The vibrancy of Ramadan in Duhok

After two years of social distancing and other COVID-19 restrictions, the current Ramadan in Duhok is exceptional.

The demand for fruit juices and sweets increases every Ramadan. And this year, that demand is even higher in Duhok.

There are queues of people waiting to buy fruit juices and other refreshments. Lines of cars full of people eager to buy these treats even lead to traffic jams, especially in the evening.

During Ramadan, Muslims break their fast at nightfall by eating the iftar meal. That meal usually consists of a variety of dishes and drinks.

“The number of sweets and juices that we sell in two days in other months is sold in just half a day during Ramadan,” Herish Barwari, the manager of a chain of popular sweet and drink places in Duhok, told Kurdistan 24.

Barwari said they have several branches selling more than 7,000 juices per day during Ramadan. Some juices are natural, while others are powdered mix drinks.

Raisin juices, made with juice extracted from black raisins with added peppermint, have become the most popular drink during Ramadan for many years.

But for this Ramadan, raisin juice has found competition as sumac juice and dates milkshake have also become increasingly popular.

For Ramadan, Muslims in Duhok turn to listen to different religious recitations. At the door of one of the city’s many cafés, a dervish wearing traditional Kurdish clothes played a daff and recited some religious poems.

He told Kurdistan 24 that he is originally from Duhok but has been living in Erbil. This year he decided to recite a religious poem with his daff and spread the spirit of Ramadan in his hometown.

For the first time, a restaurant in Duhok organized an event with whirling dervishes. The group, known as Mawlawi, is something new in the city. Its members are Arabs.

Basheer Muhammed, one of the dervishes performing the ritualistic movements, is from Damascus, Syria. He said he is happy being in Duhok, explaining that they chose Duhok because it’s a beautiful, peaceful, and hospitable city.

“I have been performing this dance for 16 years. This dance is a spiritual connection between humans and God,” he said. “In Syria, people know about this, but in Duhok, it’s something new for people. It is being welcomed with great interest though.”