In 2020, Ramadan will start on Thursday, April 23 and end on Saturday, May 23.
If you plan to visit a Muslim country here are a few tips and explanations about Ramadan for travel photographers. Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims around the world. The word Ramadan comes directly from the Arabic root ramiḍa which means dryness. It is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and the month in which the Quran was revealed. Being the Islamic calendar a lunar calendar, months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar year and contains no intercalation, Ramadan varies every year. During this period, observant Muslims tend to abstain from food (sawm), drinking or smoking from dawn to dusk and also restrain from all activities or behaviors that are not compatible with Islamic values.
Namibia truly matches most of the African natural beauties in just one single country. It’s a land of abundant wildlife, extravagant colonial architecture and incredible landscapes. This country hosts the Namib, the oldest desert in the world, with its towering red and orange dunes dropping down to the wind-lashed coastline. Here you get also the second largest canyon in the world, never ending lichen-encrusted gravel plains and magnificent wetlands. A country that lives up to expectations. No wonder why Namibia is among the photographers’ favorite destinations.