How Ramadan in Egypt Reshaped My Understanding of Hospitality

2026-03-15 - 14:54

By Sophie Spigno I arrived in Egypt in March 2025, travelling to Alexandria to spend Ramadan with my closest friend and her family. It was early morning in Cairo, the sky still a pale, washed-out blue, when I climbed into a taxi after a long overnight flight. The streets were almost silent. The driver adjusted his mirror and, in the reflection, I caught myself: dishevelled, half-asleep, yet unexpectedly calm. Then the first notes of the adhan rose across the city. Clear, steady, and unhurried, they shifted the atmosphere, as if giving the morning its purpose. Before I could fully absorb it, the driver reached into the console and handed me a cold bottle of water, insisting I drink. My friend beside me, fasting, quietly pushed a snack into my hand. Both were beginning a day without food or water, yet their first instinct was to make sure I had something after travelling. It was a small gesture, but it captured something deeply Egyptian: generosity offered without hesitation, even from what one is abstaining from. In that taxi at dawn, I understood why Ramadan here feels so communal. Hospitality is not... This content is for members only. Visit the site and log in/register to read.