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The beginnings of a tradition that illuminated cities for centuries

Ramadan lanterns herald the arrival of the holy month and is lit for several days, and in some cases, throughout the month.

The religious moorings in Ramadan are mostly uniform across the Muslim world but strands of local culture in different places give uniqueness to the customs. One of them is the display of fanoos (colourful lanterns) in homes during Ramadan in many Muslim countries.

Fanoos, Ramadan lanterns, adorn the facades and entrances of Muslim homes in Arab and some other Muslim countries. It heralds the arrival of Ramadan and is lit for several days, and in some cases, throughout the month.

The tradition of fanoos, believed to be at least 10 centuries old, is now limited to select neighbourhoods, unlike in the past when it used to illuminate an entire city.

Many cities and towns in the Muslim world come alive with a kaleidoscope of light and colour and glittery streamers and coloured-glass lanterns seen hanging everywhere, beginning with the evening before the blessed month sets in.

Clusters of shimmering fanoos are seen dangling from roofs and walls of homes, turning streets into fairytale lands. Some streets are adorned with festive lanterns in month-long celebrations.

The exact origin of these exquisite lanterns is not known, though it is widely believed that their use started during the Fatimid caliphate in the 10th century. It is believed that during the month of Ramadan in 362 AH, the fourth Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Fatemi’s arrival in Cairo from Morocco was greeted by locals who took out a large procession at night holding torches and colourful lanterns to light up the streets.

Another story goes that the Fatimid Caliph, Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah, wanted to light the streets of Cairo during Ramadan nights, so he ordered all the sheikhs in mosques to hang fanoos lighted either by candles or oil. These lanterns remained lighted until the end of Ramadan. In fact, lanterns and lamps of different shapes and hues and degrees of brightness have always been an important part of Egypt’s colourful culture.

In the Land of Pyramids, children swinging lanterns in their hands, roaming the streets and singing a particular song is fairly common. The song is as interesting as the custom. It roughly translates as follows: “You have gone, O Sha’ban/You have come, O Ramadan/The daughter of the Sultan is wearing her kaftan/For God, the forgiver/Give us this season’s gift.”