More than 50,000 Muslims close the streets around Lakemba Mosque to celebrate the end of Ramadan
The Mosque was full by 6am on Wednesday and thousands prayed on the street to mark end of 30-days of fasting
The June Ramadan celebrations left Lakemba town centre transformed with food stalls for Iftar in the evenings
The Lebanese stalls served camel burgers, tandoori chicken kebabs, corn on the cob, paratha and knafeh
The end of Ramadan means the beginning of the 'festival of breaking the fast,' Eid al-Fitr, which lasts for three days
More than 50,000 Muslims have closed the streets around Sydney's biggest mosque to celebrate the end of Ramadan and 30-days of fasting.
Lakemba Mosque was full by 6am on Wednesday, leaving thousands to place their prayer rugs on Wangee Road while their morning prayers were broadcast over loudspeakers.
The Ramadan celebrations left the Lakemba town centre transformed with food stalls for the evening meal, known as Iftar, serving camel burgers, corn on the cob, tandoori chicken kebabs, paratha flatbread and the cheese dessert Knafeh.
New South Wales Premier Mike Baird arrived in Lakemba in the morning to address the service as Muslim families now begin to celebrate the three-day 'festival of breaking the fast,' Eid al-Fitr.
'We must stand up against any form of racial vilification,' Mr Baird told the crowd from a podium on the stairs of the mosque, The ABC reported.
For 30-days food stalls have lined Haldon Street in the town centre from 4pm until 3am each night as thousands of Muslims enjoyed their first meal of the day.
Non-Muslims travelled to Lakemba to visit the marketplace and try traditional meals such as the famous camel burger, SBS reported.
More than 400 of the burgers were sold each night.
'This is the Mecca you might say of Muslim activity at this time of year,' Canterbury Mayor Brian Robson said.
'The shops are open virtually all night, and the streets as you can see are just full of people who are shopping and enjoying themselves.'
WHAT IS RAMADAN?
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is four weeks of fasting and prayer.
Muslims spend the day fasting, before having their first meal, known as Iftar, at sunset.
After Ramadan, the three-day 'festival of breaking the fast,' known as Eid al-Fitr begins at the official sighting of a crescent moon.
It is an official holiday in all Muslim countries.
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Both New South Wales Premier Mike Baird (right) and Labor Party representative Tony Burke (left) addressed the crowd on Wednesday
The holy month comes to an end at the official sighting of a crescent moon.
President of the Lebanese Muslim Association, Samier Dandan, addressed the crowd on Wednesday, saying the 'divisiveness' of 'bigotry' in Australia will not 'break' them.
'Their bigotry will not install hatred in us. We Australians are better than that,' he said.
'The past couple of months, and even the past couple of days, have been difficult and critical for the Australian Muslim community.
'The continued rise of islamophobic discourse in the public, in addition to a number of toxic policies have only exacerbated negative sentiments to the Australian Muslim community'.
