The blessed month of Ramadan has been associated with a number of rituals that add joy to homes and streets, especially as they have been going on for a long time.
The Ramadan lantern is one of the most famous of these rituals.
Families are still keen on acquiring it to decorate homes, streets, shops and easts, and it gives children a special joy for the holy month.
Going back to the past, we find that the lantern was originally a lamp, which people used as a means of illumination, especially when going to mosques at night, and over time it turned into a Ramadan tradition.
The idea of the lantern goes back to the era of the Fatimid state in Egypt, and then moved and spread to all Arab countries, and then to all countries of the world.
The story of the lantern began a little more than a thousand years ago, when the Cairenes were expecting the arrival of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah at night on the fifth of Ramadan in 358 AH. Candles are placed on wooden bases and covered with leather, to avoid extinguishing them, hence the beginning of the appearance of the lantern as a Ramadan ritual.
This is not the only story recorded in history.
Where it is also said that the families and families of Cairo used to accompany the Fatimid Caliph on his journey through the city, passing through the gates of Old Cairo, Bab Al-Nasr and Bab Al-Futuh on his way to Mokattam to survey the crescent of Ramadan.
During that trip, everyone, old and young, carried a lantern to light the way while singing in celebration of the advent of the holy month.
Another narration says that the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li-Din Allah wanted to light the mosques throughout the month of Ramadan with lanterns and candles, so he ordered a lantern to be hung on the door of each mosque.
The original function of the lantern in lighting has disappeared and it has become a pure Ramadan ritual in our modern era (Reuters)
strange tales
Among the tales recorded about the date of the appearance of the lantern, the story of the Caliph Al-Hakim Bi-Amr Allah remains the strangest.
The story goes that in the tenth century AD, the ruler, by God’s command, forbade women from leaving their homes throughout the year, with the exception of Ramadan.
The lanterns were used by a boy leading the women on their way to the mosques, so that passers-by would notice their presence on the road and give them space to pass.
Moreover, the Caliph Al-Hakim, by Amr Allah, issued an order to install lanterns in every alley and in front of every house, and fine anyone who disobeyed the order, so the lantern industry in Cairo flourished remarkably.
The Caliph al-Hakim, by the command of God, issued an order to install lanterns in every alley and in front of every house, and fined anyone who disobeyed the order (pixels).
Al-Maqrizi mentions in his book “Al-Mawā’at wa-l-I’tibar bi-Zikr al-Khit wal-Antihar” that the lantern was present in Egypt before the advent of Islam, since the Coptic celebrations of Egypt’s Christmas. They are not limited, so no one of the people above and below them remains until he buys from them for his children and his family. They used to call them lanterns and hang them in markets and stores, and people compete in exaggerating their prices."
Despite the multiplicity of historical tales, it remains clear that the manufacture of lanterns began in the Fatimid era in Egypt, where a group of craftsmen made and stored lanterns until the month of Ramadan.
Al-Maqrizi says that the Caliph gathered 500 craftsmen in the neighborhoods of Fatimid Cairo before the month of Ramadan to make lanterns.
Tinplate, copper, then colored glass
Lanterns were initially made of cheap tin, then developed into a literal art, and the lantern was decorated with inscriptions and hand-made decorations, and was made of copper and colored glass, with a wooden base on which the candle was placed.
Over time, the shape of the lantern evolved and the use of frosted glass with different apertures changed the shape of the lighting.
And then changed the sizes of the lanterns, and became lit with wick and oil instead of candles.
This development in the lantern industry occurred due to the importance of celebrations and holidays in the Fatimid era, which were of remarkable importance for the Egyptians. The lantern has turned from a lighting tool for homes, mosques and shops into a decorative and festive element associated with the holy month of Ramadan, especially when the Masharati used it at night while calling for Suhoor.
Little by little, the Egyptian lantern leaked to neighboring countries such as Damascus, Aleppo, Jerusalem, Gaza and others.
After that, there was a name for each lantern, including the lantern of the king's crown, the lantern of King Farouk, and the lantern of Parliament, which resembles the famous dome of the Egyptian parliament.
Innovators and designers think of new and trendy lantern ideas every year (Pixabe)
Seasonal but continuous industry
Although the lantern appears only during the Ramadan season, after its original function of lighting has disappeared and it has become a pure Ramadan ritual in our modern era, work on the lantern continues throughout the year, as innovators and designers think of new and modern ideas for the lantern, especially after its manufacture has spread. And it arrived in China.
However, Cairo remains the original home of the lantern, and it still continues to play a pivotal role in its manufacture.
The "Taht al-Rub'" area near Al-Azhar is considered the most famous and largest place in the manufacture of the traditional and historical lantern, and it contains the largest lantern-making workshops that have been passed down from one generation to another.
The visitor to this area feels that he has moved back in time to the ancient Fatimid era, especially in the evening when the lanterns are lit with colorful lights resembling stars in the darkness of the sky.