As we wind down Ramadan, and breath a collective sigh of relief, we can't help but look back at what has been a colourful and eventful month with rose-tinted glasses. Yes, the relentless hustle and bustle of Cairo isn't the most conducive environment to foster the humility, self-reflection and general zen that Ramadan demands, but as these photos show, there's an intangible magic about the whole affair in Egypt and across the Middle East...

1) Palestine

A young Palestinian plays with firecrackers to celebrate the beginning of Ramadan. Photo by Wissam Nassar (@wissamgaza)on Instagram.

2) Bahrain

Young boys studying in a mosque in Sanabes, Bahrain. Photo by Isa Ebrahim (@isaebrahim) on Instagram.

3) Algeria

Prayer goes leave a local mosque after evening prayers in Algiers, Algeria. Photo by @theKarimPhoto on Instagram.

4) UAE

A man cuts fruit in preparation for fetar in Dubai. Photo by Francis Karl dela Pena @mactuscraig on Instagram.

5) Libya

Migrants pray in the middle of the Libyan desert on their way to the Mediteranean coast. Photo by Nicole Tung (@nicoletung) on Instagram.

6) Saudi Arabia

 Table of mercy at a mosque in Rimah, Saudi Arabia. Photo by @irashed on Instagram.

7) Egypt

A group of men praying the Maghreb prayer on a Nile Felucca in Cairo. Photo by Ahmed Wafaey (@wafaey_a) on Instagram.

8) Iraq

A boy admires the balloons in a busy Baghdad square. Photo by Ahmed Twaij (@twaiji )on Instagram.
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By Kalam El Qahaira