Members of the Alekozai family sit down for iftar, the evening meal during the holy month of Ramadan, and explain what foods they share to break their fast together.

Thousands of believers prayed today at the Old Central Square in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

On September 9, Sayed Jan Sabawoon of RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan visited a Kabul market ahead of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, during which Muslims around the world abstain from eating, drinking, and sexual relations from sunrise to sunset.

At a mosque in Baku, Shi'ite Muslims -- Azerbaijan's religious majority -- stay awake through the night, praying and reciting the names of Shi'ite imams while standing with the open Koran on their heads. The faithful believe that the light of Allah will come to them through this practice, performed on three nights during Ramadan.

The Central Mosque in Bishkek is the most-visited house of prayer in the Kyrgyz capital. There are separate areas for women and men, and the women who come to pray are must use a side or back entrance. Here, women and girls arrive to pray together at the first Friday Prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.

In the Iraqi capital, people shop at the Soq Alshorjah market during the day to prepare their meals for iftar, or the end of the daily fast. Sweets are particularly popular to accompany the late evening meal. Some Iraqis also enjoy a traditional card game that is only played during Ramadan.

Almost every Tajik family has a dessert called nishalda with their evening meal during Ramadan. The dessert is made from water and sugar boiled for an hour, egg whites, lemon juice, the root of the nishalda plant, vanilla, and anise. Tajiks say that starting and ending the fast with a bit of nishalda relieves one's hunger during the day.

In Afghanistan, poor people and travelers are invited to the local mosque for communal dinners during Ramadan. The rich are expected to contribute to the mosque to help support these programs. In this video, hundreds of people gather at the Pul-e-Kheshti Mosque in Kabul to share a communal meal.

In the Azerbaijani capital, men meet to pray during the day, then remain at the mosque until after sundown to break their fasts with their friends and neighbors.

Residents of Almaty, Kazakhstan, go to the Central Mosque on the first day of Ramadan.