Ramadan’s cannon with its shots marks the end of a day of fasting, the beginning of the Athan “call to prayer” and the start of Iftar time every day by sunset in the Holy Month of Ramadan.
In the pigeon yard in Souq Waqif, stands one of the cannons, and another in the southern area in Katara.
The shots of these cannons echo the space of these two distinctive cultural edifices, the first with its traditional architectural style in the heart of Doha, and the other with its modern architecture inspired by the original Qatari architecture.
These moments link the beautiful past with the present in a form that preserves the past despite the modernisation and rapid technological change.
Despite modernisation, the Ramadan cannon has remained steadfast and plays its role along with many traditional customs in this holy month.
When the time comes for calling to prayer, the cannon stands proudly and shrouded in the presence of an audience, who come to see it, especially the children. Four uniformed soldiers stand on its right and left sides.
They stand in a military arrangement waiting for the commander to give the sign to fire with the sound of the Athan coming from the old mosque in Souq Waqif.
Once the order comes with a loud voice from the commander, saying: “Cannon...shoot,” one of the soldiers lays his hand on one of the cannon buttons. The pigeons spin its wings in the air, while children clap with joy and delight over this wonderful scene, and the people then rush to take pictures with the cannon to keep the memory of Ramadan.
A number of Souq Waqif visitors expressed their delight to Qatar News Agency (QNA) over the atmosphere that accompanies the holy month, especially the Ramadan cannon which was a means in the past to inform fasting people of the Iftar time, prior to the existence of radio, television and modern means of communication.
One of the citizens, who was with his kids, said that the cannon, which is a source of fear, has changed its war function to bring happiness to fasting people.
For his part, one of the Irish residents who was accompanied by his family said the Ramadan cannon raised their curiosity, so they came specially to see it and take pictures of it, noting that this custom is missing in his country and many European countries.
One of the residents explained that the cannon has become a symbol of Ramadan, along with other Ramadan customs such as lanterns and popular dishes that decorate the fasting tables during this period, in addition to celebration of “Garangao” in the middle of this month.

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