Almusahrati with his infamous drum is one of the most ancient Hejazi traditions known to originate from Jeddah. Almusahrati is a tradition associated with Ramadan. Almusahrati is someone who goes around the city to wake people up with a drum to remind them of the Sahour meal before dawn prayer, Al-Watan daily reported. The festival “This is our Ramadan”, held in Jeddah, brought back these nostalgic moments in Hejazi culture. The Jeddah municipality tried to educate the younger generation and the youth of the significant role of the Almusahrati and the story behind the man with the drum. Almusahrati had a very significant role in Hejazi history. One of the festival's organizers said the performance of Almusahrati attracted many cheers from attendees and was truly a nostalgic moment for many who had forgotten about him and his wakening chants every day in Ramadan two hours before dawn. There was at least one Almusahrati in every district of Jeddah. The bigger the district the more there would be. There was no fixed income or salary for the Almusahrati. He would take whatever was given to him in addition to Eid donations. People usually donated wheat rather than money and Almusahrati would take his fill of wheat and the tips he got to survive on. Jeddah municipality brought Almusahrati back with his “Baza”, his drum, which is one-sided and made out of leather with a copper base. He holds the drum with his left hand and a drumstick like instrument, usually made out of wood, in his right hand to beat the drum while chanting the phrases of his presence. Organizers of the festival expressed their pride in having the support of the Jeddah Municipality and being registered as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee members last year. Jeddah Governor Prince Mishaal Bin Majid played an important role in supporting the cultural and historical significance of the province by cooperating with concerned parties. — SG
