As Brahim Amrawi herds his goats through Morocco's Atlas Mountains
only the distant sound of whistling rises above the silence. This shepherd just asked his son to gather the rest of the herd
for in these high-pitched notes hides a centuries-old language that's been passed down through generations
We learned this whistling language from our ancestors, who used it to communicate with each other while tending to their herds
It's since evolved to become a fully-fledged language. With no roads or paths, the slightest trip takes hours in these remote mountains
located 400 kilometers southeast of Rabat. And without phones or electricity, local populations have been forced to rely on whistling to communicate
Within the walls of these rocky valleys, The piercing sound can be heard up to three kilometers away
This whistled language is a huge help to the herders. It acts like a remote control for the animals
It also facilitates contact between people living in these areas who do not have any other means of communication
A unique language in Morocco that could soon become extinct. In recent years, drought and poverty have forced many families to flee the mountains
Today, only a handful remain, intent on continuing to preserve and pass down their ancestral heritage