Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, began earlier this week, with the observation of the Hilal, or new moon. The fast, one of the five pillars of Islam, is seen as a time for spiritual reflection, prayers, and charity. After sunset, Muslims traditionally break the fast by eating dates, performing the Maghrib prayer, and sitting down to Iftar, the main evening meal, where communities and families gather together. Gathered here are images of Muslims around the world observing Ramadan this year, including areas of recent turmoil, like Egypt and Turkey. [Modified intro from here].
Muslims scan the horizon for the crescent moon that will determine the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 8, 2013.
Egyptians shop in a market on the eve of Ramadan, the sacred holy month for Muslims where many will fast from sun-up to sun-down, on July 9, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt.
A Palestinian man reads verses from the Quran, Islam's holy book, at al-Omari mosque on the first day of Ramadan, on July 10, 2013 in Gaza City.
An Afghan worker carries sweets at a traditional factory ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 9, 2013.
A Pakistani Muslim performs ablutions before evening prayer at historical Wazir Khan mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian boy looks at a traditional Ramadan lantern in a street market in Gaza City, on July 6, 2013.
Anti-government protesters eat as they break their fast on the first day Ramadan as police officers take position at Taksim Square in Istanbul, on July 9, 2013. Turkish police allowed thousands of protesters who have been trying to block the redevelopment of a park in Istanbul to break their Ramadan fast on Tuesday before resuming efforts to get them to leave the area.
Workers clean the floor of the Badshahi Mosque ahead of the holy month of Ramadan in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 9, 2013.
Students perform an afternoon prayer on the first day of Ramadan, at Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on July 10, 2013.
Indonesian Muslim women hold prayers on the first night of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, on July 9, 2013.
Students perform an afternoon prayer on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, on July 10, 2013.
Muslims pray in the first Tarawih to mark the start of the month of Ramadan in Cheng Ho Mosque on July 9, 2013 in Surabaya, Indonesia.
A child walks near members of the Muslim community attending midday prayers at Strasbourg Grand Mosque in Strasbourg, Ferance on the first day of Ramadan, July 9, 2013.
A child leans down near members of the Muslim community attending midday prayers at Strasbourg Grand Mosque in Strasbourg, Ferance on the first day of Ramadan, July 9, 2013.
Mosque workers prepare food for distribution to the poor and Muslims who come to break their fast at Noor Mosque in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 10, 2013.
A pastry chef holds a tray of Arabic sweets at his bakery in Gaza City on the eve of the start of Ramadan, on July 9, 2013.
An Indonesian Muslim man reads the Quran at a mosque on July 9, 2013 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Muslims attend an evening communal prayer session called "Tarawih" to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Bajrakli mosque in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 9, 2013.
A Palestinian arranges qatayef, a dessert traditionally eaten during Ramadan, for sale on the first day of Ramadan in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on July 10, 2013.
Muslims attend an evening communal prayer session called "Tarawih" to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Bajrakli mosque in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 9, 2013.
Indonesian Muslim women hold prayers on the first night of the holy month of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, on July 9, 2013.
Indonesian Muslims prepare to sight the new moon from the rooftop of the Al-Hidayah Basmol mosque in Jakarta on July 8, 2013 in preparation for the beginning of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Indonesian children and Muslim men pray as they anticipate the sighting of the new moon from the rooftop of the Al-Hidayah Basmol mosque in Jakarta on July 8, 2013 in preparation for the beginning of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan.
Muslim boys walk inside a mosque to pray during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan in Manila July 10, 2013.
Afghan children read and memorise the Koran at a mosque in Jalalabad on July 10, 2013
Afghan boys sweep at the main mosque and wash the carpets, ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Herat on July 9, 2013.
Afghan girls sit on the ground as they study the holy Koran, ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Herat on July 9, 2013.
Afghan children sit on the ground as they study the holy Koran, ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in Herat on July 9, 2013.
The Bank Indonesia mosque on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Jakarta, on July 10, 2013
An Indonesian Muslim prays at a mosque on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan in Jakarta, on July 10, 2013
A Pakistani customer tries a cap ahead of Ramadan, in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.
A man walks near Ramadan lanterns, or Fanoos Ramadan, which are displayed for sale at a shop a day ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Cairo July 9, 2013.
Mostafa Abdo, 36, makes a Ramadan lamp in a workshop during preparations a day ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Cairo July 9, 2013.
People rest near Ramadan lanterns, or Fanoos Ramadan, which are displayed for sale at shops a day ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Cairo July 9, 2013.
Pakistani Muslims buy dates ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Karachi on July 9, 2013.
SURABAYA, INDONESIA – JULY 09: Mats are prepared at Cheng Ho Mosque for use in first Tarawih prayers as a sign of the start of the month of Ramadan on July 9, 2013 in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Sudanese people shop for Ramadan at a market in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, July 8, 2013. Over a billion Muslims around the world including Sudan prepare for the holy month of Ramadan with the dawn-to-dusk fast.
A Sudanese man prepares his shop for Ramadan shopping at a market in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, July 8, 2013.
A Sudanese boy helps prepare a shop for Ramadan shopping at a market in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, July 8, 2013.
A Muslim man cooks yellow fin tuna before selling them at a market during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan in Manila July 10, 2013.
An official from the State Islamic University uses a telescope to observe the moon after sunset from the coast of Madura in East Java province of Indonesia on the eve of Ramadan
Saudi men gather to spot the moon in the city of Taif
A man points skyward at dusk, in Hamad Town, Bahrain, towards where a slim crescent moon should be visible to indicate the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan
A child runs after a mass prayer session "Tarawih" which marks the beginning of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta
A Palestinian boy plays with fireworks to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan, in Gaza City
A Palestinian boy decorates a shop with Ramadan festive lights in the West Bank city of Nablus
Indonesian women pray during the first night of Ramadan in Jakarta
Fasting workers pick grapes at the Zomoot farm under the soaring heat, which nearly reached 40 degrees Celsius, in Mafraq, Jordan.
A Musaharati, or dawn awakener, strikes his drum to wake observant Muslims for their overnight 'sahur', or last meal, before the day's fast in Sidon's Old City in southern Lebanon
A vendor holds a plate of dates in Baghdad's Karrada district. Dates are popular during Ramadan, as many believers break their day-long fast by first eating a date
Children read the Koran inside an elementary school during Ramadan in Manila, the Philippines
Indian Muslim men gather to sight of the crescent moon in the compound of Jamia Masjid or Grand Mosque in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
An Indian Muslim man helps an elderly man to locate the crescent moon in the compound of Jamia Masjid or Grand Mosque in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
Bahraini men gather to search the sky over the Persian Gulf for the crescent moon in the western village of Karzakan, Bahrain, on Tuesday, July 9, 2013.
CAIRO, EGYPT - JULY 09: Egyptians shop in a market on the eve of Ramadan, the sacred holy month for Muslims where many will fast from sun-up to sun-down, on July 9, 2013 in Cairo, Egypt.
An Egyptian man waits to perform the sunset prayer after the first fasting day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at the Al-Ahzar mosque in Cairo on July 10, 2013.
In this picture taken on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 worshippers walk down from the Cave of Hira on the top of al-Nour mountain in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Cave of Hira is where Muslims believe Muhammad received his first revelations.
An elderly man reads verses of the Quran, Islam's holy book, on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadan in the grand Mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
An elderly man reads verses of the Quran, Islam's holy book, on the first day of the fasting month of Ramadan in the grand Mosque in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
People buy vermicelli ahead of Ramadan, which begins tomorrow in Pakistan, on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
People buy garlic, onion and other items ahead of Ramadan, which begins tomorrow in Pakistan, on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 in Rawalpindi.
Egyptians break their fast during the first day of Ramadan outside Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, July 10, 2013. After a week of violence and mass demonstrations, Egyptians were hoping that Wednesday's start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan will significantly calm the streets. The sunrise-to-sunset fast cuts down on daytime activity, although there are fears of unrest at night.
Egyptians break their fast during the first day of Ramadan outside Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian boy plays with fireworks as he celebrates the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Gaza City, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
A worshipper reads Islam's holy book Quran at the Grand Mosque in the holy Muslim city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Worshippers eat during Iftar, or breaking of the fast, at the Grand Mosque in the holy Muslim city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
Yemeni girls wearing traditional costumes attend a festival for children to welcome the Holy month of Ramadan in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen, on Monday, July 8, 2013.
Pakistani Muslims sweep the floor of a mosque on the eve of Ramadan in Karachi on July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian child poses with a star as people arrive to attend the evening prayer during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the old city of Jerusalem on July 9, 2013.
Kuwaitis buy fruits and vegetables at a market place on July 10, 2013 in downtown Kuwait City, on the first day of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
Afghan children read and memorise the Koran at a mosque in Jalalabad on July 10, 2013
Students sit in circles during a Quran recital class on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian woman buys traditional Ramadan decorations at a store in the West Bank city of Jenin, Monday, July 8, 2013.
A Lebanese man prays at a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
Indian Muslims pray at Jama Masjid on the eve of Ramadan in New Delhi on July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian vendor displays a prayer mat at a market in the West Bank city of Jenin ahead of Ramadan, Tuesday, July 9, 2013.
Afghan workers make sweets at a traditional factory ahead of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 9, 2013.
Students perform an afternoon prayer on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic boarding school in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Wednesday, July 10, 2013.
Flint resident Ahmad Deeb helps set up decorations at the Flint Islamic Center on Tuesday, July 9, 2013 in preparation for the Islamic tradition of Ramadan that starts Wednesday, July 10. Hundreds are expected to gather at the center for the Terawih prayer, which leads into a month of fasting -- or sawm -- and prayer.
Pakistani bakers make traditional food for the holy fasting month of Ramadan at a shop in Karachi on July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian boy blows soap bubbles as he hawks toys on the eve of the start of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, at a street market in Gaza City on July 9, 2013.
Boys carry buckets as they line up to receive free food for their first iftar, or breaking fast, during Ramadan in Raqqa province, eastern Syria July 10, 2013.
People walk and on the first day of Ramadan in a passageway separating Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr, which is under the rebels' control, and Al-Masharqa neighborhood, an area controlled by the regime, July 10, 2013.
Fruits are displayed for sale at al-Shaalan market a day before the fasting month of Ramadan in Damascus, Syria, July 9, 2013.
Syrians shop in the covered market in central Damascus as they prepare for the month of Ramadan, July 9, 2013.
A boy stands among the supporters of ousted Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi, who are offering the the Tarawih prayer, after the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan, in Nasr City, Cairo, July 10, 2013.
A man reads a Quran at a mosque in Beirut, Lebanon, July 10, 2013.
Indonesian Muslim women hold prayers on the first night of the holy month of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, July 9, 2013.
Yemeni girls wearing traditional costumes attend a festival to welcome the month of Ramadan in the old city of Sanaa, Yemen, July 8, 2013.
A man prepares special sweets at a small traditional factory ahead of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 8, 2013.
Palestinians walk before attending the evening prayer during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the old city of Jerusalem, July 9, 2013.
Men gather for prayer on the first day of Ramadan at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia.
A worker cleans a chandelier inside the Badshahi mosque in Lahore.
A Nepalese Muslim is silhouetted as he offers prayers during the the month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramadan in Kathmandu July 11, 2013.
A Muslim boy enters a mosque to offer prayers during the month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramadan in Kathmandu July 11, 2013.
A Muslim boy sits inside a mosque as he waits to offer prayers during the month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramadan in Kathmandu July 11, 2013.
A Nepalese Muslim reads the Koran during the month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramadan in Kathmandu July 11, 2013.
A Nepalese Muslim offers prayers during the month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramadan in Kathmandu July 11, 2013.
Civilians receive free food for their first iftar, or breaking fast, during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Raqqa province, eastern Syria July 10, 2013.
Rohingya Muslims illegal immigrants gather at the Immigration Detention Centre during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013. More than a hundred Rohingya Muslims gathered to pray and break fast as they welcome the first day of Ramadan in Thailand. The stateless people arrived in Thailand earlier in January this year after fleeing a bloody conflict between the Buddhist and Muslims in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State.
A Rohingya Muslim cries as he prays at the Immigration Detention Centre during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013.
Rohingya Muslim pray at the Immigration Detention Centre during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013.
A Rohingya Muslim prepares plates of food at the Immigration Detention Centre during the holy month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013.
A Rohingya Muslim prays at the Immigration Detention Centre during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013.
Rohingya Muslims break their fast at the Immigration Detention Centre during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013.
A Rohingya Muslim prays at the Immigration Detention Centre during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kanchanaburi province July 10, 2013.
A man reads the Koran in a mosque during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in Sanaa, July 10, 2013. Muslims in Yemen begin fasting on Wednesday.
A vendor selling prayer mats waits for customers a day before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in the old quarters of Delhi July 10, 2013. Ramadan in India begins on Thursday
A Muslim youth uses a piece of cloth to cool himself while waiting to offer the evening prayers a day before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at Jama Masjid in the old quarters of Delhi July 10, 2013.
A Muslim man looks at an Islamic poster before buying it a day before the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan outside the Jama Masjid in the old quarters of Delhi July 10, 2013.
COLOMBO, SRI LANKA – JULY 10: Muslim children attend a special evening Ramadan prayer at the Juma Masjid July 10, 2013 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Islam in Sri Lanka is practiced by a group of minorities who make up 9.72% of the population.
A man buys dates during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan in downtown Tunis July 10, 2013. Muslims in Tunisia begin fasting on Wednesday.
Muslims attend an evening communal prayer session called "Tarawih" to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Bajrakli mosque in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 9, 2013.
A woman looks at products as she buys food supplies at a supermarket, as Muslims prepare for the fasting month of Ramadan in Dubai, on July 8, 2013.
People nap while waiting to break their fast in Istiqlal mosque during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Jakarta, on July 10, 2013.
A woman sells dates and cereals in a street market in Abobo, suburb of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, on July 9, 2013, on the first day of Ramadan.
Muslims attend an evening communal prayer session called "Tarawih" to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan at the Bajrakli mosque in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 9, 2013.
Indonesian Muslim women hold prayers on the first night of the holy month of Ramadan at the Istiqlal mosque in Jakarta, on July 9, 2013.
Palestinian men recite the Koran at al-Omari mosque in Gaza City, during the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, July 10, 2013.
A Palestinian Bedouin shepherleads his flock of sheep at sunset near the West Bank city of Jenin on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Tuesday, July 9, 2013.
July 10 2013 – Atmosphere of the first day of Ramadan atmosphere inside the Gaza mosque
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