Ramadan: A time of fasting and retrospection for Muslims is here
.jpg "Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, is back again this year as Saudi Arabia and 30 other countries declared May 27 as the first day of the month of fasting and prayers. Pakistan, India start on May 28. Muslim women perform an evening prayer called 'tarawih' marking the first eve of the holy fasting month at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo | AP)")
Ramadan, the holiest month in Islamic calendar, is back again this year as Saudi Arabia and 30 other countries declared May 27 as the first day of the month of fasting and prayers. Pakistan, India start on May 28. Muslim women perform an evening prayer called 'tarawih' marking the first eve of the holy fasting month at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo | AP)
.jpg "As per tradition, the sighting of the new moon marks the beginning of the Muslim lunar month. The chief cleric of Pakistan's Moon Sighting Committee, takes part in a moon sighting event for Ramadan in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo | AP)")
As per tradition, the sighting of the new moon marks the beginning of the Muslim lunar month. The chief cleric of Pakistan's Moon Sighting Committee, takes part in a moon sighting event for Ramadan in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Photo | AP)
.jpg "Ramadan lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on sighting of the moon on the 29th night of the month. If the moon is not visible, it will last 30 days. A member of supreme leader's office moonlighting team searches the sky with binoculars for the new moon on top of the landmark, the Milad telecommunication tower, in Tehran, Iran. (Photo | AP)")
Ramadan lasts either 29 or 30 days, depending on sighting of the moon on the 29th night of the month. If the moon is not visible, it will last 30 days. A member of supreme leader's office moonlighting team searches the sky with binoculars for the new moon on top of the landmark, the Milad telecommunication tower, in Tehran, Iran. (Photo | AP)
Workers decorate the seaside yard of a coffee shop at the main beach road, in preparations one day ahead of the month of Ramadan, in Gaza City in Egypt. (Photo | AP)
.jpg "During this holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and certain activities dawn to dusk. Indonesian Muslims perform an evening prayer called 'tarawih' at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. (Photo | AP)")
During this holiest month in Islamic calendar, Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and certain activities dawn to dusk. Indonesian Muslims perform an evening prayer called 'tarawih' at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. (Photo | AP)
.jpg "Muslim women perform the 'tarawih' marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. (Photo | AP)")
Muslim women perform the 'tarawih' marking the first eve of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. (Photo | AP)
.jpg "In Muslim-majority countries, offices are required by law to reduce working hours, and many restaurants are closed during the day in Ramadan. Muslims perform the 'tarawih' on a pedestrian bridge in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo | AP)")
In Muslim-majority countries, offices are required by law to reduce working hours, and many restaurants are closed during the day in Ramadan. Muslims perform the 'tarawih' on a pedestrian bridge in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo | AP)
A 34-year-old clown performs for children at the main alley in front of their family houses to make the children happy, in preparations of one day ahead of the month of Ramadan, in Gaza City in Egypt. (Photo | AP)
During Ramadan, food and drinks are served daily, before dawn and after sunset, referred to as Suhoor and Iftar respectively. A man pours honey on cakes on the eve of the Ramadan in Algiers. (Photo | AP)
In the evening, the fast during Ramadan is traditionally broken with consumption of dates. A man diplays dates on the eve of the Ramadan in Algiers. (Photo | AP)
A woman carries a load of dates as she leaves the date market in Cairo. (Photo | AP)
People look for lantern-shaped key rings that match their names at a shop. The lantern is a tradition in Egypt. (Photo | AP)
People look for lantern-shaped key rings that match their names at a shop. The lantern is a tradition in Egypt dating back to the Fatimid Caliphate to decorate homes, mosques, shops and streets during the month of Ramadan, at a popular market in Cairo. (Photo | AP)
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate breaking their fast with the three-day festival of Eid al-Fitr, but holidays differ by country. As per astronomic calculations, Turkey and Muslim communities in the US and Europe expect the first day of Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, June 25. India would observe it on the same day as well. (Photo | AP)
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.jpg "A staff member stands at the reception desk of the Koryo hotel before it underwent renovations, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The country's most famous luxury hotel reopened in April 2017 after renovations. With its twin towers in the center of the city, the")
