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Called Eid
el-Adha or Eid el-Kebir in
Arabic, Kurban Bayrami (koor-BAHN
bahy-rah-muh) is the most important Islamic
religious festival of the year,
and a 4 or 5-day public
holiday in Turkey. It will
affect your travel plans, so be
prepared for it. (Dates)
Kurban
Bayrami is also the time of the annual
pilgrimage to Mecca (Haj),
so both domestic and international
travel is intense in Turkey at this
time.
Kurban Bayrami doesn't mean you shouldn't
go to Turkey. You should plan
for the holiday, though. Depending upon where
you travel, you may find it changes
your plans very little. Here's what
to do:
1. Plan not to travel on the
first or last days of the holiday
period. If you can avoid
traveling on the day before and the
day after these dates, that's probably
good too.
2. Have hotel reservations,
if possible. (When the holiday
falls in summer, everybody takes
off for the beach...but not in winter!)
3. Have some cash on hand
when the holiday week starts. You
should be able to withdraw cash from ATMs
(at least on weekdays), but it's
good to have a reserve, just in case.
The good points: some
museums and sights (such as the bazaars)
may be closed on the first day of the
holiday, but most will be open for
some of the other days. There will
be plenty to see and do.
You may also be invited to share in
the festivities, as I
was many years ago in eastern
Turkey, which could make your trip
particularly memorable.
Rest assured, tourism doesn't
come to a halt during Kurban Bayrami,
but it does change a bit. So long
as you're prepared, it should be
fun!
BANKS & BUSINESSES
CLOSED
Most banks, business and government offices are closed
for five days or longer, so you should stock
up prior to the start of the holiday on Turkish
lira cash and any supplies you
may need. (A few shops and businesses stay open to
provide essentials.)
TRANSPORT
SNARLED
Planes, trains, buses and
hotels are likely to be severely crowded during
the holiday period. In Istanbul,
more than 2200 buses depart the International
Bus Terminal daily at the beginning of the holiday,
with Turks off on vacation or to visit friends and
family, so avoid travel then, or have iron-clad reservations
and be prepared for delay and inconvenience.
BIBLICAL
TRADITION
The festival celebrates the Biblical and Kur'anic
account of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his
son on Mount Moriah, proving Abraham's
complete obedience to God. In the story, God stays
Abraham's hand at the last moment and provides a
ram for sacrifice instead, praising Abraham for his
faithfulness.
Following
this tradition, the head of each
Turkish household hopes to sacrifice
a sheep on the morning of
the first day of the holiday period.
A lavish meal is made from the meat,
friends and family are invited to
feast, and the excess meat and the
hide are donated to charity.
If
you are anywhere around one of these
family feasts, you may be
invited to share in the
bounty, as I was in Eastern
Turkey: see the Eastern
Sacrifice story in Bright
Sun, Strong Tea. Don't miss
the chance if you get it.
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