber tribal confederacy. They are also one of three tribes that formed the population of Essaouira,

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

. The Regraga came from the Jbel Hadid mountains and introduced Islam to the region; the other tribes were the Berber Haha and the Chiadma. In

Tachelhit , now more usually known as Tashelhit , is a Berber language spoken in southwestern Morocco. The endonym is , and in recent English publications the name of the language is often rendered ''Tashelhit'', ''Tashelhiyt'' or ''Tashlhiyt''. In Morocc ...

, the term ''Regraga'' refers to those who are imbued with the spiritual force called '' Baraka''. The tribe became known by this name because in pre-Islamic times they held a prominent religious role in the region, and because of it were considered nobility. In modern times, the term also refers to a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

made annually by the Chiadma tribes of the Jbel Hadid and the Haha tribes who live southeast of Essaouira. It takes place in spring and lasts 40 days. During those weeks, pilgrims visit a series of local shrines, from the mouth of the

Tensift river Tensift (Berber: Tansift) is a river in central Morocco. It originates in the eastern High Atlas, receiving water from many tributaries in the region. It passes close to the city of Marrakesh and has its outlet into the Atlantic Ocean at the ancie ...

south of Safi to the northern outskirts of the

High Atlas High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas ( ar, الأطلس الكبير, Al-Aṭlas al-Kabīr; french: Haut Atlas; shi, ⴰⴷⵔⴰⵔ ⵏ ⴷⵔⵏ ''Adrar n Dern''), is a mountain range in central Morocco, North Africa, the highest part of t ...

, including the city of Essaouira itself. They join either of two different groups on a tour of the shrines, stopping at each shrine on the way. One group must adorn at every shrine a holy tent made of

fan palm Fan palm as a descriptive term can refer to any of several different kinds of palms (Arecaceae) in various genera with leaves that are palmately lobed (rather than pinnately compound). Most are members of the subfamily Coryphoideae, though a few ...

fibres and dyed with henna, the other group arrives in a procession with a ''muqaddim'' (religious leader) riding a white horse.

References

Moroccan tribes Berbers in Morocco Masmuda {{Morocco-stub