It is evening, and the sun is about to set. But this isn't an ordinary day — it is the holy month of Ramadan. The moment the sun slips below the horizon, the Iftar cannons positioned across the city fire. A sharp boom echoes through the air, marking the end of the fast and the beginning of Iftar.

But why cannons? Why only during Ramadan? And why does it signal the end of the fast rather than its beginning? Let’s take a closer look.

The cannons are fired at sunset (Maghrib) each evening during Ramadan, signalling that the day’s fast has come to an end and Iftar may begin. Because sunset shifts slightly over the course of the month, the timing changes a little each day too.

A final shot traditionally marks the end of Ramadan, just before the morning of Eid Al-Fitr. Outside the holy month, the cannons can appear on other important occasions as well, including UAE National Day celebrations.

The story dates back to 19th-century Egypt, during the rule of Khedive Ismail. During the holy month of Ramadan, one of the cannons is said to have been fired accidentally at sunset. People took the blast as a signal that the fast had ended. The idea felt both natural and practical, and it quickly spread across the region.

Although this is the version most commonly accepted, some historians offer a different interpretation. One suggests the firing may not have been accidental at all. In Egypt, cannons were already used in the military sphere to mark important announcements, so adapting them for a spiritual purpose would have been a logical step. Another theory traces the custom to the Ottoman Empire, where cannons were widely used ceremonially in cities to mark religious occasions.

Accidental or intentional, the cannon served a very practical role. Centuries ago, there were no loudspeakers, no radio broadcasts, and even watches were rare. For many Muslims, tracking the exact moment of sunset was not always simple. The cannon blast — now widely known as the Iftar cannon — made that moment unmistakable.

It took time for the tradition to reach the Gulf region. In the UAE, for example, Sharjah formalised the practice in the 1930s, Dubai followed in the 1960s, and Abu Dhabi embraced it later, in the 1970s.

Let’s begin with why Iftar is marked at all. Breaking the fast isn't simply about comfort after a long day without food or water — it carries deep spiritual significance. According to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, people remain in goodness as long as they hasten to break their fast. In other words, ending the fast promptly is part of the prophetic tradition, reflecting trust and discipline. For that reason, marking the exact moment of sunset is especially important. The evening is the point of relief.

But why doesn’t the cannon mark the beginning of the fast as well?

Practically speaking, a cannon blast at 4 or 5 am would feel disruptive — especially for non-Muslims or those who aren't fasting. Even during Ramadan, working hours differ for fasters and non-fasters alike. A pre-dawn explosion would wake many people unnecessarily, making the start of the day harder rather than smoother.

But symbolism matters too. The cannon marks relief, not restraint. Iftar is communal — families gather, tables are set, people come together. In that sense, the cannon becomes part of the shared moment, signalling connection and togetherness. Fajr, by contrast, is quiet and personal. There is no dramatic sound — just a subtle shift in the sky: first a thin vertical light, then a soft horizontal glow spreading across the horizon. That gentle change marks not only the start of the fast, but also the beginning of the Fajr prayer — a reflective, intimate moment that doesn’t really need a loud announcement.

And lastly, it simply was never a tradition. Instead of cannons, communities rely on knowledgeable mosque callers and traditional drummers who walk through the streets, gently waking people for suhoor.

A cannon blast measures around 140–170 decibels at close range (for comparison, a car horn is about 110). In open space, that level of sound can travel clearly for up to five kilometres — which is why it has historically been such an effective way to signal the exact moment to break the fast.

However, in a city like Dubai, where high-rise buildings and dense construction shape the skyline, the sound doesn't always travel as freely as it once did. The urban landscape can absorb or block the echo. So even if you are technically within the cannon’s range, you might not always hear it from inside your home.

We know (and not from the internet, but simply from seeing it ourselves) that the tradition is still very much alive. It just adapts to the times. And the biggest change is safety. Today, cannon sites are carefully organised, with barriers and clear guidance asking people to keep a safe distance, usually around 30 metres. In many cities, the area is supervised by the army, especially as large crowds gather to watch.

Some countries, including Qatar and Kuwait, go a step further by broadcasting the firing on television and radio. So even if you are not standing near the cannon, you can still feel part of the moment.

This year in Dubai, the cannons are installed at seven locations across the city and are fired daily throughout Ramadan:

In addition, there is also a mobile cannon that moves between 17 locations across the city during Ramadan. It feels more cultural than strictly religious — a way of keeping the tradition visible in different parts of Dubai and letting people come across it naturally, wherever they happen to be.