Fanous or Fanoos ( arz, فانوس , ''pl.'' ), also widely known as Fanous Ramadan ( ar, فانوس رمضان),
2009 article; Al-Ahram Weekly Online is an Egyptian folk and traditional lantern used to decorate streets and homes in the month of Ramadan. With their origins in Egypt, they have since spread across the Muslim world and are a common symbol associated with the holy month.

Etymology

The word "Fanous" (''Fanos'', ''Phanous'' and ''Fanoos'' in

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

dialects) is a term originating from Greek φανός, ''phanós''. It means 'light' or 'lantern'. It was historically used in its meaning of "the light of the world," and is a symbol of hope, as in "light in the darkness".

History

The traditional use of fanous as decorations associated with Ramadan is believed to have originated during the Fatimid Caliphate, primarily centered in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, where tradition holds that the Caliph Muizz was greeted and welcomed by the

people holding lanterns in masses to celebrate his arrival at

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

during the holy month of Ramadan, as it was ancient tradition in Egypt to celebrate by lighting the streets with fanous lanterns. Its use has now spread to many Muslim countries. In Ancient times it was similar to a lamp, and would have incorporated either candles or oil. The fanous originally developed from the torches used in the

Pharaonic Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the ...

festivals celebrating the rising of the star

Sirius Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. Its name is derived from the Greek word , or , meaning 'glowing' or 'scorching'. The star is designated α Canis Majoris, Latinized to Alpha Canis Majoris, and abbreviated Alpha CM ...

. For five days, the Ancient Egyptians celebrated the birthdays of

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He wa ...

, Horus,

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kin ...

, Seth and

Nephtys ''Nephtys'' is a genus of marine catworms. Some species are halotolerant Halotolerance is the adaptation of living organisms to conditions of high salinity. Halotolerant species tend to live in areas such as hypersaline lakes, coastal dunes, s ...

—one on each day—by lighting the streets with the fanous (torches). Torches or candles were also used in early

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

. This is recorded by Egyptian historian

Al-Maqrizi Al-Maqrīzī or Maḳrīzī (Arabic: ), whose full name was Taqī al-Dīn Abū al-'Abbās Aḥmad ibn 'Alī ibn 'Abd al-Qādir ibn Muḥammad al-Maqrīzī (Arabic: ) (1364–1442) was a medieval Egyptian Arab historian during the Mamluk era, kn ...

(1364 - 1442), who noted in his book, "Al Mawaiz wa al-'i'tibar bi dhikr al-khitat wa al-'athar", that these torches or candles were used at

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

time for celebration.

Today

Fanous is widely used all over the world – especially in Asian regions and the Arab world – not just for a specific religion purposes, but for names of people or decorative purposes. They can be found in houses, restaurants, hotels, malls, etc. Often arranged as a grouping of lights arranged in different designs and shapes. Metal and glass are mostly used for their construction.

References

{{Ramadan, state=expanded Types of lamp Ramadan Egyptian culture Ancient Egypt