CAIRO: Egypt’s Mediterranean city of Alexandria is seeking to enter the Guinness Book of World Records through preparing the longest Iftar (meal to break fasting) table extending for three kilometers along the city’s corniche Friday.
During the holy month of Ramadan, which started on June 18, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Tables laid out in the streets right before Iftar time, usually called ‘Moa’ed el-Rahman’ or (Tables of Merciful) offering free food, are frequently seen in Egypt during Ramadan.
“The Radioactive Team”; a group of young people have suggested the idea of preparing the longest dining table and contacted several restaurants, and governmental and private institutions, which expressed readiness to participate in the unprecedented event.
The 3.4-Kilometer table, set to extend from Alexandria’s Stanley to San Stefano districts, is being sponsored by the Egyptian Businessmen Association, The Chamber of Commerce of Alexandria, as well as a big number of meat and fish restaurants, Youm7 quoted Alexandria Governor Hany el-Meseery as saying.
“The goal of this table is to restore the honorable tourist side of Alexandria,” said Meseery, adding that some 7,500 meals will be donated to the table. He noted that the event will be repeated in the most impoverished villages in Alexandria throughout the holy month.
Friday’s remarkable event will be filmed by helicopters and covered by many media outlets. Juries of the Guinness World Records will be present at the event.
In 2013, United Arab Emirates’ Sharjah broke Guinness record with the longest Iftar table measured 1.003-Kilometer long with 410 tables and seats for 2000 people. The UAE event was also recognized by the Guinness Records for its longest table cloth that measured 1,763 Kilometer in length.
Additional reporting by Jacquiline Mounir