The payment of kalym - the bride price - openly reflects the attitude towards women as movable property of the husband and all his relatives. Kalym was an insurmountable barrier for men wishing to marry if they did not possess the required minimum of material wealth. The amount of kalym indicated the degree of respect for the bride's parents: the higher the kalym paid for the bride, the greater the honor for her parents. The kalym was fully at the disposal of the bride's father and, after his death, passed to his heirs. The amounts of kalym for wealthy individuals were quite significant (for example, 100 camels). In turn, the bride's father was obligated to provide a dowry for his daughter. The size of this dowry was not determined by any agreements and entirely depended on the bride's father. The Sart people paid the bride's parents kalym, as well as mehr - a wedding gift to the future wife, which served as her security in case of divorce from her husband. Mehr could be obtained by the woman in two ways - either upon marriage or during marriage, as well as in the event of divorce. Non-payment of kalym among Muslim peoples is still perceived as an exception to the rules.
