Egyptian markets prepare for Ramadan

With Ramadan barely a week away, Egyptian markets are getting prepared for the Holy Month by supplying different kinds of food products, despite the highly elevated prices. At the same time, markets are full of Ramadan lanterns (Fanos), which do not necessarily reflect the Fatimid culture where lanterns came from. They instead evoke Chinese themes, based on what Egyptian children prefer such as the "Tok Tok" lantern and lanterns made in the likeness of famous cartoon character Spongebob Squarepants. One of the strange things this year is the presence of lanterns carrying a picture of President Mohammed Morsi, in addition to lanterns of a long bearded man in a scene described by one of the importers as "courting" the Islamists. Even if the lantern is made in China, its designed at an Egyptian company who created the "courting Islamists" theme as a reflection of the Egyptian political scene, according to an importer in El Darb El Ahmar district. Haj Mohamed Abd El Moniem told Arabstoday: “We met some Chinese companies and presented them new designs we wanted to import, where the Egyptian importer still decides what they want in the end. The Chinese study the Egyptian market, and come up with ideas,” adding “we are exchanging experiences, I can suggest my idea to be implemented and they can surprise us by a design of their creation.”  A seller in the Azhar area called Ahmed Allam said: “The lanterns' popularity among Egyptian families depends on their types and shapes...Egyptian children for example love dancing and singing lanterns" Another seller, Mohamed Ali, said that some customers still want the old traditional metal lantern with the candle, which may be more expensive than Chinese lanterns. The chairman of the chamber of commerce of Cairo, Ibrahim El Araby, has meanwhile asked traders not to raise prices during Ramadan, explaining that “the economic conditions of the Egyptian can't afford high prices,” and asked the media to spread awareness among citizens by not buying goods over their needs, so that traders wouldn’t raise prices accordingly. It's worth mentioning that the lantern industry is not seasonal as some think, but is consistent through the year, where manufacturers create different models and shapes to be stored awaiting Ramadan; the peak season for this industry. The Egyptian capital of Cairo was one of the most important Islamic cities famous for this industry until the Chinese stole the spotlight. Some consistently popular places are in El Rabea near to Azhar district, Ghoria, and Berket El Feel district in El Sayeda Zaynab. The lantern industry kept developing throughout the years, until the emerging of the electric lantern which works by battery instead of the candle. Its development didn’t stop there, as China began exporting lanterns that could talk and move, before finally arriving at today's "Brotherhood" and "Salafist" lanterns.