Bni Chiker

Bni Chiker
Ait Shishar (Tarifit)
بني شيكر (Arabic)
ⴰⵢⵜ ⵛⵉⵛⴰⵔ (Standard Moroccan Tamazight)
Town
Bni Chiker is located in Morocco
Bni Chiker
Bni Chiker
Location within Morocco
Bni Chiker is located in Africa
Bni Chiker
Bni Chiker
Location within Africa
Coordinates: 35°16′25″N 3°00′54″W / 35.273529°N 3.015069°W / 35.273529; -3.015069
Country Morocco
RegionOriental
ProvinceNador Province
Area
 • Total
55.8 sq mi (144.4 km2)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
22.763
 • Density408/sq mi (157.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (WEST)
Town hall in Beni Chiker

Bni Chiker or Beni Chiker is a town in Nador Province, Morocco. At the time of the 2024 census, it had a population of 22,763.

It is the birthplace of the writer Mohammed Choukri (1935-2003) and of Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, who on 16 May 2012 was appointed Minister of Women's Rights and Government spokesperson in the Ayrault government in France.

Bni Chiker is known largely for its tourist hotspots such as the beaches Charrana, Cara Blanca and Mina Rosita.

History

Beni chiker was first mentioned in the 16th Century. A large proportion of the population is Riffian Berber.

In 1880 the tribe had the following groups as subdivisions:

Name

The native name Ayt Shishar is a combination of 'Ayt', which indicates tribal affiliation in Berber languages, and 'Shishar'. 'Ayt' corresponds to the Arabic Banu, meaning "sons of". The etymology of 'Shishar' on the other hand is disputed. It has been proposed that it may be derived from the Arabic word shukr, meaning 'thankfulness', or that it is of Berber origin.[citation needed]

According to one tradition, the name can be traced back to the name of an eponymous ancestor named Achichar, who is said to have belonged to the Riffian Botouya tribe. Other genealogists derive the name from a contraction of the old Riffian words 'achich', meaning 'challenge', and 'ar', meaning 'lion', thus giving the meaning 'challenger of the lion'.

References

  1. ↑ Jamous, Raymond (October 5, 1981). Honneur et baraka : Les structures sociales traditionnelles dans le Rif. Éditions de la Maison des sciences de l’homme. pp. 12–28. doi:10.4000/books.editionsmsh.15280 – via OpenEdition Books.
  2. ↑ "Bni Chiker (Commune, Morocco) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". Archived from the original on 2025-06-07. Retrieved 2026-10-07.
  3. ↑ Al Figuigui, H. (1999). "Guelaya ou Qelaya". Encyclopédie berbère. Vol. 21. OpenEdition Journals. pp. 3224–3229. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.1805. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  4. ↑ H.-M.-P. de La Martinière; N. Lacroix (1894), Gouvernement général de l'Algérie, Service des affaires indigènes (ed.), Documents pour servir à l'étude du Nord-Ouest Africain (Régions de la frontière limitrophe algérienne. Le Rif – Les Djebala), vol. Tome I, Algier, retrieved 1 September 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Chaker, S. (1986-07-01). "Aït (enfant de)". Encyclopédie berbère (in French) (3): 383–384. doi:10.4000/encyclopedieberbere.2381. ISSN 1015-7344.
  6. ↑ كمال سليمان سليماني (2025). "من أجل إسترجاع الإسم الأصلي: "آيت شيشار" بدل "بني شيكر"" [For the restoration of the original name: “Ayt Shishar” instead of “Beni Chiker”]. RifDia (in Arabic). Retrieved 29 August 2026.
  1. ↑ Tarifit: Ait Shishar
    Arabic: بني شيكر
    Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴰⵢⵜ ⵛⵉⵛⴰⵔ, romanized: Ayt Cicar