My Istanbul Guide

Hello friends,

About Ramadan

We are in the first week of Ramadan. Ramadan(Ramazan in Turkish) is a holy month for muslims. In these days, muslims fast and have extra deeds to be better muslims and take care of their actions. Fasting is a total abstinence of food and liquids from dawn to sunset during the entire month of Ramadan. Married muslims also have to refrain from intimate relationship from dawn to sunset during this period. Muslims can still enjoy all of these things during the night time, from sunset to dawn. We usually eat a meal right after sunset called “Iftar” and another light meal right before dawn called “Sahur” (Sahoor). The purpose of fasting is to acquire the concept of Taqwa. Taqwa might be defined as self control, self-restraint, self-discipline, self-obedience, self-training, self-consciousness, self-education and self-evaluation. Fasting does help the person to improve himself physically, biologically, mentally, psychologically, and spiritually. I wish all muslims to get those benefits.

Ramadan is one of the months of the muslim calendar( hijri calendar). Muslim calendar accepts Prophet Mohammad ’s hegira ( immigration) from Makkah to Madina as beginning and it is a lunar calendar. There is 11 days difference between lunar calendar and solar calendar. Thus, Ramadan month comes 11 days earlier every next year. These days have long daytime when we compared to winter days but no matter Allah helps believers. So Ramadan is not a stable time , it comes in different seasons and in different months in solar calendar. Furthermore, if Ramadan is starting in August in this year, it will start in August again 33 years later.

Ramadan time in Istanbul

There are some traditions that I would like to mention to you in Ramadan time in Istanbul and Turkiye.

I like to spend Ramadan time in Istanbul. Becuase I believe and see it affects the city in a good way. During Ramadan time, bakeries make a different kind of bread and it is special for this month. It is name is “ramazan Pidesi” in Turkish and it means “Ramadan Bread” in English. I don’t think people in Turkey eat Ramadan Bread in non-Ramadan time. Also, it is not important for me in non-Ramadan time but in Ramadan it becomes special for many people. Date is also comes to tables only in Ramadan time despite of its placing on the shops throughout the year.  As last for Ramadan Bread, if you got to a restaurant for fast-breaking meal in Ramadan or around that time, probably Ramadan Bread will be take place on the table as bread.

Ramadan drum is also a nice tradition. Drummer, who is a guy, plays drum as much as noisy he can at sahur( time at somewhere after mid-night and before dawn) to awake people for having meal, that meal is a deed of Ramadan. Ramadan drum is a tradition that comes from Ottoman Empire time. As you see, in that time people were living in small houses.People at home could easily hear the sound of drum and wake up. Also, everyone doesn’t have the alarm clock like us today and there weren’t a lot of alarm clocks that  is “made in China” . Nowadays, sound of drum can still  be heard and car alarms and dog barkings accompany Ramadan drum too due to its affect. So, that makes it funny.

A few days ago, something made me laughing at about 3:00 am, I got up at that sahur time by hearing the sound of drum and went to window to watch the drummer. But, I saw it was first time, there are two guys on a scooter and one was riding and rear one playing the drum. It was unusual and funny.

People generally visit famous or important mosques in Ramadan time. So, Sultanahmet Square, Eyup Mosque and some other places are full of people during Ramadan. Iftar tent has also been a tradition in Istanbul and some other cities in Turkiye. Local municipalities set up those tents to serve meal to poor people or people who aren’t able to reach home on time. There are also many Ramadan food traditions and other religious traditions but I won’t mention about them now.

Cilck for 2009 istanbul ramadan schedule

Please leave your comments regarding Ramadan in Istanbul, many thanks.