Shafaqna English– One of the Mosques in the second-largest city of the Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq has been providing iftar meals to needy fasting people during the holy Month of Ramadhan for over two centuries.
According to Shafaqna, the Arabic section of Anadolu Agency (AA) reported today (Tuesday 11 Mar 2025) that the city of Sulaymaniyah, in the eastern part of the Kurdistan Region, is home to an ancient tradition during Ramadhan that dates back more than two centuries. At the city’s Grand Mosque, thousands of needy individuals are provided with Iftar daily.
Mohammad Sheikh Salar, Head of the Grand Mosque in Sulaymaniyah, explained that this long-standing tradition began in 1820 on the recommendation of a Sufi sheikh named “Kak Ahmad Sheikh” and has continued every year since. During Ramadhan, iftar is provided daily to the needy, and they can take the food home to share with their families.
In an interview with Anadolu, Salar mentioned that to prepare the Iftar meals for the fasting people who gather for prayer at the Grand Mosque, the Mosque uses 450 kilograms of rice, 90 kilograms of beans, and 700 kilograms of red meat and chicken every day.
Salar also stated that during Ramadhan, between three to four thousand people participate in the Iftar meals at the Mosque. He emphasized that this tradition continues thanks to the support of charitable donors and has been upheld since the time of Kak Ahmad Sheikh.