Wedding traditions of Middle East
The nikah and the mahr, henna night and zaffe, the ketubah, the chuppah and the Persian sofreh. 57 traditions on EveryShaadi so far.
🇹🇷 Kayseri, Turkey and 4 moreHalay
A traditional line and circle dance performed across Turkey and surrounding regions at weddings.Performance · The ceremony
🇾🇪 Yemen and 4 moreKafa'ahالكفاءة (al-kafā'ah)
The Islamic legal principle of social and religious equivalence between spouses in marriage.Vow · Finding a match
🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreNikahnikāḥ (Arabic: نِكَاح)
The Islamic marriage contract that establishes a binding union between two people.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 IsraelErusinאירוסין
The first stage of a Jewish marriage that consecrates the bride to the groom.Betrothal · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreKetubahכְּתוּבָּה
The Jewish marriage contract that outlines the groom's financial and personal obligations to the bride.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreYibbumייבום
A Jewish rite where a brother marries his childless deceased brother's widow to continue the family line.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreCollective wedding
A single ceremony where many couples exchange vows and become married at once.Modern · The ceremony
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 2 moreJewish prenuptial agreement
A contract signed before the wedding to ensure a Jewish divorce can happen if one spouse refuses.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 4 moreAgunahעֲגוּנָה (Agunah)
A Jewish woman trapped in a marriage because her husband has not granted a religious divorce document known as a get.Vow · After the wedding
🇮🇱 Jerusalem, Israel and 5 moreInterfaith marriage in Judaismשִׁדּוּג חַלּוּץ (Shidug Chalutz) / אינטרפייט מריאז' (Interafeyt Mariyaz')
The union of a Jew and a non-Jew, viewed as void by traditional law but increasingly common in modern communities.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇶 Iraq and 1 moreInterdenominational marriage
A wedding between two people of different denominations within the same religion.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇸🇾 Syria and 3 moreMystery of Crowning
The crowning ritual in Eastern Christian weddings that marks the couple as king and queen.Rite · The ceremony
🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreLevirate marriage
A custom where a man marries his deceased brother's widow to protect her and keep the family line intact.Betrothal · After the wedding
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 5 moreCousin marriage in the Middle East
A traditional practice of marrying close relatives, especially paternal cousins, across Middle Eastern communities.Betrothal · Finding a match
🇾🇪 YemenPolygamy in Yemen
A legal practice allowing Muslim men to marry up to four wives under specific conditions.Gift custom · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 IsraelGetגט
The Aramaic divorce document that frees a Jewish woman to remarryVow · After the wedding
🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreLieberman clause
A ketubah provision for rabbinic arbitration to prevent a woman from being unable to remarry.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇧🇭 BahrainPolygamy in Bahrain
A legal marital arrangement where a man may have multiple wives, practiced by a minority of citizens.Modern
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia and 2 morePolygamy in Saudi Arabia
A legal marriage structure allowing a man to have up to four wives under Islamic law.Vow · Engagement and betrothal
🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreHeter meah rabbanimהיתר מאה רבנים
A rare exemption allowing a man to remarry when his wife refuses a Jewish divorce.Vow · After the wedding
🇮🇷 Isfahan, IranDebit trousersShalvār Debit (شلوار دبیت)
The wide black cotton trousers worn by Bakhtiari men as a badge of tribal identity.Attire · The ceremony
🇮🇱 IsraelSeudat mitzvahסעודת מצוה
The obligatory festive meals in Judaism that mark religious milestones and sacred days.Feast custom · The ceremony
🇾🇪 Yemen and 1 moreUrfi marriageزواج عرفي
A customary union upheld by community tradition instead of state registration.Modern · The ceremony
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Interfaith marriage in Judaism: Rembrandt, Public domain, source
- Interfaith marriage in Christianity: Andreas Praefcke, CC BY 3.0, source
- Debit trousers: Niloofar Rakhshan, CC BY 4.0, source
- Ketubah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Get: Moshe Rynecki (1881-1943), Public domain, source
- Yibbum: School of Rembrandt, Public domain, source
- Seudat mitzvah: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Halay: Post of Moldova, Public domain, source
- Collective wedding: Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Pará, Public domain, source
- Erusin: LGJMS, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nikah: عامر شاہین, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mystery of Crowning: Shakko, CC BY-SA 3.0, source