Giant lantern lit in Lebanon to celebrate Ramadan

A giant lantern, standing at 18.5 metres tall, was lit on Sunday night in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon, to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The lighting ceremony coincided with the launch of “The Joy of Eid’’ Ramadan festival, organised by the Nabatieh Merchants Association.

The lantern took half a year to craft and required six trucks for transportation, according to the head of the association, Moussa Shmeisani.

It is now vying for the title of the world’s largest Ramadan lantern in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Shmeisani highlighted that the lantern, a traditional symbol of Ramadan, was constructed using four tonnes of iron, with a base measuring five meters in width, equipped with 20 light detectors for illumination.

Inspite of the ongoing conflict in the southern border region between Israel and Hezbollah, the festival aimed to foster a celebratory atmosphere throughout Ramadan.

It would have its span from March 11 to April 9 in Lebanon. (Xinhua/NAN)