Ramazan in the summer

Sign: Welcome to the Sultan of the 11 Months

The fasting month has begun; in Turkey it's called Ramazan, and it apparently began a day earlier here than most other Arab and African countries. In any case, these are the longest days of summer. People get up around 3:30am to eat before sunrise (5:30am) and the fast lasts until nearly 9pm at night. Sunset is around 8:40, but there is one last prayer before people should break their fast with the iftar meal. In our area of Istanbul, there are plenty of people, Turkish and foreigners, who are not fasting. (Our neighbors, whose kitchen abuts our bedroom, are observing Ramazan. Good thing we have extra beds in the "office" rooms!)

Where are all the people?

Yesterday, we went on a walk in the very beautiful and usually crowded park, Emirgan Korusu. It was nearly empty because so few people were there to picnic during the day. There were hundreds of empty picnic tables!

On Istiklal, the huge pedestrian street where there are frequent protests, there was massive iftar organized by the "Anti-Capitalist Muslims."

The more typical public celebration is a month-long Luna Park / arts and crafts fair after sunset. I might try to go to one of these this month... we shall see.