For more than ten years Moscow hosts annual cultural and charity project called the Ramadan Tent, which has become the embodiment of true Muslim hospitality. Before the holy month of Ramadan, the tent is built near Poklonnaya Hill, where after sunset everyone who wishes to join a festive dinner - iftar - or listen to performances of professional national groups, can come. Organizers make the tent itself bigger and bigger every year. Thousands people visit it throughout the month.
In addition to charity dinners, full of national cuisine dishes, Ramadan Tent is famous for its unique cultural program. Evenings of the national republics of Russia, countries of far and near abroad, halal industry events, round tables, social programs for people with disabilities, veterans, soldiers and children's days are held there. This year's Ramadan Tent will be the largest in history. It will receive aroung 30 thousand guests. Evenings of Nizhny Novgorod's Tatars, Uzbekistan, Crimea, Pakistan, Chechnya, Iran will be held. Yesterday the tent hosted the Day of Azerbaijan, organized with the support of Azerbaijan Youth Organization of Russia.
Head of the agency of social projects and marketing communications "Mirastau", Yekaterina Gainetdinova, said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza: "Personally, I love Azerbaijan, representatives of Moscow and Moscow region diasporas are my friends. This is the 12th year when the Ramadan Tent opens its doors to everyone, who wishes to learn about different cultures, because a cultural program of this or that republic or country is held here every evening. Azerbaijan is always hospitable, program of this country is always great. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation is doing good deeds. Russians loves Azerbaijan, sunny Baku. Azerbaijanis are our friends, so it think it's a great tradition to represent Azerbaijan in the Ramadan Tent."
Deputy Moscow mufti, head of the Department of Social and Charity Affairs of Russia's Muslim Spiritual Administrations, Marat-hazrat Arslanov, said: "It's the twelfth year Ramadan Tent is held in this place, and I don't remember a year when Azerbaijan didn't participate. This year its participation is also important for us. Today is an excellent day, a sunny weather, as if a piece of Azerbaijan moved to Moscow for a short time. All these years the Heydar Aliyev Foundation participated in the organization of the Day of Azerbaijan in Ramadan Tent. I would like to take this opportunity to thank this foundation for its participation, for its support. I would like to present a small present - pomegranate - one of the symbols of Azerbaijan, to the representative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation."
Representative of "Ikhlas" foundation, Anas Mammadov, said: "Every Ramadan makes us remember that we are Muslims. We came to this world for a time, and once we leave this world, we will return to Allah. What will we say when we will face Allah? How will we face prophet Muhammad? Ramadan reminds us that every day, every month must be like this. Muslims should be together. We are Muslims, we may be representatives of different nations, we may have different cultures, but we are united by faith, by Allah. We are united by the pillars of Islam, the pillars of faith. If we appreciate this, if we understand this, if we pass these traditions to our children, our brothers and sisters, we will be strong."
Ramadan Tent gathered representatives of different nationalities from different countries. "This is a place where you always want to come. Today I came with my family," Abu-Bakr Lopez from Guinea-Bissau said in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza. We always want to be near people of faith, who are fasting, do dhikr or namaz. By being in such atmosphere, you can feel the unity of Islamic peoples, regardless of ethnic group, nationality, origin. I want to express gratitude to the organizers of such events. I came here to learn about the cultures of different peoples. I'm interested not only in Azerbaijani culture, I'm interested in Chechen culture and Dagestani culture. So I will continue to come here."
Guests of the evening listened to performances of Azerbaijani musicians and participated in the quiz on knowledge of Azerbaijan.
