Video shows thousands gathering for mass iftar in Cairo's Matareya neighborhood

The streets of Cairo's Matareya neighborhood were lined with hundreds of tables as thousands gathered to break their fast together on the 15th of Ramadan.

The annual community meal has been growing ever since it began in 2012 and has been dubbed the longest iftar table in Egypt.

The event has taken place every except for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, CBS News reported.

There is no official count of how many people took part in the Matareya iftar, but organizers said as many as 30,000 people attended, Egypt Today reported. This year's event featured around 700 tables that stretched for more than half a mile across seven alleyways, Gulf News reported.

Footage of the event showed packed streets lit with brightly colored Ramadan decorations lining the alleyways of the neighborhood in the eastern part of Cairo.

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Began with just a few neighbors

At its start, the event was just a handful of neighbors breaking their fast together. Hamada Hassan told CBS News that no one had enough space in their home to host everyone, so they set up tables outside. It only continued to grow from there.

Gulf News reported organizers begin preparing for the event around two months in advance every year. Preparations include everything from gathering necessary supplies to feed a whole neighborhood, to cleaning and decorating the streets, CBS News reported.

Ahmed Ekram, an organizer said this year 10,000 meals were served, Gulf News reported, citing local media. Some in attendance didn't eat, but went to simply enjoy the camaraderie, CBS News reported.

Local donations fund the costs of the event, which over the years has seen politicians, celebrities, and diplomats in attendance.

“We do not care about the cost, as all the residents of the neighborhood participate in financing the table in order to bring joy and happiness to the people of the region and other neighboring areas," Ahmed Khalaf, one of the organizers of the 2023 event told Arab News at the time.