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Ramadan Cannon Fired Twice to Announce the Start of the Holy Month

Six British and two French cannons have been placed in different locations in Dubai.

  • Publish date: Thursday، 23 March 2023 Last update: Tuesday، 28 March 2023
Ramadan Cannon Fired Twice to Announce the Start of the Holy Month

The Ramadan cannon was fired twice in Dubai on Wednesday to announce the beginning of the Holy Month. 

The cannon will also be fired once daily to announce iftar time and the time for Maghrib prayers. 

Dubai Police shuttled the cannon from Al Wasl Road to Expo City. 

The police have placed six British cannons and two French cannons across Dubai so that people can witness the traditional ritual daily. 

The British cannons are at Expo City Dubai, Burj Khalifa, Madinat Jumeirah, Uptown Mirdiff, and Hatta Guest House. A travelling cannon will be taken to 15 sites in the emirate during Ramadan. On the other hand, the French cannons are at Dubai Festival City and Damac Hills.

The tradition of firing a cannon to declare iftar began in the UAE in the 1960s. These cannons are transported to their locations three hours before iftar by police patrol cars. Each cannon weighs 1,650 kg and they have a sound range of 160 decibels, therefore they can be heard up to 10 km away from their locations. Visitors are requested to maintain a distance of 30 m from the cannon because of the noise. 

Other than signalling the start of Ramadan and daily iftar times, the cannon will fire twice at the end of the month to indicate the start of Eid Al Fitr and two shots will be fired again before the Eid prayers in the morning. 

Image source: @iareej_a Instagram page