Blue Lapis Lazuli gemstone and red coral 2 rows beaded Tuareg Berber boghdad North African Sahara Necklace with 5 southern crosses.
Marrakech design Ethnic old Moroccan tribal handmade one of a kind treasure.
The Boghdad crosses measurements are:
Center cross is 1.5” in height by 1.25 in width.
Side crosses measurements:
Approximately 1” by 1”
Total length of necklace is 20”.
This necklace is composed of two rows of gemstone and silver berber beads.
The inner row is 18” in length and the outer row is approximately 20”.
The blue lapis lazuli rondelle beads are approximately 14mm.
The red coral beads are approximately 12mm.
The antique silver berber beads range in size from 7mm down to 3mm.
A double hook antique silver clasp closure finishes this piece.
About the meaning of Morrocan boghdad southern berber Tuareg Crosses:
They derived from the Egyptian Ankh symbol from which would be derived the carteginese symbol of the Goddess Tanit and, finally, the Tuareg Crosses.
They are a sex symbol: especially in Agades , Zinder and In Gall crosses is evident the presence of two elements, which can be linked to a stylized depiction of the two sex symbols: the tip, male symbol, and the ring, the symbol of women.
They are said to protect from the evil eye: in the form of several types of crosses and in the decoration of almost all types appears the presence of triangular elements that constitute the representation more stylized of apotropaic eye.
Berbers call themselves some variant of the word i-Mazigh-en (singular: a-Mazigh), possibly meaning "free people" or "noble men". The name probably had its ancient parallel in the Roman and Greek names for Berbers, Mazices.
The berber language (Tamazight) is one of the oldest languages of humanity. Nowadays, it is spoken by the people of North Africa , Egyptian oasis of Siwa and the Touaregs in the Sahara (desert).
From Central Atlas Tamazight ⴰⵎⴰⵣⵉⵖ (amaziɣ). From the active participle ⴰⵎ (am) and ⴰⵣⵉⵖ (aziɣ), whose meaning is unknown but is possibly related to "aze" ("to be strong" in Taznatit), or perhaps "jeɣeɣ" ("to be brave" in Tamasheq); z and j frequently swap out in The Berber are the indigenous people of North Africa, west of the Nile Valley. Many Berbers call themselves some variant of the word Imazighen(singular: Amazigh), possibly meaning "free people" or "free and noble men". The word has probably an ancient parallel in the Roman name for some of the Berber, "Mazices".
The name Berber comes from the name given to this people by the Romans, meaning barbarians. The history of the Berber people in northern Africa is both extensive and diverse. Their oldest ancestors settled in the East of Egypt.