Mauritanian wedding portrays unique customs

Several unique customs and traditions were brought to light as a Mauritanian Bedouin wedding was re-enacted live at the Arabian Bedouin encampment at Shindagha yesterday. The rites performed in authentic style included the Al Khoutha (proposal) where the groom's father accompanied by close relatives and friends visited the bride's father to seek his daughter's hand in marriage. This revolved around the traditional glass of Arab tea with mint. Ultra sweet and strong, the tea has a punch powerful enough to match the gahwa (Arabic coffee).

The next ritual performed was the Al Akhd that involved the negotiations between the two families and mutual agreement of a marriage contract. The negotiations between the two families were then relayed through a public address system. The next ceremony was Laylat Al Henna which takes place within the confines of the tent, in which the bride's friends decorate her hands and feet with henna.

Then came the Al Aadaa custom in which the bride's friends ask the groom for money. The final sequence is the Tarvaah in which the girl leaves her parents house for the groom's house, perched atop a camel fitted with a houdach, a special comfortable saddle.

Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb, director operations and marketing from the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing said: "The Mauritanian Bedouin wedding evoked a unique aspect of Bedouin culture wherein the bride's father is actually absent from the scene on the day of the wedding. Another unusual custom is the Al Aadaa, a ritual in which the bride's friends ask the groom for money, somewhat like a fee for decorating his bride. These are real life traditions being brought to the fore from the desert life in Mauritania," he said.
He said that Dubai is eager to elevate Arab traditions and culture and promote them to the Western world.