Uyghur Wedding

Together with a few other travelers I was invited to a wedding in a village outside Turphan. We went early and arrived before the guests. It was a very joyful day and the people were enjoying the foreigners' participation. Especially when my Turkish travel companion started to jive with a Swiss girl of our group whom we had given the name 'Gretchen'.      

Wedding gifts with the names of the generous donors are shown at the house of the bride and neighbors

The elders of the village arrive, cracking jokes along the way

The dowry is showed off for everyone to see

After a while the first young men dare to start to dance with each other

Excellent dancers, really getting into it

The young women looking at the dancing of the young men

And the men do what the men do at such occasions: having a smoke in the back

Guests from neighboring villages arrive with a smile on their face

Arrival of the band

The bride arrives under a veil

In another circle the men who had a few too much dance silly to the joy of the spectators

Colorful spectators at the women & children corner

Some elder women got themselves a top spot to watch the dancing

And enjoy it

The mothers with young babies stay at home

My Turkish travel companion starts to dance to ease the situation on the dance floor

The men return by multi-purpose vehicle, the women on foot….

A few women dare some dance steps, but are called back because some of the men had too much to drink

Then he moves to the big circle to show his jive skills with Gretchen, to the joy of the spectators (check the man with white cap in the back)

The younger men return on foot