In Mauritania, girls aged between five and 15 are sent to "fat farms" before their wedding to pile on the pounds. If a bride had stomach rolls, stretch marks and overlapping thighs, it signalled her husband was wealthy enough to keep her satisfied.
Mauritanian wedding
31/08/2019
Why Mauritanian brides marry in black
In the West and most Arab countries, women traditionally celebrate their marriage in white, a symbol of purity. Black, meanwhile, is reserved for funerals. Not so in Mauritania.
There, donning a black robe on your wedding day is a custom rooted in Bedouin tradition, and applies only to women: grooms get married in white.
“Mauritanian women used to have incredibly pale skin and teeth…”
Amina is a teacher from Mauritania.
The black dress that we wear to get married in is called the ‘lakhel'. It's a richly embroidered cloth of great quality, which starts getting sewn as soon as a girl is born. Not wearing it would be an affront to your tradition and customs.
It's worn for three reasons: aesthetic, medical, and religious.
- The story goes that Mauritanian women used to have incredibly pale skin and teeth, a sign of beauty that was amplified by wearing black.
- It's also said that the fabrics used to make the dress - natural, and imported from neighbouring countries like Mali - help to get rid of dark spots on your skin.
- And finally, Mauritanians say that the Prophet Mohammed wished for victory for those dressed in black."