Unique Muslim Wedding Vows in Turkey   

Turkey has a very old tradition of secularism in many different practices even though the majority of the populations of the country are Muslims.

Marriage is deemed to be the most sacred religious practice in Muslims and in most marriage ceremonies there are some customary Muslim traditions that they need to follow but in Turkish Muslim wedding practices there are some important parts that differs from other Muslim countries which includes the following:

Did you know that meeting a partner in traditional Muslim practices suggests that there is to be no dating or any other interactions of the couple before the marriage proper? But in Turkey, there are still some occasions that the man and woman has the chance to meet each other which usually takes place at work or school.

Did you know that Turkish men and women have accepted the Western styles of dresses during the wedding ceremony? Men choose to wear tuxedoes and suits while women prefer white bridal dresses rather than the traditional Islamic Somali dresses.

Did you know that the wedding in Turkish Muslims is solemnize by civil authorities rather than imams or other religious leaders and often times that the passages in Qur’an are not mentioned or read during the wedding ceremony?

Did you know that Turkish Muslim ceremony is shorter than any other Muslim ceremonies elsewhere because of the elimination of the many Islamic wedding rituals?

Did you know that the practice of polygamy of Muslim in Turkey is extinct even though in many Muslim countries having more than one wife is a common occurrence?

Did you know that Muslim women in Turkey are allowed to give their blessing to the conditions agreed in their wedding contract?

But in spite of the strong twist and turn of secularism in Turkey, there are still some parts of traditional practices of Islam presents in Turkish wedding ceremony prior to the wedding and on the celebrations which includes the following:

A Muslim man may choose to take a Jewish or Christian woman as his wife and the woman may or may not convert her religion to Islam.

Muslim women are not allowed to have a husband of any other faith. If she wishes to have a Christian or Jewish partner, she must convince his man to convert to Islam because Muslim religion is entrusted through the male descendants.

Arranged marriages still take place in Turkey but dowry is not as important compared to any other Muslim countries.

Turkish Muslim wedding will usually have a reception after the ceremony. And even though the separation of sexes does not occur, it is not zealous as compared to some traditional Muslim nations. In the reception, there will be lots of dancing and singing which men and women are together in the same room but separate for traditional folk dances.