In Egypt, 18 June marks the official celebration of the Islamic New Year (Hijri New Year), which astronomically fell on 17 June. The Hijri New Year begins with the start of Muharram, the first month of the lunar-based Islamic calendar. Its epoch was set as the year of the Hijra, Prophet Muhammad’s migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Islamic organizations worldwide determine the start of each new month, including the new year, through local moon sightings. In Egypt, Dar al-Ifta, the country’s highest Islamic authority, announced the new year through its official channels. This corresponds to the Islamic year 1448H, while the Gregorian year is 2026. The gap between the two dates comes down to how each calendar tracks time: the Islamic lunar year runs about eleven to twelve days shorter than the solar year approximated by the Gregorian calendar. As a result, the Islamic New Year shifts earlier on the Gregorian calendar each year rather than falling on a fixed date. To mark the occasion, we share a series of photos from the historic Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo. Established in 1905, the museum is considered…
