Malkandi
Sulaymaniyah residents uphold Ramadan tradition at city’s oldest mosque
SULAYMANIYAH — Every evening during Ramadan, residents of the Malkandi neighborhood gather at the city’s oldest mosque, breaking their fast together in a tradition passed down for generations.
Local families prepare iftar meals—including lentil soup, dates, and sweets—and bring them to Malkandi Mosque for the community.
“This is an old practice, and every year, residents of this neighborhood observe Ramadan in this way,” said Mala Muzaffar, the mosque’s imam.
Each evening, a family delivers meals half an hour before the Maghrib call to prayer, ensuring attendees can secure a spot and share in the communal meal. From now until the end of Ramadan, a different person is assigned each day to provide food, continuing the long-standing tradition.
Iftar, the meal eaten at sunset to break the fast, traditionally begins with dates and water before a full meal is served. Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, is eaten before the fast begins at sunrise.
“The people here compete in acts of charity and giving,” Muzaffar said, adding that residents have organized a schedule to ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute.
