The city is bedecked with a million lanterns of many colours, out to welcome the blessed month of Ramadan.

The magical lantern adorns the vistas of the faithful with flamboyant iridescence, shining in the sunlight, sparkling in the evenings, with patinas of gold-like stars, fallen from heaven to join in the celebrations on earth.

Lustrous as a jewel, it is the ornament of the season.

Cairo glows in a sea of light and colours, creating a cheery atmosphere with its famous Ramadan lantern — the fanous.

While it is a common sight in every Muslim city around the globe, the tradition was born in Egypt many centuries ago.

The vision of the lantern tells many a tale as vivid as its many shades.

Theories abound as to the origin of the fanous.

Some historians claim that it is descended from the ancient Egyptians who used torches in the Pharaonic festivals, celebrating the rising of the star, Sirius. In addition, the ancients celebrated the birthdays of Isis, Osiris, Horus, Seth and Nephtys, by lighting the streets with torches.

A strong belief, is that this Islamic tradition evolved from the Coptic Christians’ use of colourful candles at Christmastime.  

Another tale dates back to the 10th century and the Fatimid caliph Al-Muizz. One version tells of Egyptian citizens carrying candles and singing songs, lighting the way to the caliph as he sought the rise of the crescent moon in the dark skies, signaling the start of the holy month of Ramadan.  

The other version even more common, refers to the arrival of the same caliph Al-Muizz le-Dinallah as he entered the city of Cairo on the fifth day of Ramadan in 358 AH. Men, women, and children participated in large processions on the outskirts of the Western Desert from Giza, to welcome the conqueror who arrived at night, holding torches, and decorated lit boxes, to light his way.

Tradition has it that Al-Muizz was so impressed with the thousand points of light, he ordered the people to repeat it every Ramadan.

Whatever the origin, the practice of displaying the light of the Egyptian lantern caught on and became part and parcel of the Ramadan festivities.

The word fanous is Greek in origin, meaning light, lantern, symbol of hope, light of darkness, and is pronounced almost identically. This gives credence to the Pharaonic theory, adopted by the Greeks.

The exquisite beauty of the twinkling fanous light was so admired by other Muslims around the world, the tradition started to appear in other Islamic cities, like Damascus, Aleppo, Gaza, and Jerusalem. They developed their own unique styles of luminous lanterns.

Now the whole Muslim world with its many varied rituals hangs on to the bright fanous as a symbol of Ramadan.

With 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide, imagine one quarter of the globe in a mass of dazzling radiance. A sudden visitation of Ramadan joy is badly needed in a world of dust and ashes.

It is said that the lantern is man’s first industry. While fire is man’s oldest form of light, lanterns are the oldest forms of lighting.

They have been used for light since antiquity. Each culture developed its own form, shape, and structure. Oil lamps dating to 4000 BC have been found in Egypt were they were used for centuries, not only for illumination, but also in religious rituals. The Romans had their own terra cotta lamps and the Chinese their rice paper lanterns. Homer states in his Odyssey: “Pallas Athena marched ahead bearing a golden oil lamp which made a most beautiful light.”

Until the 1700s, oil light was the only source before petroleum was developed. Evolution of the lantern continued throughout the ages. Today the electric lamp, using batteries has replaced the oil and candles. Prices also range from cheap plastic to inlaid copper and brass.

Fanous-making remains one of the prolific handicrafts practised by talented Egyptian artisans, often handed the tradition from generation to generation.   

Islamic historian Taqqi Al-Maqrizi (1364-1442) recorded that the lanterns were a very common part of celebrations in Egypt, not unique to Islam, but to other religions.

The lantern itself is not religious, not mentioned in any religious scriptures, but has become a sacred part of Ramadan celebrations. Light in every form is a solid aspect of religion.  

Cairo is one of the most important Islamic cities and in the glow of lanterns, the faithful find serenity, the children find joy. Children love to play with their new fanous, swaying them back and forth as they sing traditional Ramadan songs.

Cairo’s historically Islamic districts remain alive till the wee small hours, as vendors sell Ramadan goods and musicians play folk music in the many busy coffee shops, decorated with ornamental lanterns.

There is something triumphal in the parade of those exquisitely crafted lanterns, aesthetic, and spiritual. They adorn palaces and cottages with the same intensity and glow.

While there is a cloud of hopelessness in the skies, a streak of light fights its way through, restoring hope to mankind.

We all hunger, not for food, but for love, for compassion, for peace during the bounteous days those sacred days of Islam.

As the world gets more and complex every day it takes events such as the holy month of Ramadan to spread its nighttime magic.

The enchantment of the twinkling lanterns eliminate the dark and illuminate the heart.

“If you hold a lamp for somebody, it will also light your path.”

Siddharta Guatama Buddha

(563-483 BC)

 

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* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 March, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly