The Islamic holy month of Ramadan will start in Egypt on Tuesday, the Islamic Dar Al-Iftaa has announced.

Dar Al-Iftaa observed the crescent moon of the holy month on Sunday in a celebration held annually for the occasion as it used to before the pandemic. 

Last year, Dar Al-Iftaa cancelled the celebration due to the coronavirus outbreak.

During Ramadan, the ninth month on the Islamic calendar, Muslims abstain from drinking and eating from dawn till dusk, a practice that constitutes one of the religion's five pillars.

Unlike last year, the Egyptian government has allowed in-mosque daily prayers and mass night prayers or ‘Taraweeh’ during Ramadan with the adoption of all the precautionary measures against COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the ban on Ramadan charity banquets, that used to be held publicly in the streets, and late-night prayers — ‘Tahajjud’, or the seclusion in mosques for a period of time — ‘Itikaf’ — continues for the second year in a row.

Egypt has urged caution against a possible rise in infections during the holy month of Ramadan as the country is witnessing a surge in the official number of cases.