Omani village with 3 hour day begins Ramadan

On Monday, millions of Muslims around the world marked the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

What makes this year more challenging is the long fasting hours that reach up to 15 hours a day and up to 20 hours in the northern hemisphere.

However, a small village in Oman will fast for three hours only. The people of Wukan will fast from 11am until 14:30.

The small mountainous village of Wukan, 150 km from the capital Muscat, rises about 2,000 metres above sea level and has one of the shortest days in the world, lasting only up to 3.5 hours.

Update on June 7, 2016: An official at the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs (MERA) told the Times of Oman: “This is not possible. Even if it is difficult to see the sun in some mountainous areas, it doesn’t mean that the sun has not risen”