SAUDI ARABIA: Hundred thousand people expected to visit Jeddah for Ramadan festival

Record ID: 189505

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Hundred thousand people expected to visit Jeddah for Ramadan festival
  • Date: 6th July 2014
  • Summary: JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA (JUNE 5, 2014) (REUTERS) (NIGHTSHOTS) VARIOUS OF RAMADAN DECORATION IN HISTORIC CITY IN JEDDAH JUICE SELLER CALLING CUSTOMERS VISITORS TO OLD CITY VARIOUS OF TWO OLD MEN SPEAKING ABOUT RAMADAN IN THE PAST VISITORS WALKING IN HISTORIC CITY VISITOR LOOKING AT OLD PICTURES PICTURE SHOWING OLD MAN WEARING TRADITIONAL JEDDAH CLOTH (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VISITOR HANI ABU-AL JADAYEL, SAYING: "The festival brought us back to the atmosphere of the past. All people are happy. They are coming to revisit the past and soak up this atmosphere. They come to be reminded of their memories and the young say they feel like they were born here, even though this is the first time they have visited." VARIOUS OF CHILDREN PLAYING OLD GAME GIRLS SHOUTING (Arabic) "RAMADAN IS GOOD" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BASSMAH, SAYING: "Historic Jeddah and the festival are so beautiful. We remember our parents and grandparents." VARIOUS OF VISITORS WATCHING WORLD CUP MATCH LANTERNS VISITORS VARIOUS OF FESTIVAL CHEF COOKING TRADITIONAL FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHEF KHULOD SOHAIL, SAYING: "A Saudi girl is able to do everything and show the ways of the Hijaz region because it is Ramadan. We are creating the atmosphere for visitors and to show them the food of the western region." VARIOUS OF ELDERLY MAN SELLING TRADITIONAL FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VISITOR HUSAIN AL-AMODI, SAYING: "This is the first year I've come to the festival, it's something very beautiful to remind people of the past because there are many young people who do not know the traditions of Ramadan and this is a chance to live it here." VARIOUS OF MAN WHO BANGS DRUM BEFORE DAWN TO WAKE PEOPLE UP TO EAT BEFORE FASTING
  • Embargoed: 21st July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Religion,Travel / Tourism
  • Reuters ID: LVA7PZBWE2ZM8N3N1J67HE9WP01A
  • Story Text: In the heart of Saudi Arabia's sprawling Red Sea port city of Jeddah a festival is being held for the month of Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr that hopes to attract a hundred thousand visitors.
    The driving purpose of the festival is to teach the city's many visitors of the centuries-old traditions of Ramadan, while reminding older locals of their past.
    "The festival brought us back to the atmosphere of the past. All people are happy. They are coming to revisit the past and soak up this atmosphere. They come to be reminded of their memories and the young say they feel like they were born here, even though this is the first time they have visited," said visitor Hani Abu-al Jadayel.
    A very young participant in the festival, who had joined a chorus of girls shouting "Ramadan is good!" said the event reminded her of previous generations.
    "Historic Jeddah and the festival are so beautiful. We remember our parents and grandparents," said Bassmah.
    The seventh-century historic district, with its mud and coral town houses adorned with ornate wooden balconies, holds the only remnants of the traditional architecture of the Hijaz, as the western Arabian Peninsula is known.
    A traditional chef said more freedoms were granted to women and girls during the month of Ramadan, and that she hoped to introduce visitors to the foods of the western region.
    "A Saudi girl is able to do everything and show the ways of the Hijaz region because it is Ramadan. We are creating the atmosphere for visitors and to show them the food of the western region," said Khulod Sohail.
    Hijaz, includes Mecca, Medina and the old port town of Yanbu.
    A visitor said it was important to make young people aware of Ramadan's oldest traditions.
    "This is the first year I've come to the festival, it's something very beautiful to remind people of the past because there are many young people who do not know the traditions of Ramadan and this is a chance to live it here," said Husain al-Modi.
    A man demonstrated how he bangs a drum before dawn to wake people up to eat before fasting begins.
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