When we originally started planning our trip to the main idea was to go and go as soon as possible, despite or flight costs or weather.
After 2.5 years of being locked in Australia, our borders were finally opening so we were set to . We made plans to fly with in April before my partner told me that it was . We were headed to for 3 weeks in April and the entire time it would be
Can you travel to Turkey during Ramadan?
Can you ?
My mother asked me, “Is it OK to visit during ?”
Then I asked my Turkish man, “Can you ?”
And he responded, “of course, it’s no different.”
What is ?
is the . The of the Muslim year, during which strict fasting is observed from dawn to .
What are the rules of ?
The most commonly accepted rule is that you must not eat or drink or have sex between sunrise and . Even water is not to be taken during the fast. During this fasting period, they are instead encouraged to devote themselves to their faith and come closer to Allah, or God.
When do Muslims break their fast?
Preceding the fourth of the day is the breaking of the fast. While we were in this meal known as the Iftar meal happened after , around 7:30 pm.
Typical Iftar dinner after sunset
How do they know it’s time to eat?
In the old days when everyone lived in the central cities, there was a thing known as the Iftar Canon.
Madfa al iftar translated as ‘cannon for breaking the fast’, is an ancient tradition that started in Egypt and spread around the and surrounding countries. Every day minutes before the Maghreb adhan, a cannon would fire a single shot to notify people of the time of Iftar in , when Muslims get to break their all-day fasting at . This practice started before the invention of clocks or the internet.
One night we were seated at an old by the castle walls in Bursa. I unwittingly started eating when my partner asked me to wait. Wait for what? The sun had set let’s eat! Then the loud BOOM resonated around the walls and through the valley. I had no idea what it was and jumped out of my seat. Everyone laughed and started digging into their meal. Iftar canon. Only heard if you are in the city center.
These days, of course, a schedule is printed on the internet.
Iftar dinner in Bursa
Do I have to eat after ?
No. All restaurants are open. However, I do highly recommend eating the Iftar meal amongst the celebrating Muslims. It was the to eat as the created a fun and hospitable atmosphere.
We even did an Istanbul food tour in the middle of the day.
What do they eat at Iftar?
The Ramadan feast at the end of the day is a huge deal and big meals are often shared between multiple households. I’m quite glad I got to witness this Turkish culture. I sure ate well while in Turkey during Ramadan. I have a great list here of the Turkish foods we ate that will make your mouth water.
Family Ramadan feast
Wait, can you not have sex during ?
During , Muslims must abstain from sexual activity between sunrise and . There is no rule for a bedtime snuggle.
Who doesn’t practice ?
You are exempt from fasting if you are:
Pregnant or breastfeeding
Menstruating
Diabetic
Very ill
Doing Long-distance
As a Christian I do not practice the , however, my Muslim partner was thankful to fall in the last category of considering we arrived on the day started via a long flight from Australia. He did, however, chose to abstain from alcohol during the month out of respect for .
Turkish Airlines Ramadan travel
Can you drink alcohol in during ?
During , many Muslim drinkers abstain from consuming wine, beer, or spirits of their own free will for the month. My partner did this. It is not a specified rule, but rather a self-imposed limitation.
But can tourists drink alcohol in Turkey? Definitely. There are no limits on alcohol during . 18 and over is the legal drinking age and most places continue to sell alcohol during the month.
Can you drink in Istanbul during ? Yes. My recommendation is to hit a Rooftop Bar for that experience.
Is it OK to visit during ?
while a is one of the most liberal Islamic countries in the world. They don’t have laws regarding the strict observance of like the and many people choose not to observe the festival at all. We found that while some smaller cities had a stricter code, we did not even notice in most places, especially the .
So is it okay to visit Istanbul during ?
As I mentioned above you will find that in most the did not make much of a difference. As a non-Muslim, you are not expected to fast, and all the restaurants and bars are open for business as usual.
were also open as usual. You can read an expat guide to living in Turkey and see that many people live and enjoy Turkey without celebrating Ramadan.
Check out the 10 things we did in Istanbul including the , , and all the . Or find the best places to visit in Turkey here.
Perhaps we found more people at during our visit, but you could still enter a or take a during .
What happens in in ? I was so nervous to , but the moment we landed in Istanbul I could not even tell. In truth, I found the majority of did not observe the fasting either. It seemed to be a very generational thing, that is not as popular in the younger generation as it was in the older generation.
Many of my partner’s grandparents and aunties were fasting, however at shopping centers and restaurants people were eating, drinking, and proceeding as normal.
So are things closed in Istanbul during ? No.
Was there anywhere that was an issue?
It was very hard to tell if was the issue or if it was simply because we had also arrived during the low season. However, many of the beautiful mountain cafes on the major highway were not yet open.
In all cities we visited every , hotel, and attraction was open.
What do your wear in Turkey during Ramadan?
Turkey is so liberal I found no restrictions on what I wore. Mosques provide appropriate clothing for your visit, however other then religious sites the dress code was quite similar to what I wear here in Australia. I wore shorts, singlet tops, and even a bikini. I have seen more covered women in Malaysia than Turkey.
Are you allowed to during ?
In the Quran, Allah says that you are exempt from fasting while traveling because He does not wish to make it difficult for you. So yes, you may during . Consider hot air ballooning in Cappadocia.
Are shops closed in during ?
During in Turkiye, all shops are open for business as usual. The only exception may occur on the last day of when businesses may close in the afternoon in preparation for the three-day holiday known in as Ramazan Bayramı, (or / şeker bayramı) which begins at . The ().
Would I recommend traveling to during ?
The honestly made no difference to our itinerary or agenda. Visiting relatives during the day often meant we were not served tea or snacks, but most visits ended up occurring after since the oozes hospitality.
Late-night Turkish hospitality
Instead of wondering if would be a problem consider more the out of season months in Turkiye are slower and if the weather is to your liking for during .
Go and enjoy. You’ll find traveling in is no issue during the religious month of . In fact it may even be more fun with all those wonderful Turkish Iftar dinners.
LOOK HOW EASY IT IS TO PIN THIS!
DON'T MISS ANYTHING!
FOMO - do you have it? Well there is no need to Fear On Missing Out here at Explore With Erin. Sign up to receive updates directly to your in box. I won’t spam you, but I do promise a whole lot of awesomeness. What are you waiting for? Join Me!
PS: We hate spam too, read our Privacy Policy here.
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
One of my favorite “No Reservations” episodes was filmed in Istanbul during Ramadan. It is one of my all-time favorites. The city is beautiful and the food looked delicious! They talked about Ramadan and visited some mosques as well. Stunningly beautiful!
If you havent yet been please do go. Turkey is beyond beautiful.
During Ramadam, it is fun! I will never travel during the Bayram, because 80% of stores are closed for 3 days.
Everybody is too busy celebrating.
I didn’t notice anything different during Ramadan at least during the day. One interesting thing for me as I was staying in a residential area; at 3.30am some men would walk around the neighborhood with a huge drum, banging away, to wake people up so they could eat before the start of the day’s fast (Suhur).
WOW! I’ve heard the canon, but a drum sounds so fun lol.