Morocco's Amazigh art festival of Ahwach takes place in Ouarzazate

The 10th National Ahwach Art Festival has taken place in the Moroccan city of Ouarzazate on Friday.

The festival brings together performers and fans of the traditional folkloric style of music and dance typical to the southeast part of Morocco.

Most of the musicians come from the regions of Ouarzazate, Zagora and the Souss, bastions of the Amazigh people, also known as Berbers.

Styles and instruments may vary from place to place, but Berber music has not changed for centuries.

Azzeddine Tastift, a researcher in cultural affairs, says the festival is "an opportunity to revitalize art and culture in this city and pass this heritage on to future generations."

Ahwach is a Berber word that means collective dance of the Amazigh tribes in the Atlas Mountains.

The festival has been held in the city of Ouarzazate since 2003, organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Culture.

It has seen a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

More than 1,100 artists from several Moroccan regions took part in this year's festival.