Ramadan starts in Cairo with religious values and family ties
- hace 8 años
Cairo, Jun 7 (EFE), (Camera: Mohamed Siali).- Cairo started the month of Ramadan on Monday with almost empty streets and closed cafes, while Egyptians seek to restore their religious values and to boost their familial ties, despite ongoing economic hardships.
The streets of Cairo, notorious for their endless traffic jams, were almost empty on Monday with only a few pedestrians walking to mosques or to stores under the blazing sunshine.
Most of the coffee shops and stores were closed, while some restaurants took advantage of the month to undergo renovations.
Among the open stores were those selling lanterns, which are hung by Egyptians in their homes and streets throughout the month of Ramadan.
Abdallah al-Shazli, owner of a lantern store in Mohandessin told EFE that customers started buying lanterns from him three months before Ramadan, and stressed that it is a very important symbol for Egyptians during the holy month.
The director of Cultural Heritage at the French University in Egypt, Fikri Hassan told EFE that using lanterns dates back to the Fatimid era (909-1171).
Ramadan is a month of worship for Muslims and Egyptians, as many Muslims are more committed to saying prayers and reading the Quran during this time, while they abandon other habits that are forbidden by Islam, such as drinking alcohol.
In Ramadan, people prefer to spend more time with their relatives and to pray in mosques, as well as having Suhoor, the meal taken before the start of fasting, together.
Abdeltawab, a merchant in Khan al-Khalili who sells his goods to tourists, told EFE that Ramadan this year comes amid hard economic difficulties, as well as the collapse of the Egyptian pound against the U.S. dollar.
He also added that Egyptians and Arabs make up the majority of his customers after the recent collapse of tourism in the country.
SHOT LIST: FOOTAGE OF CAIRO STREETS.
Keywords: efe,islam,ramadan,muslim,cairo,egypt
The streets of Cairo, notorious for their endless traffic jams, were almost empty on Monday with only a few pedestrians walking to mosques or to stores under the blazing sunshine.
Most of the coffee shops and stores were closed, while some restaurants took advantage of the month to undergo renovations.
Among the open stores were those selling lanterns, which are hung by Egyptians in their homes and streets throughout the month of Ramadan.
Abdallah al-Shazli, owner of a lantern store in Mohandessin told EFE that customers started buying lanterns from him three months before Ramadan, and stressed that it is a very important symbol for Egyptians during the holy month.
The director of Cultural Heritage at the French University in Egypt, Fikri Hassan told EFE that using lanterns dates back to the Fatimid era (909-1171).
Ramadan is a month of worship for Muslims and Egyptians, as many Muslims are more committed to saying prayers and reading the Quran during this time, while they abandon other habits that are forbidden by Islam, such as drinking alcohol.
In Ramadan, people prefer to spend more time with their relatives and to pray in mosques, as well as having Suhoor, the meal taken before the start of fasting, together.
Abdeltawab, a merchant in Khan al-Khalili who sells his goods to tourists, told EFE that Ramadan this year comes amid hard economic difficulties, as well as the collapse of the Egyptian pound against the U.S. dollar.
He also added that Egyptians and Arabs make up the majority of his customers after the recent collapse of tourism in the country.
SHOT LIST: FOOTAGE OF CAIRO STREETS.
Keywords: efe,islam,ramadan,muslim,cairo,egypt