Wedding traditions of Damascus
An old walled capital where the zaffe brings the groom through the lanes with drums, swords and singing.
Damascus has a wedding tradition shaped by its Muslim and Christian quarters. In the old city the zaffe, a musical procession, walks the couple to the home or hall, with drummers and dancers. The Hamidiyya souk and the lanes around it have long supplied bridal fabric and gold.
A wedding here
The groom's procession, accompanied by drums and dabke dancing, collects the bride from her family's home. A henna night, with women in embroidered dresses, usually precedes the day. Sweets from the old shops, such as ma'amoul and baklava, are offered.
Where weddings happen
Christian weddings take place in churches in Bab Touma and Qassa, and Muslim contracts are signed at home or in a mosque. Many couples hold receptions in hotels, and since the civil war many families have married abroad or in smaller gatherings.
Wedding customs of Damascus
Also part of it, and being written: Zaffe (The processional music of Arab weddings.), Mahr (The bridal gift.).
Communities and their weddings in Damascus
- Muslim families Contract, mahr and a large family reception.
- Christian families A church service in a Syriac, Greek Orthodox or Catholic rite.
A wedding trail idea for Damascus
- Al-Hamidiyya Souq The covered market leading to the Umayyad Mosque.
- Umayyad Mosque The great mosque.
- Bab Touma The Christian quarter with churches and cafes.
- Souq al-Hal A traditional market for gold and household goods.
Written by the EveryShaadi desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, venues and wedding-season dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dabke: Sarah Canbel, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Henna night: Izzah Zainab, CC BY 2.0, source