With the start of the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, long days of fasting yield to nights marked by togetherness. Whether with family and friends or complete strangers, most Turks seek out company when the time comes to break their fast, as Muslims believe there is more blessing in a meal that is shared.Although focused around a serious spiritual element, in Turkey Ramadan is also a time of festivity. Friends and relatives visit one another frequently for iftar dinners and even suhur (pre-dawn) meals, and municipalities and civil society organizations organize iftars, festivals, book fairs and other activities for children and adults after the sun has set. For Muslims in Turkey, Ramadan means an increase in worship, social gatherings and community events, in addition to participation in age-old traditions and customs.
Large tents set up by municipalities offering free iftar meals are a familiar site at certain points throughout İstanbul each Ramadan, and this year has been no different. İstanbul’s Eyüp Municipality threw an iftar bash that could be described as a neighborhood block party of sorts, organizing a 20,000-person community iftar dinner to the accompaniment of a live concert by popular singer Ahmet Özhan featuring religious hymns and traditional Sufi music. Hosted atop the old Galata Bridge on the Golden Horn, the open-air event was open to the public.
