Ramadan is the month of obligatory fasting for Muslims. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan explains that it is one of the five pillars of Islam. “This month, all Muslims fast during the day, from dawn to dusk. During the month of Ramadan, devout Muslims refuse to eat, drink, smoke and have sex during the day. ”
But tourists in Arab countries should not fast at this time.
In Turkey and Egypt, during this period, all services, such as pharmacies and shops, operate as usual, and cafes in the cities open in the late afternoon. But in hotels, everything works. RIA Novosti quotes Intourist employees: “Hotel staff can be a bit more tired. Everyone is hungry, no one smokes or drinks coffee, but that doesn’t affect the service. possible.”
In Middle Eastern countries like Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, only major restaurants will operate in hotels during Ramadan, Intourist said. Alcohol, while permitted in the hotel, can only be ordered to your room.
As for the UAE, there are fewer and fewer restrictions every year. “There are practically none of them on the territory of hotels, the only thing is that they try to avoid noise and loud music,” Russian Express experts told the agency. Out of respect for tradition, it is not recommended to eat and drink in public places during the day, but this does not apply to hotels. In some of them, alcohol is allowed only after 7:00 p.m., travel agencies recommend clarifying this information when booking. But, for example, in Abu Dhabi, bars are closed during the entire fasting period, they do not sell alcohol. In the Maldives, Ramadan does not apply to tourists if they live in island hotels.
The main rules that a traveler should remember: during the day in public places it is advisable to refrain from smoking, eating and drinking, it is forbidden to drink alcohol outside the hotel. And, of course, you cannot disturb believers during prayer.
During the holy month of Ramadan, everyone tries to be nice
And to feel the spirit of Ramadan, experts recommend visiting the so-called Ramadan tents, which are set up on their territory by many hotels, especially beach ones. “These are tents decorated with Arabic patterns. After sunset, iftar is held there – the first meal after sunset. People relax, sit for hours, talk to the sound of music light Arabic and have a great time,” popular site Tourdom said. ru quoted tourism expert Dmitry Arutyunov.
According to him, Ramadan is a time when rich Muslims help the poor. It is believed that the sales that merchants make during Lent will be rewarded a hundredfold. “If the seller says ‘Ramadan Kareem’ (‘Ramadan is generous’), you can get a discount,” the expert said.
