French Professor honored for his dedication to Amazigh culture
Professor Michael Peyron, a French university professor, has been honored at a special ceremony at the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture. Peyron is known for his lifetime interest in the Amazigh culture. He learned the Amazigh language during his extensive travels in the Atlas region, where he lived for many years.
Dr. Michael Peyron is renowned for his expertise in Amazigh language, literature, and culture. Additionally, he has made significant contributions as a writer in the field of tourism in Morocco.
Born in Cannes, France, Dr. Peyron pursued his studies at the universities of Bordeaux and Grenoble, focusing on the Amazigh region in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco for his doctoral thesis at the Institut de Géographie Alpine. He taught at the Faculty of Letters of Mohammed V University in Rabat and later at Grenoble University’s English Department. In the late 1980s, his professional focus shifted to Amazigh studies. He served as a guest lecturer at King Fahd School for Translation in Tangier and has been a visiting professor at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane since 1997.
During a ceremony held by the Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture to honor Peyron, he was praised for his significant contributions to the Amazigh culture. Ahmed Boukos, the dean of the Royal Institute, described him as a great personality who has done remarkable work for the Amazigh culture.
Peyron has not only learned the Amazigh language but also became a historian, poet, and author of books on the culture and history of the Atlas. His works include “Contes et légendes de la montagne amazighe (Maroc)” and “The Amazigh of Morocco: A History of Resistance.” His dedication and love for Morocco and its people have made him an exceptional ambassador.
Peyron’s deep attachment to Morocco is evident in his actions. He often declines international invitations to honor or lecture but readily accepts invitations from anywhere in Morocco. This demonstrates his passion for Moroccan culture as a whole. After years of traveling through the plains and mountains of the Atlas, Peyron has identified the key distinguishing features of the Amazigh people: tagmat (brotherhood) and tinubga (hospitality). He urges everyone to preserve these values, which define the essence of the Amazigh culture.