"Bent El Qa3 wel Ba3"
A very well known expression in urban Algeria.
This is the story of a young woman named Fahsiya... meaning she hails from the surrounding rural areas of Algiers (Zouaoua, Wed Erramane, Bouzareah).... Wealthy Algiers merchants or industrialists, as well as those with average social status, used to marry women from the countryside!
When they were new additions to Algerian families, young brides would handle all the household chores, and in the evening during the family coffee gathering, other women would mock her rustic manners.
One day, they encountered a bold young woman who had no reservations in responding to them:
"Ana bent El Qa3 wel Ba3!!" (I am a daughter of the land (El Qa3) and the livestock (El Ba3))
"Bel khatem fe Sba3 wel khelkhel M'raba3!" (With a ring (khatem) on the finger), therefore married in the eyes of God, and anklets (khelkhel) and bracelets making it four in total!
Now, considering that at that time anklets (khelkhals) bore the family's coat of arms, this statement took on a special significance, implying that she came from a prestigious family.
"Bent Etarbenti we sarouel Testifa, bent El Boutchaqdji we Ta3am Es Siffa!" (Daughter of the Turban and the pleated trousers... daughter of the knife maker and the elaborate couscous!)
El Tarbenti was the turban worn by prosperous individuals, indicating great prosperity, and daughter of the knife maker to show she came from a working-class background.
The haik, a symbol of nobility and modesty.
Called "Haik" or "Hayek," this white veil had significant practical aspects. At the time, it preserved the fairness of a woman's skin and could also conceal her jewelry, warding off the evil eye. It also allowed the bourgeois woman to stand out, as by wearing it, she showcased her high social status.
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