Sebeiba is a ritual and ceremony practiced by two communities living in Djanet for a period of ten days in the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The Algerian Sahara is home to many forms of Sebiba, including songs, drumming, and traditional social dances.
Throughout history, the Sebiba Festival has also been associated with a mythological idea of the end of the year, a new beginning, and a transitional period that dissolves during the duration of the festival. These general concepts were passed down as Tuareg customs (Tagdudt) and were also known to the nomadic Tuaregs in the past.
As nature undergoes a seasonal regeneration, the idea of a chaotic transition period can also be associated with the mythological reassurance of the power of black African rulers. There, the kingship has a regularly occurring phase of ritual anarchy, in which the powers of the ruling class are turned upside down and sham battles are conducted until the ruler is confirmed as having divine origin.
Due to the temporal relationship between Ashura and the Sebiba, Islamic rites, became part of everyday Islamic culture, making them acceptable to a large part of Tuareg society. However, there are some Muslim groups that reject the Sebiba because of its origin and the way it is conducted.
Female and male dancers compete in a nine-day contest called Timoulawine to represent their communities in Sebeiba. Winners take part in a ceremony, a ritual called Loghya, the next day. The male and female dancers dress like warriors and walk to Loghya to perform the ritual.
At the festival, the male dancers parade and present their weapons, and then they stand in a circle rattling their swords continuously. Meanwhile, the woman sings traditional songs accompanied by tambourines. At the end of the day, they disperse from the camp.
Knowledge of the rituals and ceremonies is passed directly down from generation to generation. Local craftspeople produce, repair, and make the uniforms, weapons, jewelry, and musical instruments required for the festivals. However, Algerian dance is recognized as a national cultural heritage and is popular and appreciated across the globe, and has a very international and touristic dimension.
As it is a very complex phenomenon, involving several aspects such as culture, traditions, the human body, artifacts (such as costumes and props), as well as specific uses of music, space, and sunlight light. Due to this, Sebiba dance is a challenge, but it is an excellent type of Algerian and Tuareg heritage to preserve.