Egypt: 5,000 Gather in Matareya to Enjoy Annual Communal Iftar
There was a palpable air of excitement as thousands of residents prepared for the ninth ‘Ramadan In Matareya’ communal iftar on Thursday. Held annually, ‘Ramadan In Matareya’ began in 2012 with five friends who sat together for an iftar on a street in Matareya on the 15th day of the holy month. What was supposed to be an intimate meal turned into an elaborate one after more people began to join as the night progressed. The year after, the friends decided to make it a bigger event and invited all the residents of Ezbet Hamada. Since then, the communal iftar is held every Ramadan.
This year the banquet was prepared to feed more than 5000, most of whom are residents living in the neighbourhood. People sat side-by-side along tables decorated with Ramadan-patterned cloth running down narrow streets. The maze of six connecting streets was incredibly crowded on Thursday as diners, food bloggers, camera crews, reporters and onlookers gathered to witness Egypt’s largest iftar.
Residents of buildings overlooking the iftar tables sat on their balconies and cheerfully clapped as they sang along to the traditional Ramadan songs being played from the PA system which the area’s locals had rented out for the occasion.
The main course ― grilled chicken with a side of yellow basmati rice and roasted potatoes ― was prepared on grills and in enormous pots that sat on burners set up in a dead-end alley. On a nearby table, a variety of Ramadan desserts were waiting to be served at the end of the meal.
However, for many of the iftar attendees, it was not the food that brought them there, but the warm, familial atmosphere, the loud music and the chance to have a chat with their neighbours and perhaps to make new friends. Once limited to residents of Ezbet Hamada, the communal iftar over the years has come to draw people from the other end of Cairo. The joy is felt by attendees, both men and women, which is not a common sight among Egyptians who often adhere to conservative traditions.
Many newcomers came to know of the iftar from social media after photos from previous editions went viral, or from the television segments that have been made about it. The iftar decorations have similarly become more elaborate each year. A decade ago, they were limited to Ramadan lanterns and rows of shiny streamers. Today, the event has its own logo and all those who are serving or organising wear uniform t-shirts with the logo printed.
The meal is funded through a neighbourhood pool to which residents contribute each month. However much has been collected at the end of the year and is spent on preparing the food, laying out the tables and decorating the streets for the annual event. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 when lockdown rules were still applicable during the Covid-19 pandemic, making this year’s event the ninth iftar in 11 years.
