Kurban Bayramı in Turkey

To ensure your plans will not be affected while visiting Turkey during Kurban Bayramı, you should have a plan. Here's what to do:

Most banks, businesses, 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.

Shops and bazaars tend to be closed on the first day of the holiday, but some, if not most, will re-open after the first day. Major museums, such as Topkapı Palace, are closed in the morning on the first day but may be open at 1 pm if it is not their weekly closing day. A few shops and businesses stay open even on the first day to provide essentials. Some restaurants are also open.

Public transport continues to run and is heavily used. Even though extra capacity (more trains, ferries, etc.) is added to the schedules; planes, trains, buses, and hotels will likely be severely crowded during the holiday period. Only in Istanbul, more than 2200 buses depart the Istanbul International Bus Terminal in Esenler daily at the beginning of the holiday, with Turks off on vacation or to visit friends and family members, so avoid traveling or have iron-clad reservations and be prepared for delay and inconvenience.

If you are looking for the easiest transportation option during this time, we recommend booking a private transfer, renting a car, or using a taxi as much as possible.

The festival celebrates the Biblical and Qur'anic accounts 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 the sacrifice instead, praising Abraham for his faithfulness.

Following this tradition, the head of each Turkish household hopes to sacrifice a sheep or other food animal on the morning of the first day of the holiday period to prove their devotion to God. 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.

You may see authorized sacrifice abattoirs (kurban kesme yerleri) in fields outside of cities. City governments establish these special areas for the sacrifice of animals under sanitary conditions. Sacrificing animals outside of these areas is illegal.

Because the main purpose of the sacrifice is charity, many Muslims—especially those living in large cities—choose to donate money rather than perform the sacrifice, a substitution allowed in Turkish Islam.