AZE.US
Preparing a dowry remains one of the most expensive wedding traditions in Azerbaijan, with some families spending as much as 40,000 manats ($23,529) before a daughter marries.
The traditional package may include furniture, household appliances, carpets, cookware, bedding and nearly everything needed to furnish a newlywed couple’s home.
Costs and customs vary widely by region.
In Sheki, the groom’s family may pay for furniture costing about 7,000 to 8,000 manats ($4,118 to $4,706). But the larger financial burden often falls on the bride’s family.
Parents may be expected to buy a refrigerator, washing machine, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner, kitchen appliances, carpets and household goods. Residents interviewed for a local television report estimated the cost at 20,000 to 30,000 manats ($11,765 to $17,647), and sometimes more.
In Ujar, some families begin collecting dowry items while a girl is still a child. Blankets, mattresses, pillows, dishes and other household goods may be stored for years.
In some cases, items bought 15 or 20 years earlier are eventually sent to the groom’s home.
The tradition can extend beyond the newlyweds. Some families also prepare gifts for the groom’s parents.
In Tovuz, the once-common practice of demanding money from the groom’s family as a bride price has largely disappeared. The expectation that the bride arrive with a substantial dowry, however, remains.
A modest package may cost 5,000 to 6,000 manats ($2,941 to $3,529). Once furniture, appliances and expensive tableware are added, the total can rise quickly.
Some families said they borrow money or take out bank loans to cover expenses of 30,000 to 40,000 manats ($17,647 to $23,529).
“It is difficult for both the bride’s family and the groom’s family,” one resident said. “But parents want to give their daughter everything.”
Although younger couples increasingly favor simpler weddings and shared expenses, dowries are still treated in many parts of Azerbaijan as an expected condition of marriage rather than a voluntary gift.
AZE.US