The Ramadan cannon is still alive in the memories of the older generation. In the past, people relied on the cannon's boom to know the time of Iftar and end their day-long fast. Broadcasting services like television or even loudspeakers at mosques were not available. Three elderly men recalled the days when they used to break their fast by the sound of the cannon. Various sizes Abdul Rahman Al-Qulaiss recalled, what he termed, “the beautiful times”. “Ramadan cannons came in different sizes,” he said. “Some were small while others were big.” During childhood, he and his friends would hang around cannon sites to hear the bang. “People used to rely on the boom of the cannon in the same way that we today rely on modern technology to know the time for Iftar.” Firing from Al-Gashlah Despite being more than 85 years old, Muhammad Ali Abdullah Khamis recalls the reverberating sound of the cannon at Iftar time. “Everyone would wait for the cannon,” he said. “Personally, I didn't rely on the sound of the cannon; I relied totally on the radio and my watch that has been with me for over 60 years now without time wearing it out.” Khamis said the cannon used to be fired from Al-Gashlah Area, near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs branch in downtown Jeddah. During those days, soldiers were in charge of firing the cannon throughout the holy month of Ramadan. Gunpowder Hussein Al-Arishi said another cannon was fired from Al-Arba'een Lagoon in Al-Balad District. It would be filled with gunpowder and a material called “Khaishabah,” and soldiers were in charge of firing it. “There is a big difference between the Ramadan of these days and the Ramadan of the olden days,” he said. “I still long for the atmosphere of Ramadan in the olden days, despite the difference in financial capabilities between yesterday and today. Even the climate was hotter, but those days had their special charm,” he added. __
