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.



Iconic Malian Musician Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam Dies at 70

Blind Malian duo Amadou & Mariam comprising Mariam Doumbia (L) and Amadou Bagayoko perform at the Glastonbury Festival 2009 in south west England June 28, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File Photo
Blind Malian duo Amadou & Mariam comprising Mariam Doumbia (L) and Amadou Bagayoko perform at the Glastonbury Festival 2009 in south west England June 28, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File Photo
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Iconic Malian Musician Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam Dies at 70

Blind Malian duo Amadou & Mariam comprising Mariam Doumbia (L) and Amadou Bagayoko perform at the Glastonbury Festival 2009 in south west England June 28, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File Photo
Blind Malian duo Amadou & Mariam comprising Mariam Doumbia (L) and Amadou Bagayoko perform at the Glastonbury Festival 2009 in south west England June 28, 2009. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File Photo

Grammy-nominated Malian musician Amadou Bagayoko, who won global fame by moulding traditional West African sounds with Western rock and pop influences as one half of the blind duo Amadou & Mariam, has died aged 70, the Malian government said.

The ministry of culture "learned with concern of the passing of artist Amadou Bagayoko this Friday," it said in a statement read on state television. "Amadou was a blind man who made his mark on the Malian and international scene."

Bagayoko was born in Bamako in 1954 and played music from an early age. He met his wife and musical partner Mariam Doumbia at the Institute for Young Blind People in Bamako in the 1970s, according to Radio France Internationale.

Their 2004 album "Dimanche a Bamako" (Sunday in Bamako) put them on the international map and the 2008 release "Welcome To Mali" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, Reuters reported.

They opened for British band Coldplay in 2009, performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert that same year, when U.S. President Barack Obama was awarded the prize, and played to crowds at some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Glastonbury in the UK.

They also composed the official song for the 2006 soccer World Cup.

International artists offered their condolences online.

"Amadou! We'll always be together ... with you wherever you go," said French-born Spanish musician Manu Chao, who produced "Dimanche a Bamako".

"I will never forget his friendship," said Senegalese singer-songwriter Youssou N'Dour. "My thoughts are with my dear Mariam."