GALLERY OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2023 - RAMADAN
Living in a Muslim country as a non-muslim, has definitively opened up my horizons. When I first got to Dubai in 2002, the only thing I knew about "Ramadan", was that it was a period where Muslims fast during the day. It is however much more than that and this months Gallery of the month is a collection of images shot during Ramadan in the UAE.
Ramadan is one of the most important yearly events on the Islamic calendar and is indeed a month-long period of fasting, but also of prayers, reading the Koran and reflection.
The fast during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of the faith. It is a time of spiritual discipline and a reminder of the importance of sacrifice, self-control and charity.
In the afternoon, life is always a little slower during Ramadan, with many people taking some rest and companies and shops closing for a couple of hours.
It is also a time of unity and community, with Muslims coming together to break their fast and share meals and prayers.
The fast is broken with a meal called, Iftar, which is often shared with friends and family. One of my favorite images of the gallery, is the one below, which shows three generations patiently waiting for Iftar.
In the UAE, like many other Muslim countries, there are "Communal Iftar's", where people are offered a free meal when the sun goes down. I've been documenting these since 2017.
Needless to say that during the Covid pandemic, public Iftar dinners were suspended. In return to normality, one of the largest in Dubai now, is organized by the Iman Cultural center (since 1976) and can be found around the Lootah Mosque in Deira. I've been told that up to 4000 people break their fast in the streets surrounding the mosque, with up to 80 volunteers helping out on a daily basis.
It's always fun to try and find an entrance to a building rooftop in order to shoot some interesting top view images.
Over the years, one of my favorites was the one in Satwa, which unfortunately doesn't take place anymore.
While meals normally consists of water, dates, fruit, bread and porridge, the one organized in Satwa pre-Covid, stood out... Every day of Ramadan, a massive Biriyani was served for more than one thousand people.
On the last day of fasting in 2023, I visited one of the UAE's largest public Iftar at the Sharjah Mosque, just off the E611 highway. A great setting where over 4000 people sit down together to break their fast.
I'm writing this on "Eid Al Fitr"; a key date which celebrates the end of Ramadan. Traditionally a "moon sighting committee" gets together at the end of Ramadan in search for a glimpse of the new crescent moon. Once the sighting is confirmed, it marks the first day of Eid AL Fitr, "The festival of the breaking of the fast". I'm already looking forward to documenting Ramadan in 2024!
Comments