Rituals of Ramadan
During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims from India to Germany and Sudan pray on richly woven carpets in mosques, reading texts from the Koran in leather-bound books and in bilingual editions on hand-held devices.
After going without food and water during the often-scorching heat of daylight hours, the faithful gather in a festive atmosphere at dusk to enjoy the communal iftar, or fast-breaking meal, together, such as at the Jama Masjid, or Grand Mosque, in the old quarters of Delhi.
Skullcaps are stored in an alcove at the Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque) in Delhi, India.
Putrajaya mosque is seen at dawn in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
The dome of Putrajaya mosque is made from rose-tinted granite in Putrajaya, Malaysia.
A general view of Istiqlal mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, in Jakarta, Indonesia.
A Muslim man reads the Koran inside a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Muslim worshippers pray outside the Gallipoli Mosque in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn, Australia.
A Muslim worshipper holds beads as he prays in the Gallipoli Mosque in the western Sydney suburb of Auburn, Australia.
Muslims carry food as they prepare to break the fast at a small mosque in Adjame near Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
A Muslim woman asks for charity after prayers in the yard of a mosque in the Adjame area of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Muslims attend Friday prayers in the courtyard of a housing estate next to a mosque in east London, Britain.
The shoes of Muslim men lie in the courtyard near a mosque in east London.
Muslims conduct prayers in Jamaa El Kebir (Great Mosque) in Algiers, Algeria.
Copies of the Koran are seen at Jamaa El Kebir (Great Mosque) before prayer in Algiers, Algeria.
A general view shows the Sehitlik-Moschee mosque in Berlin, Germany.
A Muslim worshipper reads the Koran in Arabic and German on his tablet in the Sehitlik-Moschee mosque in Berlin, Germany.
Worshippers attend Friday prayers at a mosque in Benghazi, Libya.
A boy prays at a mosque in Benghazi, Libya.
Muslim believers in Kosovo's capital Pristina get ready for Friday prayers.
A Muslim man holds prayer beads in Kosovo's capital Pristina during Friday prayers.
People eat their iftar meal as they break their fast in front of Al-Hussein Mosque in the old Islamic area of Cairo, Egypt.
A man attends evening prayers at Al-Azhar Mosque in the old Islamic area of Cairo, Egypt.
People break their fast at Al-Sheikh Ghareeballah Mosque in Omdurman, Sudan.
A man rests inside the Grand Mosque in Omdurman, Sudan.
Muslims attend evening prayers at the Jamia Mosque in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
A Muslim man attends Friday prayers in the holy month of Ramadan at the Jamia Mosque in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
Palestinians attend Friday prayers at a mosque in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
A Palestinian man reads verses from the Koran at a mosque in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Muslims break their fast at the Firdos Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.
A man reads the Koran at the Firdos Mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.
Men place copies of the Koran on their heads at the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq.
Men place copies of the Koran on their heads at the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf, Iraq.
Somali worshippers wait for prayers in Jamacada Mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia.
Somali faithful wait for Friday prayers to begin in Jamacada mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia.
People break their fast at the Memon Mosque in Karachi, Pakistan.
A man performs evening prayers in the Memon Mosque in Karachi, Pakistan.
Afghan men attend Friday prayers at Pul-i-Khishti mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan.
An Afghan man prays in Abdul Rahman Mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan.
A man offers evening prayers at the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan.
A boy reads the Koran at a mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan.
People wait to break their fast at the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.
Plates of chicken curry are ready to be served at the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan after a day of fasting.
