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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.

Published March 29, 2010