Lamtuna

The Lamtuna were a tribe of urberberischer Sanhaja in the Western Sahara in the present-day countries of Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria, and after a lineage closely related Legend of the Tuareg.

Arab historian reported them to a himjaritische Arab origin from Yemen, which genealogically could not be detected and linguistically not seem to fit, as they were berbersprachig. Lamtuna were the leading tribe of the Almoravids ( 1046-1147 ). In the written sources recurring attributes of Lamtuna and the rest Sanhadschastämme were the nomadic lifestyle with camels, wearing a face veil and the diet of milk and meat.

Lamtuna were moved with their herds across the Sahara between Morocco and Senegal in search of green pastures. They were Islamized during the 7th century and founded with Masufa and Dschodala in the 9th century, the Confederation of Sanhaja to gain control of the caravan route. They formed the caravan center Aoudaghoust and made it the capital of their covenant. Later, and after resolution of this covenant they took as the Almoravids in the 11th century on a mission and missionaries spread Islam throughout the region.

After the invasion of the Arabs in the territory of the Lamtuna were under their leader Imam Nasreddine in the 17th century, the last of the Sanhaja who had not yet resisted Arabization.

Their descendants still expects the class of marabouts in Mauritania.