The installation features different phases of the moon, stars, and Islamic lanterns and will be on display for the entirety of the Islamic holy month.
(Photo: Anida Ramsamy)
The installation welcomes visitors with ‘Happy Ramadan’, Coventry Street, London, 22 March.
The display features moons, stars and lanterns, symbolic of Islamic art and architecture, Coventry Street, London, 22 March.
Hundreds assemble to take pictures of the display a day before Ramadan begins in the UK, Coventry Street, London, 22 March .
Crowds gather at the beginning of the display, Piccadilly Circus, London, 22 March.
The installation connects Piccadilly Circus with Leicester Square, London, on 22 March.
On a dark March night, throngs of Londoners flock to Piccadilly Circus, the heart of the city’s theatre district, where they wander in groups below twinkling stars, moons and lanterns.
The light installations over London’s Piccadilly Circus have long been associated with the city’s Christmas celebrations, but this year, for the first time, a new canopy of lights has been installed to celebrate Ramadan/Ramzan and the city’s vast Muslim community.
The spectacular display, which includes 30,000 sustainable lights installed above Coventry Street, was the brainchild of Aisha Desai, founder of Ramadan Lights UK, and sponsored by the Aziz foundation, a charity aimed at empowering and inspiring leadership amongst the Muslim community.
Welcoming pedestrians to the street with ‘Happy Ramadan’, the installation features different phases of the moon as well as stars and Islamic lanterns. It will be on display for the entirety of the Islamic holy month.
The installation, "shows the welcoming nature of the British people. I think a lot of British people are also appreciating these lights. It also creates awareness and encourages curiosity about the month of Ramadan and what it means for the Muslim community."
For Intessar, 40, a Muslim woman living in the UK for the past 10 years, the public installation and its location in Central London have already made her Ramadan feel all the more special.
To many British-born Muslims, the installation is a momentous event marking the city’s first public installation recognising a religion which is observed by over a million people in London alone.
For Maria, 23, the representation has been long overdue, but she believes it will bring positive change. “I’m really happy. As a British Muslim, it’s nice to see the representation for us. I think having the lights up gives everyone in the city an awareness of what’s happening and subtly forces them to look into the religion a lot more, which is always nice.”
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)