The Zenata are one of the main divisions of the medieval Berbers, along with Senhaja and Masmuda . They were traditionally nomads whose main home was the Middle Maghreb, an area stretching, roughly speaking, from the Rif to Chleff . They were a major political force in the area in the Middle Ages; the Zayyanids of Tlemcen were of Zenati origin, and they were an important force in the Rustamid dynasty. They claimed an Arab (South Arabian) origin, for what most historians regard as political reasons, but this claim is not widely accepted.

Their varieties of Berber, collectively termed Zenati, are spread over a wide area; for this reason, several languages are termed "Zenati" or in some cases are spoken by people who call themselves Zenata. Among these are Beni Iznacen , a tribe that lives in Northern Morocco and Algeria, mostly in the mountains near Berkane called the Beni Iznacen mountains; Sened (now extinct), and some Saharan oasis languages. The Zenata are also recalled in several placenames across the Maghreb, notably Oued Zenati in Algeria.

External links

• Zenata at Love To Know