What apricot-based drink is popular during Ramadan in the Middle East?

What apricot-based drink is popular during Ramadan in the Middle East? Qamar al-Din is the answer.

Qamar al-Din is an apricot beverage traditionally made by dissolving sheets of concentrated apricot fruit leather in water. The mixture may be sweetened and flavored with ingredients such as orange-blossom water, then served chilled as a juice or nectar.

The product originated in Syria, particularly the Ghouta region near Damascus, where apricots suitable for making the fruit leather were cultivated. The name refers both to the dried apricot preparation and to the drink made from it. Historical references connect qamar al-Din with a 13th-century Levantine recipe.

It is especially popular during Ramadan because families often serve it at iftar, when the daily fast ends. The drink is also consumed across the Middle East and North Africa, including Egypt, and in parts of Somalia. Sahlab, tamarind drinks, and jallab may also appear at Ramadan meals, but they are not apricot-based in the same distinctive way.