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Ramadan |
Ramadan is the holy month in which Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Holy Quran (the holy book of Islam). It is a time of fasting and Muslims abstain from all food, drinks, cigarettes and unclean thoughts (or activities) between dawn and dusk. In the evening, the fast is broken with the Iftar feast. Iftar timings are found in all the daily newspapers
All over the city, festive Ramadan tents are filled to the brim each evening with people of all nationalities and religions enjoying shisha and traditional Arabic meze and sweets. In addition to the standard favourite shisha cafes and restaurants around town, the five star hotels erect special Ramadan tents for the month.
The timing of Ramadan is not fixed in terms of the western calendar, but each year it occurs around 11 days earlier than the previous year, with the start date depending on the sighting of the moon (see Public Holidays). In 2006, Ramadan should commence on 24 September or thereabouts. Non-Muslims are also required to refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in public places during daylight...