AMMAN - Jordan will observe the holy month of Ramadan on Wednesday, Chief Islamic Justice Ahmad Helayel announced Monday.

Brunei's Islamic religious officers perform "rukyah", the sighting of the new moon of Ramadan, in Bandar Seri Bebawan July 8, 2013.[Photo/Agencies]

At a ceremony to announce the start of the holy month, Helayel said that telescopes were installed in several locations across the country to look for the crescent, but it was not seen.

In Saudi Arabia and Jordan, sighting the crescent is a must to decide the start of the month.

In other Islamic and Arab countries such as Turkey and Libya, astronomical calculations are used to determine the beginning of Ramadan, a matter that causes differences between the Muslim countries.

Ramadan is one of the five basic pillars of Islam. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from dawn to sunset for a whole month.