A woman wearing an elaborate headdress
A woman kissing her veiled daughter's knee
A young girl in traditional dress
Dust rising up as people dance
A woman wearing face paint and necklaces
A woman smiling at two men
A woman wearing a veil and jewelry
A woman in a black veil
Henna designs on a woman’s feet and arms
A woman wrapped in a red blanket
A woman standing in a colorful doorway
A woman in an elaborate veil
A woman dancing while men clap
A woman adjusting her daughter’s headdress
Women dancing in a circle
A young girl in an elaborate headdress
A girl standing in front of a hut
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Afar Daughter, Djibouti
Across Africa, traditional weddings are fading in the wake of modern culture, yet those remaining constitute some of the finest examples of these age-old ceremonies. It took ten years of crisscrossing Africa by four-wheel drive, camel, and mule train for Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher to chronicle the rituals shown here. In Djibouti, a veil of gold cannot hide the beauty of an Afar sultan’s daughter. Even among families of modest means, traditional African marriages can be elaborate celebrations that last for days. These photos and captions were published in the November 1999 National Geographic article "African Marriage Rituals" by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher.
Photograph by Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher

African Marriage Rituals

See photos of African marriage rituals (including Berber, Swahili, Masai, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

March 29, 2010

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