Ramadan Mass Iftar Table in Egypt Goes Viral on Social Media

Residents enjoy the mass iftar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Residents enjoy the mass iftar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Ramadan Mass Iftar Table in Egypt Goes Viral on Social Media

Residents enjoy the mass iftar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Residents enjoy the mass iftar. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Social media users in Egypt have shared photographs of a mass street iftar table surrounded by dozens of people breaking their fast.

Before the sunset call to prayer, a 1,000-meter table was placed in the heart of the El Matareya neighborhood, Cairo.

This mass iftar looked like a celebration with the Ramadan decorations and lanterns swaying above the diners.

“People expressed how much they missed this mass iftar, which was a yearly tradition in the neighborhood and halted due to the pandemic,” said Amir Karam, admin of "Matareya Youth" page on Facebook.

“This mass iftar tradition debuted seven years ago, but it was canceled in the past two years because of the pandemic and health restrictions,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The table featured all kinds of food and deserts and required long hours of preparation. It was prepared by the neighborhood’s residents who shared the burden equally on this day to spend a few hours of companionship on a Ramadan night.

“The residents, from all ages, helped make this day happen. They spent money to buy needs, and prepared food. Some participated financially, some cooked, while others organized the sitting area, decorated the place and cleaned after the gathering,” said Karam, who helped organize the event.

The iftar was unique and one of a kind. It was covered with much interest by media outlets, photographers, and social media users, who shared pictures of it accompanied with captions praising the residents and their spirit for organizing such a gathering.



Farewell Eagles… Hobbit Sculptures Removed from Wellington Airport

A sculpture of an eagle from the Hobbit films, ridden by the wizard Gandalf, hangs over the food court area of Wellington Airport, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay)
A sculpture of an eagle from the Hobbit films, ridden by the wizard Gandalf, hangs over the food court area of Wellington Airport, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay)
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Farewell Eagles… Hobbit Sculptures Removed from Wellington Airport

A sculpture of an eagle from the Hobbit films, ridden by the wizard Gandalf, hangs over the food court area of Wellington Airport, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay)
A sculpture of an eagle from the Hobbit films, ridden by the wizard Gandalf, hangs over the food court area of Wellington Airport, in Wellington, New Zealand, Monday, May 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlotte Graham-McLay)

For more than a decade, a pair of Hobbit-inspired eagle sculptures have cast a watchful eye over visitors at New Zealand's Wellington Airport.

But the giant birds will be unfastened from the ceiling on Friday to make way for a new mystery exhibit, airport authorities said.

According to BBC, the eagles appear as messengers in JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, which were adapted to film by New Zealand's Sir Peter Jackson.

The spectacular New Zealand landscapes featured in Jackson's films are a consistent draw for tourists, who are greeted at the airport by the eagle sculptures.

“It's not unusual to see airborne departures from Wellington Airport, but in this case, it will be emotional for us, “Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said in a statement.

The giant eagles will be placed in storage and there have not been long-term plans for them.

Each eagle weighs 1.2 tons with a wingspan of 15 meters. Riding on the back of one of the birds is a sculpture of the wizard, Gandalf.

Made of polystyrene and with an internal steel skeleton, each eagle has hundreds of feathers, the longest one measuring 2.4 meters.

While the iconic eagles will soon be gone, not all is lost for fans of the franchise: Smaug the Magnificent, the dragon in The Hobbit, will continue to be displayed at the check-in area.

The eagles were unveiled in 2013, around the time of the release of The Hobbit trilogy. The giant sculptures were produced by Wētā Workshop, the New Zealand-based company that made costumes and props for The Lord of the Rings franchise.

“We're working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique, locally themed replacement to take their place,” Clarke said. “We'll unveil what's next later this year so keep watching the skies.”