site.btaTurkiye Celebrates Ramazan Bayram

The holy Muslim holiday of Ramazan Bayram began on Wednesday morning with a traditional mass prayer ritual in Turkiye's nearly 90,000 mosques.

Muslims attach great importance to the morning Ramazan Bayram prayer, as it is an expression of unity and brotherhood, of sharing and reciprocity for the sake of Allah.

In Istanbul, the prayer began at 7.04 a.m. The mosques were overflowing with people. The most well-attended prayer was the one at Hagia Sophia, which came to be regarded as the largest and most representative of the megalopolis’s mosques after a 2020 decree by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan revoked its long-standing museum status.

Due to the large influx of people, many laid their prayer mats outside in the square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, local media reported.

The prayer, which lasts between 35 and 40 minutes, is attended only by men.

Leaders of the main political parties also participate in it in accordance with a fixed schedule. The Chair of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, Numan Kurtulmus, and New Welfare Party leader Fatih Erbakan were among the participants in the prayer in Istanbul.

Ramazan Bayram is one of the two major Islamic holidays, celebrated by millions of Muslims around the world. Known also as Seker Bayram, or Sugar Feast, because of the sweet treats enjoyed on this holiday, it marks the end of a month-long fast.

Ramazan Bayram will last for three days, which are non-working for government offices and banks in Turkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Ankara.

Public transport in Istanbul will be free during the days of the holiday, according to a decision of the local authorities. Travel will also be free on the Marmaray commuter rail line passing under the Bosporus.