Dubai's cannon firing tradition during Ramadan || Syed Obyedul Mostafa Naymi

Описание: #Naymi Channel#
Every evening during Ramadan, the booming sound of cannons can be heard across the UAE at sunset. Dubai Police operate the special cannons with blank cartridges at the city's popular tourist spots as curious visitors gather to witness the spectacle.


Some historians say the custom began in 10th-century Egypt to let people know it was time for break their fast (iftar). In Dubai, it dates back to the 1960s, when there were no speaker systems in mosques to announce that it was time to break the day's fast. The cannons are believed to have been manufactured in Britain back in 1945.


The beloved tradition lives on, even as neighbourhood mosques now sound the call to prayer, known as adhan, using state-of-the-art loudspeakers.

The longstanding Ramadan cannon firing tradition was started to help residents know when it was time to break their fast and partake of the iftar meal.
Some historians believe that the cannon firing tradition during Ramadan originated from 10th century Egypt. During the reign of one of the Fatimid caliphs, a cannon was placed on Cairo’s Muqatam Hill so that Muslims could break their fast at the sound of a cannon blast.
Another theory is that the custom dates back as far as two centuries ago, and started during the reign of a popular Mamluk ruler, Khosh Qadam. It is believed that the Sultan’s soldiers tested a cannon by firing it one evening and coincidentally, it was the iftar time.
People of Cairo took it as a signal to break their fasts and loved the idea so much that they headed to the palace to pay their gratitude to the Sultan.
When Sultan’s daughter Hajja Fatimah came to know about the appreciation that the cannon blast inspired in their subjects, she urged her father to make it a tradition for iftar. The king agreed and ‘midfa al iftar’, a custom named after the nickname of Hajja Fatimah was born.
Now, the Ramzan cannon firing thas become a beloved tradition that is practised in many countries around the world.

According to Ahmad Al Jafflah, a presenter at Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding, the practice of cannon blasting during Ramadan started from the early 1900s in the UAE. The concept of Ramadan cannons in Sharjah began in 1930 followed by two other major emirates: Dubai in 1960 and Abu Dhabi in 1970.

During the course of the Holy Month, around 200 cartridges are fired from different Ramadan cannon locations across Dubai. The beginning of Ramadan starts with two cannon fires while iftar timing for each day of Ramadan is announced with the boom of a single shot.
Two shots are also fired to announce the beginning of Eid Al Fitr. On the day of Eid, two more shots are fired, marking the start of Eid prayers in the UAE.

These impressive Ramadan cannons in Dubai were built in 1945 in Britain and have since then been used to announce prayer and iftar timings during the holy month in Dubai for decades. With a sound range of 170 decibels, they can be heard as far as 10 km away.
While local TV stations broadcast cannons being fired every evening during Ramadan, watching it live is a poignant experience. The sound echoes across the emirate from locations that include the Burj Khalifa, and the Eid prayer grounds in Al Mankhool and Al Baraha. You'll find most tourists gathering at Madinat Jumeirah's Fort Island, where one of the city’s iconic iftar cannons is ceremoniously fired at sunset.

Closely monitored and managed by Dubai Police, each cannon is fired twice in a row to announce the start of Ramadan and once every day to announce Iftar. On the occassion of Eid Al Fitr, which signals the end of Ramadan, cannons are fired twice in a row to announce the start of the festival, and twice again on Eid morning.