Ramadan is the holiest month for Muslims. People fast during the day, and at night perform group prayers, reading and reciting from the Qu’ran. The divide between these daily and nightly traditions is usually punctuated with Iftar. This is the meal that breaks the daily fast and occurs after the Maghreb, the fourth daily prayer that signals that the sun has set. Some mosques provide appetizers, mainly soup and dates, for people to break their fast before they perform their prayers at night.
After dinner, the cafes and streets of Erbil also come alive. People gather to play traditional board games, eat, drink and socialize.
