![Cloth Ramadan lanterns hang over the Al-Khayama street in Darb Al-Ahmar](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190322-RamadanLanterns-0001-scaled.jpg)
One of the many Ramadan traditions, especially in Egypt, is Ramadan lanterns. You can see them in front of homes and businesses, large ones are hung across streets, often designed with some local flare.
This is a selection of photos about the workshops where Ramadan lanterns are still made around Cairo.
![Old Ramadan lanterns hang over the entrance to the mosque of Hasan Pasha Tahir](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0419-1667x2500.jpg)
Old Ramadan lanterns hang over the entrance to the mosque of Hasan Pasha Tahir at the workshop of Atef Salama in Birkat al Fil. Birkat al Fil is named as the Pond of the Elephants, a watering hole that has now dried up and has long since been turned into a dense Cairo neighborhood. In 1735, De Maillet, the French consul in Cairo, wrote about Birkat Al-Fil, one of the most famous location for princely palaces until the 19th century: “Nothing is more pleasant than this place filled with water during eight months of the year, while during the remaining months, it turns into a perfumed garden.” Salama claims that there have been 4 generations in his family making ramadan lanterns by hand and his workshop is the only one that doesn’t use machines.
![A portrait of the father of Atef Salama](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0070-scaled.jpg)
![A photo of Ataf Salama at the workshop of Atef Salama in Birkat al Fil](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0345-scaled.jpg)
![An old photo of a previous generation of Ramadan lanterns hangs beside a radio playing audio clips from old films at the workshop of Atef Salama in Birkat al Fil.](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0224-scaled.jpg)
![Workers eat breakfast and light the fires to start making Ramadan lanterns](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0057-scaled.jpg)
An artist heats his soldering tool and water for tea at the workshop of Atef Salama in Birkat al Fil on March 23, 2019 in Cairo, Egypt. Salama claims that there have been 4 generations in his family making ramadan lanterns by hand and his workshop is the only one that doesn’t use machines.
![An artist heats his soldering tool and water for tea at the workshop of Atef Salama](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0084-scaled.jpg)
![Red lantern outside the Ramadan Lantern workshop of Oum Ibrahim](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0550-scaled.jpg)
I also visited he Ramadan lantern workshop of Oum Ibrahim in Sayida Zeinab. They make more modern looking lanterns, stamping out designs with machines and sometimes making special theme lanterns of football players or politicians.
![The store of Nabil Hussein Shata sells a vide variety of Ramadan lanterns in Darb Al-Ahmar in Cairo, Egypt.](https://www.daviddegner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/20190323-RamadanLanterns-0778-scaled.jpg)