Ramadan festivities do not really start with the traditional sound of cannon announcing the holy month or the time when the devout break their daily fast. In Alexandria, it is a different story as this city that is sometimes known as the “Bride of the Mediterranean” gets bedecked early in its own unique way.
Weeks ahead of the holy month, the city is already bustling with art and colour. Workshops are abuzz with the sound of brass being hammered in the popular district of Attarin, while singing bands roam the Anfoushi district cheering children and their elders alike.
Mosques and streets are bedecked in traditional Ramadan decorations, while markets bustle with all sorts of Ramadan-related products including lanterns and yamish (dried fruit and nuts).
For tradesmen and craftsmen alike, Ramadan marks a season that helps them make a good livelihood. The whole city is engulfed in an ambience of festivity, creativity, and colour.
Days before the advent of the holy month, entire neighbourhoods are bathed in a different atmosphere, with arts and crafts dominating the scene. Taking a stroll in the Bahri area in the heart of Alexandria, for example, one cannot ignore the lanterns not only dotting the streets, but also the local fishing boats, in a very cheerful way.
Walking in Attarin is another source of inspiration: the sound of copper being hammered into shape mixed with displays of coloured glass and lanterns takes passers-by to an aesthetic world reminiscent of a glamorous past and a promising and cheerful present. The whole city turns into a theatre of different arts during the holy month of Ramadan.
Workers in these areas estimate that the number of workshops specialising in Ramadan-related handicrafts, including copperware, glassware, paper items, and fabrics, sees a 40 to 50 per cent growth during the holy month. They employ more seasonal labour and extend their working hours until after midnight.
Ali Khamis, a coppersmith in the Attarin neighbourhood, told Al-Ahram Weekly that he enjoys his Ramadan work.
“I take great pleasure in making traditional copper lanterns,” he said. “I love every detail of lantern-making. It is an art that I learned in childhood and now feel very talented in.”
Yasser Tobgui, another coppersmith, said that the months preceding Ramadan mark the advent of the high season.
“Copper handicrafts are mostly limited to making chandeliers and ornaments these days, and these are slow sellers for much of the year. But the advent of Ramadan brings a lot of work for the fawanis (lantern) business, which is a great source of livelihoods. The art of making lanterns brings happiness, pleasure, and nostalgia,” he said.
Abdallah Mansour, who makes copper products, agreed, explaining the amount of pleasure and satisfaction he feels when making copper handicrafts for Ramadan.
“I was once engraving a Quranic verse on a copper jug for Ramadan, and the only thing that came to my mind at that moment was that this was an act of worship because this small item would be used on an Iftar table,” Mansour explained with a smile of satisfaction.
“My passion for copperware stems from cherishing the holy month, as both are intertwined.”
Residents of Attarin typically hang Ramadan decorations up in the streets every year, while the younger generation, mainly students at the Faculty of Fine Arts, paint Ramadan murals featuring lanterns and images of popular Ramadan cartoon characters such as Bugi, Tamtam, and Fanis, sometimes adding Quranic verses.
The ancient Attarin Mosque is also bathed in white and green light, all adding a special Ramadan spirit to the area.
The Bahri neighbourhood in the heart of Alexandria is no less festive. It houses many historical mosques and archaeological areas, most notably the mosques of Al-Mursi Abul-Abbas, Al-Busayri, and Yaqut Al-Arsh.
It is estimated that the area has more than 30 historic mosques and mausoleums, adding a religious flavour to the vicinity.
Residents of Bahri usually collect money to buy the festive decorations needed to adorn the neighbourhood and the area surrounding the main mosque in preparation for the holy month.
Green lights are the main motif of the decorations, and the mosque also gets a new carpet and sometimes even mattresses for those wishing to spend the night in long taraweeh prayers beside the mausoleum of saints.
Hoda Fathi, the owner of an antique store and a resident of the Anfoushi neighbourhood of Alexandria, told Al-Ahram Weekly that Ramadan “brings out the best in people and bestows a special spirit on the place.”
“The spirit of Ramadan brings people together, even those of modest means,” Fathi said.
“Everybody participates in funding and hanging the Ramadan decorations in the festive atmosphere that marks the holy month. Younger inhabitants paint murals and hang up lights and lanterns with love. I participate in painting walls, and we all feel like real artists in Ramadan.”
“People now look for something that carries a spirit and meaning, not just more lights,” Fathy said. “That’s why there is so much demand for copper lanterns with white and cheerful colours, as they are artistic, symbolic and traditional all at the same time.”
LANTERNS: Ahmed Fawzi, a student at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Alexandria in his early 20s, works with his friends in a workshop for making Ramadan decorations in the Manshiya area.
They make hanging cardboard decorations and colour them by hand. “Everyone has his own sense of creativity. We are all different, and the decoration industry is one that is undertaken with love and passion for the holy month,” Fawzi said.
“It’s the only month when I feel that what I do has real value and meaning.”
However, lantern-makers in Alexandria claim that the number of workshops dedicated to them has slumped by almost half over the past decade due to the availability of low-cost imported lanterns. Recent Ramadans, however, have been witnessing a gradual return of the demand for handmade products, especially on the part of families seeking the authentic spirit of the holy month.
Amr Ali, another young lantern designer living in Alexandria, said he tries “to blend the contemporary with the authentic when making a lantern in an attempt to keep the memory of the original fanous.”
“The challenge for artists who make street art is that you need to develop without erasing the past,” he explained. “The lantern must remain as it is because it is a witness to the past.”
Glassmaking is one of the most popular arts in Alexandria, particularly during Ramadan. Here, light reflects off the glass as if it were part of a distinctive religious ritual.
Shops display a variety of decorations, most notably traditional glass lanterns made of coloured or transparent glass set within metal or wooden frames and adorned with geometric or Arab motifs. Some feature crescent moons or stars and are illuminated by candles or small lamps, creating a warm and unmistakable Ramadan atmosphere.
Glass jugs and vases are also on display, and these are used as decorative pieces on breakfast tables or in homes. Their colours are typically shades of blue and green, inspired by the sea and the natural character of Alexandria.
In addition, mashrabiyas and small stained-glass pieces are designed to create special lighting effects on balconies, tables, or in mosques, where they reflect light in delicate artistic patterns.
Glassmaking workshops are located in the areas of Karmooz and Muharram Bey where the craft mainly relies on hand-moulding and stained glass.
“Ramadan is a high season that brings customers seeking hand-made decorations to our shops. It’s the time when the industry really flourishes,” said Rajab Abdel-Samie, a traditional glassmaker.
“People’s passion for handmade crafts is what keeps us going. There is a growing public demand for handmade glass lanterns, decorative candles, and jugs and vases that all symbolise Ramadan.”
Abdel-Samie added that there are craft workshops specialising in home glassmaking, where limited pieces are produced and customised exclusively upon request for customers interested in heritage.
He stressed that glass decorations are of great importance, as they reflect the skill of craftsmen and create a link between heritage and contemporary art. He also noted their spiritual dimension, particularly in Ramadan, as the illuminated atmosphere they create adds an aesthetic layer to acts of worship and family meals.
MANSHIYA MARKET: A tour of the popular district of Manshiya before Ramadan bore witness to the unmistakable festive atmosphere of the neighbourhood.
The place was a hub for art and artists, and street vendors were selling handicrafts and traditional tent fabrics while shops were selling an array of colourful lanterns, lights, and Ramadan decorations.
Fabric shops were selling fabrics suitable for making Ramadan tents as well as Ramadan tablecloths, sometimes featuring heritage designs to attract customers seeking authenticity. Meanwhile, perfume shops were selling incense as well as spices and various types of dates and nuts. The neighbourhood enjoyed a festive atmosphere like no other.
“We are happy to provide all kinds of traditional Ramadan decorations for our customers, including lanterns of different sizes, bedspreads, and decorative pillows engraved with Ramadan designs. We also have ropes of lights, all at varying prices according to the customers’ wishes and budgets,” said Islam Abdel-Qader, a vendor of Ramadan decorations in Manshiya.
Tamer Sobeih, the owner of a shop in the area, similarly told the Weekly that the “Manshiya neighbourhood is not just a place to sell decorations, lanterns, and fabric, it is one of the most important popular markets in Alexandria that serves all the city’s social classes.”
“Ramadan vibes have turned Alexandria into an artistic platform for creativity and a space for folklore engraved into the religious and social fabric of the city,” said Shukri Salama, a researcher in Alexandria.
“All Ramadan decorations are traditional, but they have perhaps developed over the decades to catch up with modernity. Nevertheless, they remain part and parcel of Egyptian society.”
One issue that Salama stresses is that both the people and the government “should encourage hand-made products and not turn to cheaper machine-made alternatives when making purchases.”
“The loss of a human touch would mean the loss of collective memory, as after all it is people who create memory and keep it alive,” he said.
“It is therefore necessary to support traditional handicrafts, especially those produced by artisans working in copper and glass during Ramadan,” Salama said. “Both the state and consumers have a vital role to play in sustaining these crafts, not only during the festive season but throughout the year.”
“Such support can serve to protect artisans from economic recession and from the growing fear of the extinction of these traditional crafts.”
SUFI CHANTS: Sunset in the holy month also carries more than symbolic significance.
Intertwined with the traditional cannon that announces the breaking of the fast, it heralds festivities that extend far beyond Iftar tables and hanging decorations. The sound of the azan (call to prayer) rises from mosques and public squares, harmoniously blending with twinkling streetlights, while the gentle cool breeze of the evening sways lanterns and strings of paper decorations.
It is an atmosphere that remains uniquely and timelessly reminiscent of Ramadan.
Meanwhile, old buildings and public squares are transformed into open-air theatres for prayer, chanting, and the praise of the Prophet. It is a time when spirituality meets art, and when charitable Iftar tables (Mawaid Al-Rahman) are set against the backdrop of traditional Ramadan murals in the Bahri neighbourhood.
Once the call to the evening prayer is announced, the squares surrounding the historic Al-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque are turned into a spiritual stage where Sufi chanting groups perform after the taraweeh prayers. Residents of the neighbourhood gather around the performers, joining in chants praising Allah and the Prophet Mohamed.
It is a mystical atmosphere and one unmatched in both its joy and its power to illuminate the soul.
“In Ramadan, we sing in praise of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), and love for the righteous saints of God,” said Mahmoud Hassan, a young musician belonging to the Zarqania Sufi order in Alexandria.
“We sing at a slower rhythm, and we leave room for silence. Silence here has a great spiritual meaning, as people listening in the street feel the spiritual atmosphere before they hear the words. The month of Ramadan makes people hear with their hearts, not just with their ears. This interaction with the public makes us continue to sing tirelessly for many hours on end.”
Said Qassem, another young singer belonging to the Rifaai Sufi order, nodded. Originally from the Kafr Al-Sheikh governorate, Qassem said he is always “keen to come all the way to Alexandria during Ramadan every year to rejoice in the rituals of the holy month with the beloved of al-beit.”
“We sing and praise Allah and the prophet after the long evening [taraweeh] prayers in the courtyard of the Sidi Al-Mursi Abul-Abbas Mosque,” Qassem told the Weekly.
“It’s a daily ritual: we perform with a troupe of Sufi musicians to entertain visitors and create a spiritual Ramadan atmosphere.”
This mood of spiritual festivity is not confined to Sufi troupes and personal initiatives. State-affiliated cultural institutions similarly actively participate in celebrating Ramadan through art.
Each year during the holy month, the Sayed Darwish Theatre at the Alexandria Opera House organises post-taraweeh performances as part of its “Ramadan Evenings” programme. These events feature Sufi chanting and traditional Ramadan tawashih and supplications, accompanied by musical arrangements that enhance the spiritual ambiance of the venue.
Meanwhile, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the Freedom Cultural Centre for Creativity host a range of artistic and spiritual Ramadan activities, including performances by Sufi praise and dhikr groups, enriching the city’s cultural calendar during the holy month.
For the people of Alexandria, Ramadan is not merely a story to be told. It is seen in the glow of lanterns, heard in the melodies of prayers and chants, and touched through the crafts of skilled artisans.
The holy month thus becomes an integrated aesthetic, human, and economic experience, proving that Alexandria does not simply celebrate Ramadan. It lives it.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 26 February, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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