A vendor sells olives at a market during Ramadan in Amman, Jordan, on Feb. 19, 2026. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua)
CAIRO, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- As the holy month of Ramadan begins, communities across the Middle East come together in a spirit of reflection and generosity.
Families gather at sunset to share meals, bringing loved ones closer in quiet moments of gratitude. Markets come alive in the evening hours, filled with shoppers preparing for nightly feasts and exchanging warm wishes.
Across cities and villages, the faithful turn to prayer and contemplation, embracing a time of renewal, compassion, and deep communal bonds.
Palestinians prepare traditional sweets to sell on the first day of Ramadan in the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
A young man looks at Ramadan-themed decorations in the old quarter of Damascus, Syria, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua)
Palestinians attend a group meal on the first day of Ramadan inside a school-turned shelter in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza Strip, on Feb. 18, 2026. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
This photo taken on Feb. 19, 2026 shows a fruit stall on the first day of Ramadan in Tunis, Tunisia. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)
People eat at a community-led iftar dinner during the holy month of Ramadan in Ankara, Türkiye, Feb. 20, 2026. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
Worshippers gather for the first Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, Feb. 20, 2026. (Photo by Jamal Awad/Xinhua)
A crescent moon is seen over the Saladin Citadel on the second day of the holy month of Ramadan in Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)■