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 Islamic Holidays in Turkey

 

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Islamic holidays arrive according to the lunar Hijri calendar, which is 11 days shorter than the common solar (Gregorian) year.

The two most important Islamic holidays are Kurban Bayrami and Ramazan, which also contain national public holidays. They may affect your travel plans, so you should know when they occur and how they affect travel.

Minor Islamic festivals such as kandils are not disruptive, just interesting and fun.

Islamic holidays begin at sundown, last until sundown on the following calendar day, and the important public holidays are usually preceded by a half-day vacation called arife ("preparation"). Offices, banks and businesses may close at noon on the day of arife, with the festivities beginning at sunset.

KURBAN BAYRAMI
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 begins in December 2007 and 2008, and November 2009 and 2010. More...

(For an account of a memorable Kurban Bayrami I spent in Eastern Turkey, see Eastern Sacrifice.)

RAMAZAN
Many Turks fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramazan (RAH-mah-zahn, called Ramadan in other countries). Restaurants are less busy at lunch, and there's even less Turkish tea in evidence (which is amazing). It falls in September-October in 2008, August-September 2009 and 2010. More...

MINOR ISLAMIC FESTIVALS
Festivals such as Asure Günü, Mevlid-i Nebi, and the kandils are not public holidays, but mosques are illuminated, special foods and treats are prepared, and you can participate, actively or passively, in the celebrations. You should at least know the dates so you understand what's going on. More...


For month-by-month details of weather, holidays, festivals and tourist seasons, see Tom's Turkish Almanac.

Cheap airfares and good flight times.


National Holidays Short List

Tom's Turkish Almanac

When to Go

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Climatic Regions

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Rustem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey

Silhouette of Istanbul's Rüstem Pasha Mosque in Eminönü on the Golden Horn.