A man takes photos of lanterns ahead of the holy month of Ramadan at a lantern market in Cairo, Egypt, on March 18, 2022. Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, Egyptians would always flock to local markets to purchase colorful lanterns for their children or to use them as ornaments for homes and workplaces, which has been a centuries-old Egyptian tradition.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

Traditional lanterns are seen in a handcraft lantern shop in Jerusalem's Old City, on March 22, 2023.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

A Palestinian girl holds a lantern to celebrate the upcoming Ramadan, in Gaza City, on March 20, 2023. Palestinians are preparing for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan which falls on Thursday. (Photo: Xinhua)

 

A shop sells Ramadan decorations in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 21, 2023.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
The traditional colorful lanterns, known as fanoos in Arabic, are key ornaments to decorate homes and workplaces during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. 

Craftsmen in Egypt, Syria and Palestine are busy making the fanoos, which are of various shapes and made of wood, metal, glass and paper. 

The fanoos originated in Egypt during the Fatimid caliphate hundreds of years ago when they served to light dark streets.