Al-Amn Magazine

Hajja Fatimah. To this day, a cannon is placed on the plateau of Muqatam near the Citadel to announce iftar. However this story considered as history revisionism and the reason of the revisionism is avoiding the Ottoman Past.  The practice has spread throughout the Muslim world in the past century. It was adopted by the Saudi state following their conquest of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in the 1920s, and introduced in Sharjah and Dubai in the mid-20th century. Various designs of Ramadan cannon are used, ranging from purpose- built blank-firing devices to conventional artillery guns, such as the British QF 25-pound howitzer used in the United Arab Emirates. An American 75 mm M1916 howitzer, gifted to the local Muslim authorities by the British Army, is used in Jerusalem. In Cairo, a German Krupp 75 mm field gun is used. This is nicknamed «al- ḥā jja F āṭ ima», after Sayf ad-Din Khushqadam›s wife. In Bahrain, the holy month of Ramadan is never complete without a unique set of customs, symbols, and traditions.  Bahrain has embraced this tradition for many years as a welcoming ceremony for the holy month. Citizens can witness the Ramadan cannon ceremony live at different spots around the Kingdom such as The Avenues and Arad Fort. People can also watch the cannon fire broadcast live on national television. «We are happy to witness this tradition with our children and teach them the story behind the Iftar Cannon and what it symbolizes to us as Muslims and a community. This annual ceremony welcomes us to embrace this tradition with safety and prosperity,» Ahmed, a visitor to the annual fire cannon display said.  The significant symbolism of the Iftar Cannon reminds us of a simpler time when people relied on a loud echo to break their fast after a long day. Yet, as technology made it easier to tell time, Bahrainis still embrace their traditions and heritages proudly as a way of welcoming the holy month with an open heart.