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Bridal dowry tradition divides Mauritanian newlyweds
Critics complain that adherence to the wedding custom of arheel can actually end up keeping young Mauritanian couples apart
26.03.2010 - Magharebia

When young car salesman Ahmed married a university student in Nouakchott a month ago, he was eager to move with his bride into their own matrimonial home. Thanks to the long-standing Mauritanian tradition of arheel, however, his wife is still living with her family. Arheel is the name for the bride's journey to the matrimonial home. She leaves her parents for her new abode, accompanied by trilling cries of joy, celebratory songs—and piles of linen, blankets, utensils and domestic appliances, all of which are on display for friends to admire and evaluate ... mehr

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