KHALED AL KHAWALDEH (ABU DHABI)
For residents of Abu Dhabi Island, especially those living within the proximity of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the sound of cannon fire at the break of sunset has long been the signifier that the holy month of Ramadan is upon us.
Every sunset, whether tuning in on Abu Dhabi TV or hearing it for themselves, Muslims across the UAE listen in for the loud bang of cannon fire to break their fast. What would otherwise be a harrowing sound is followed by the soothing call to prayer, creating an almost ethereal break to the day and ushering the long-anticipated night-time.
This unique tradition has become emblematic to the breaking of the fast in the Emirates, and across the Islamic world. In the UAE, the tradition dates back to the 60’s, with roots in Dubai and Sharjah.
At that time, it was intended as a method of ensuring the Maghrib Adhan could be noticed by everyone. Today, following the advent of loudspeakers and widespread telecommunications, the tradition takes on a much more symbolic role.
“Featuring Emirati traditions and heritage, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the authentic Ramadan atmosphere, embodying values of tolerance, generosity, and love during the holy month,” said Senior Director of Programmes at Sama Dubai TV Channel, Amna Abulhoul, describing the cannons at a Dubai police event announcing the Dubai cannon locations in the lead up to the holy month.
When Aletihad visited the mosque on Thursday, the symbolic nature of the event could not be missed as thousands of tourists, expatriates, and locals surrounded the cannon outside the mosque complex in anticipation of the breaking of the fast.
Today, cannons like the one at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque exist across the UAE, in locations as far and wide as Kalba and Fujairah. The tradition lives on across the entire region, from Egypt to Türkiye.
Iftar Cannon Origins
Whilst its origins are debated, most recounts agree that the tradition originates from Egypt with some historians believing it to have started in the late Mamluk Dynasty under the rule of Sayf al-Dīn Khushqadam (1461–1467).
However, the most common theory suggests that the tradition started under the rule of the Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, Muḥammad ‘Alī (1805–1848). The story is told in the 1973 book by Dr. Ahmad al-Manzlawi of Cairo University, “Shahr Ramaḍān fī al-Jāhiliyya wal-Islām”, where it is said that the cannon event started as a coincidental accident.
It is said that Muhammad Ali had decided to test a new cannon around sunset, during the holy month of Ramadan. Since Iftar was approaching, the citizens of Cairo mistook the test fire as an official sign for sunset. Seeing the citizens gratefulness for the new “innovation”, it is said the Viceroy ordered the tradition to be made a permanent fixture, where it eventually spread to the Levant and Türkiye.
Certainly, the proliferation of cannons during the Ottoman era supports the legitimacy of this theory, or at least the timing of the origins of the “Ramadan cannon”. Many of the first European accounts of the cannon fire were also recorded in the 1800s, including the notable account of Christopher Oscanyan in Istanbul from 1857, written in the book “The Sultan and His People”.
The Ramadan cannon endures to this day in both Cairo and Istanbul, as well in Jerusalem and Mecca. It has become a symbolic soundbite, strongly associated with the grandeur of the end of ones fasting day. Although its origins may be hazy, it’s legacy as an emblem of modern Islamic traditions persists into modern day.