Group of activists revived almost-forgotten tradition in 2017
PRIZREN, Kosovo
The time for iftar, or fast-breaking meal, in Kosovo’s second largest city of Prizren, is heralded with an explosion of fireworks.
The population of the southern city, which was the intellectual and cultural center of Ottoman Kosovo for centuries, is predominantly Muslim.
A group of local activists decided in 2017 to revive the almost-forgotten tradition of heralding iftar by shooting a cannon.
As such, they started to set off fireworks in Ramadan that year in the spot where the old cannon in the city’s historical castle is located.
That was later adopted by the city’s Islamic Union, which tasked Varis Hashimi to set off the fireworks.
Regardless of the challenging factors, including adverse weather conditions during Ramadan, Hashimi climbs 100 meters (330 feet) from Shadervan Square in the center of Prizren to the castle, whose first fortresses date back to the Roman period and whose area was enlarged during the Ottoman period, to complete his task.
He told Anadolu that he feels joyful and privileged for being chosen to announce the time to eat during Ramadan.
