The call to prayer, echoing through the streets of any city, has to be one of my favourite sounds. Even after years of hearing it, I still find it both exotic and evocative. During Ramadan, though, it seems to take on a special energy. In the Western world this time of year passes relatively unnoticed amongst non-Muslim people, but in Muslim areas (even those as liberal as Dubai), it’s hard to miss!
For those of you not familiar with this period in the Muslim calendar, it’s a month during which Muslim people cannot eat, drink, or smoke between the hours of sunrise and sunset (generally taken to be from about 4:30 am to 6:30 pm).
If one is in a Muslim country, such as the UAE, this applies to everyone, although non-Muslim people (in Dubai, at least), are allowed to do these things in their homes (not cars), and in some restaurants which have been screened from public view. I could go into the reasons behind the fasting and sacrifice of Ramadan, but frankly I doubt I could do it justice, being non-Muslim myself. May I suggest that anyone interested in the period, and its enormous significance, researches it – its aim is noble indeed, although having said that, I’m glad I can go home in weather that hits 46 degrees in the shade and have a glass of water. While the nightlife of the city pretty much shuts down during this time – no live gigs or loud music are allowed – it’s still a special time, and allows one to experience Iftar tents.
These are set up to break the fast after sunset, and in many of the hotels, and indeed generally, Iftar generally only lasts an hour or so, which makes it officially the fastest three-some course meal I’ve ever had! Prices range hugely depending on where one goes, but one needn’t spend exorbitantly to get excellent food, although don’t expect any alcohol with your meal (it’s not allowed during this time) – the various juices and teas on offer, though, are incredible, as are the dates which form the first part of the meal!
The food itself is all regional, ranging from Lebanese to Egyptian to other local regional cuisines, but it’s all wonderful – I have to admit my favourite, though, are the sweets, after all, how can any lover of cashew and pistachio nuts not love this part of the meal! The décor tends to be along the “tent” theme, complete with low seating, wonderful local textiles, low lighting, and at many places, shishas after the meal (for the uninitiated, shisha is the local term for “hubbly” or “hookah”) – this is a great treat as many places in Dubai have had to ban shishas outright due to the health risk they pose.
This, much like the smoking ban in the UK, has caused a fair deal of unhappiness with local restaurants, as shishas bring in very healthy profits. Once in a while can’t hurt, though, and I’d suggest, if you have the chance, that you try one! Ramadan is not only about Iftar, however, and Dubai is a wonderful place to experience this period in the Muslim calendar. It provides a great insight into the faith and tenets of the Muslim religion, which has been much (perhaps too much) maligned in the West. So open your hearts and minds to something new, and go to Dubai!
aimée whitcroft
London Social Events Blog -The SaVVy Club 