As Ramadan approaches once more, I am reminded of our first experiences with this Holy Month in Saudi Arabia. We already knew about the fasting month, but had never experienced it in a country where it held such importance and where we would be expected to abide by the rules of not eating or drinking in public places between the hours of sunrise and sunset. Every now and then we would slip up but we soon got used to it. Back in the late eighties, the roads were less crowded than they are today so going out in the evenings was not such an ordeal. As the sun began to sink in the sky, we would sometimes go down to the Corniche for a walk, taking our two small children with us. There would be groups of Saudis here and there, sitting on the promenade overlooking the Red Sea, setting out their food, ready for when they could break their fast. Several times, we were invited to join them as the sun went below the horizon to enjoy some coffee and dates and other tasty snacks they might have brought with them. We really enjoyed this hospitality that was extended to us. In those days there was also another custom that we enjoyed, and this was to go and watch the Ramadan Cannon being fired for Iftar. There appear to be two different stories regarding the origins of this custom, which seem to have become slightly mixed up together. One story is that the firing of the cannon dates back to the early days of Islam. During the 10th Century AD (287 Hijri), the Fatimid Caliph of Egypt instructed that a cannon be placed on the Citadel, at the highest point of a city. The cannon was then to be fired at sunset during Ramadan so that all Muslims would be able to hear it and know that the day's fasting was over. Since then, it has been fired to mark Suhoor and Iftar, the beginning and the end of the fasting day. Apparently, the original Ramadan Cannon remains at the Citadel as a symbol of the “good old days”, but is no longer fired. It was considered to be an encroachment on the Citadel grounds and when fired, it was found to be a threat to the homes and infrastructure surrounding it. Another story goes that the Ramadan Cannon (“madfa' Ramadan”) dates back to the Mamluk era of Egyptian history – a very loose description, as this era in various forms went on for a very long time! In the year 859 Hijra (1455 Gregorian), the Mamluk Sultan Khoush Qadam was given a German-made cannon and wanted to try it out. It was almost sunset on the first day of Ramadan, and he accidentally triggered it. When the people heard the resounding “BOOM!” they thought that it was a sign that they could end their fast. Everyone was thrilled with this unexpected event and the Sultan's daughter, Haja Fatma, urged him to fire the cannon every day during Ramadan. The Sultan went along with her suggestion, the cannon became nicknamed “Haja Fatma”, and firing the cannon to signal the beginning and end of the fasting day became a tradition. The custom of firing the Ramadan Cannon had, at some point, migrated to Jeddah. In the 1980s, and early 1990s, every year, for the entire month, a brown tent would be set up on a dusty, empty lot along Prince Sultan Street, near where the “Fist” monument stands. A man in khaki uniform would live there throughout the month and his only job was to fire up the canon twice a day. It sat a few meters away from his tent. We were never awake to hear it go off in the mornings, but along with a small crowd of other spectators, we would be there regularly to see it in the evenings. There was a long lay-by beside it to park, and just before the sun went down, Saudis and non-Muslim expats alike, would stop off to see the cannon go off to mark the end of the day's fasting. It was especially exciting for the children who would stand by with their fingers in their ears, waiting for the loud BANG! as the canon went off. Even if we didn't go out for this Ramadan ritual, we could still hear the cannon go off with a “boom” in the distance, and one of us would say: “There goes the cannon!” However, the empty lots have gradually been built on or walled off, and the Ramadan Cannon of Sultan Street is no more. This popular and entertaining tradition is apparently still alive and well in Egypt and the UAE, in Dubai and Sharjah, but I wonder if there is still one in another part of Jeddah, or if the tradition still exists in Riyadh or elsewhere in the Kingdom? – SG Write to us if you know about such a cannon anywhere in the Kingdom at [email protected] __
