Historians agree that the concept of the shabka, a gift given to a bride from the bridegroom, normally jewelry and particularly engagement and wedding ceremony rings, dates again to the traditional Egyptians. The drawings on the partitions of some historical Egyptian temples are proof.

The concept of the marriage ring got here from the assumption that the circle of a hoop is a logo of everlasting love. A bride’s ring was normally made from reeds or papyrus, as was the customized of the traditional Egyptians. Different historical cultures imitated the concept, however with alterations to swimsuit them.

The Romans used the custom to point the love between a married couple, developing with the concept of a marriage ring constructed from silver or gold. Within the Center Ages and the Renaissance period in Europe, new particulars have been added, corresponding to completely different designs or inscriptions and valuable stones.

Nevertheless, gold rings like different items of gold jewelry have been changing into increasingly more costly lately, threatening the continuation of this historical customized. The liberalisation of the foreign money alternate market and the floating of the Egyptian pound in 2016 have contributed to the rise within the value of gold.

Costs recorded a 37 per cent enhance from 2016 to 2020, as the value of a gram of 21 carat gold rose from LE500 to about LE685. From 2020 to early 2022, gold costs elevated by 31.4 per cent, after the value of a gram elevated to about LE900.

Costs went up additional at first of June, rising 37.7 per cent with the value of a gram of 21 carat gold leaping to about LE1,240.

This month, the value of a gram is about LE1,650 and the value of a kg about LE1,423,375 after the second devaluation of the Egyptian pound. The greenback is now at round LE24.6 to the pound, and this too has had an impact on the value of gold, making it increasingly more troublesome for the normal shabka wedding ceremony items to be supplied to Egyptian brides.

Professor of jurisprudence on the School of Islamic and Arab Research at Al-Azhar College in Cairo Ahmed Karima advised Shabbek information that marriage items are a part of the tradition of individuals internationally and are usually not simply confined to Arabs or Muslims.

After the arrival of Islam, the customized was to current a present to the bride, Karima mentioned, although this was not jewelry or gold. Some grooms used to supply garments or perfumes. Gold might be a present or a part of a bride’s dowry as some Egyptians do at present. 

“I used to purchase gold, however now I don’t purchase it for myself as a result of it’s so costly. I purchase gold presents for my family, however I’ve to save lots of up for months to purchase a small piece like a gold earring for a new child child lady,” commented Marwa, a lawyer residing in Faisal Metropolis.

“I purchase gold cash as a lot as I can, as it’s a method of investing cash as a result of the value of gold at all times will increase,” mentioned Hadya, a resident of Mohandessin in Cairo. 

“A few of my family may afford to purchase a shabka present for LE100,000, whereas others may solely purchase a gold ring for his or her brides as a result of that was all they might afford,” mentioned Amal who lives in Giza and was procuring within the Mashabek space. 

“All of it is determined by the funds you might have.” 

It is because of this that initiatives are being launched at present to assist younger males contemplating marriage to marry both with out shabkas of gold or to purchase symbolic items as a substitute for his or her brides.  

MARRIAGE WITHOUT GOLD: Galal Rabie is among the co-founders of Zawag Bidoun Dahab, or “Marriage with out Gold”, which goals at selling marriage with out rising monetary burdens.

“The concept emerged in 2016 once I was speaking to colleagues at work about marriage. I used to be stunned that the value of a gram of gold had reached LE430 and was nonetheless going up. I used to be much more stunned on the extravagance that exhausts younger individuals, given the excessive costs of dowries,” Rabie mentioned.

“I needed to achieve out to the dad and mom of those younger individuals, so I got here up with the concept of the initiative which was first referred to as “A Burden-less Marriage with out Gold”. 

Rabie coordinates the initiative from his house in Beni Sweif governorate, the concept being to ease the burden on the shoulders of younger individuals at a time when the phenomenon of the reluctance to marry has grow to be noticeable in lots of societies. 

“One of many causes is the younger man’s lack of accountability and want for larger freedom away from marital obligations. In Western societies, some individuals desire to reside with their associate exterior marriage. This isn’t acceptable in Japanese societies,” Rabie mentioned. 

Because of this alone, it was essential to make life simpler for younger males contemplating marriage and to work in opposition to the phenomenon of younger individuals dropping the concept of marriage altogether so as to dodge the monetary burdens that include it. 

“The affect of the financial elements and the lack of younger males to satisfy the calls for of the bride’s household as a result of excessive dowry are among the many causes that result in their reluctance to marry,” he mentioned. 

In accordance with Central Company for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) figures, in 2019 marriage charges in Egypt decreased by 25 per cent earlier than barely recovering in 2021.

“The goal of our initiative is to speak in regards to the want of younger individuals to marry in reasonably priced circumstances,” Rabie mentioned, including that they speak to oldsters and the residents of each city and alley they will discover. In addition they need to appropriate the misconceived notions of the dad and mom of a bride who might want an extravagant and opulent shabka that’s past a mean younger man’s funds.

“Simply 5 – 6 days after the marketing campaign began, I acquired many encouraging messages. Individuals began speaking about it, and step-by-step we’ll discover a answer,” Rabie mentioned, including that his group now works within the Beni Sweif, Minya, Daqahliya, Sharqiya, Giza, Alexandria, Qena, Assiut, Sohag, Gharbiya, and Arish governorates.

“Some 23 conferences have been organised in numerous governorates, and greater than 27 marriages have been formalised solely on account of the initiative,” he mentioned.  

An answer to the monetary burdens suffered by younger males doesn’t imply that the rights of younger ladies are ignored. “We’re preserving a bride’s proper to jot down down the quantity of gold agreed upon within the marriage certificates, whereas accepting a small present from the groom earlier than marriage. On the similar time, the bride’s household reduces the remainder of the prices,” he added.

Additionally it is not only a male-oriented initiative. There are plenty of ladies within the initiative, usually chosen by social media. They even select ladies as coordinators for every governorate they work in, Rabie mentioned.

“I hope that we succeed for the sake of younger individuals who want to marry, however are unable to fulfil the exaggerated marriage necessities that burden them. The concept of the initiative is to ease the burden on every younger man who needs to marry,” he mentioned. 

“Given the present monetary circumstances of most younger individuals, I feel that initiatives like ‘Marriage with out Gold’ are doing a great job when it comes to elevating individuals’s consciousness about being affordable on the subject of dowries and presents for brides. Some individuals ask for 3 jewelry units for his or her daughters, which is an excessive amount of actually,” mentioned Nada, the mom of two boys residing in Giza.

“We plan to proceed our campaigning from metropolis to metropolis, from village to village, and from home to accommodate to make marriage simpler for everybody,” Rabie concluded. 

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: “These days prospects largely purchase gold bars,” mentioned Mohamed Gamal, a gold store proprietor in Giza. “In some circumstances, they purchase outdated gold items which are cheaper for his or her private use or simply to maintain them. They normally search the items that weigh the least,” he added.

“Clients from completely different monetary backgrounds purchase gold. Anybody who has cash buys gold to hedge in opposition to fluctuations within the worth of cash.”

Gamal mentioned that some {couples} purchase giant quantities of gold, “however the individuals who purchase shabka largely purchase wedding ceremony rings and different rings for the bride. Solely round one per cent purchase full jewelry units.”

“Half my prospects search jewelry that may protect its worth and enhance in worth with time,” he added. Clients from rural areas desire 21 carat gold, whereas these in city areas desire 18 carat gold. Individuals from the upper-middle class and above desire diamonds. 

The answer for the excessive costs in Gamal’s opinion is “a secure greenback alternate charge that can give a secure value for gold.” He mentioned the excessive demand for gold cash and bars can be rising the value of gold. 

“The worth of a gram of gold is meant to be LE1,250 as a substitute of LE1,650, for example, the primary being the official value introduced by the Central Financial institution of Egypt. We need to deal on the official value, not the one related to the US greenback. Individuals really feel that the worth of the foreign money is lowering, and so they’re shopping for gold as a hedge,” Gamal concluded.

*A model of this text seems in print within the 15 December, 2022 version of Al-Ahram Weekly

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