Libya Revives Cannon Salute to Break Ramadan Fast

In this picture taken on March 23, 2023, Tripoli municipality officials prepare to fire the Iftar cannon marking the time to break the daytime fast at Martyrs Square in the Libyan capital, on the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. (AFP)

The blast of a cannon booms across Tripoli, but it doesn't signal another round of fighting in the Libyan capital -- rather, the revival of a long-lost Ramadan tradition.

Officers in berets rolled out a red carpet on the iconic Martyrs' Square on Thursday for the 600-year-old weapon, setting of a resounding blast moments before the sunset call to prayer.