When I first booked my trip to Istanbul, as a non-Muslim I ignorantly didn’t give Ramadan any thought. Upon eventually realising I would be in Istanbul during Ramadan, I was filled with trepidation. Though I was still excited for my first trip to Turkey, questions about Ramadan circled through my mind.
I love to eat little and often throughout the day, but would this be possible during Ramadan? Would everything be closed because everyone was so busy fasting? Would people be short-tempered from lack of food? I know I would be!
I needn’t have worried. Ultimately, it being Ramadan barely affected my trip at all. In fact, the atmosphere of celebration as the fast ended every evening was one of best parts of my stay. Fellow non-Muslim visitors to Istanbul, read on to have your Ramadan fears assuaged and questions answered!
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan (or Ramazan) is Islam’s holy month. During this month, Muslims are strongly encouraged to fast from sunrise to sunset. It’s an important time of reflection and prayer in the Islamic calendar.
During daylight hours, fasting Muslims must not only avoid food, but anything that touches the lips. This includes chewing gum and even water. The fast also includes abstaining from supposed vices like alcohol, sex and smoking.
A young woman I met in Süleymaniye Mosque explained to me the concept behind fasting during Ramadan. Because eating and sex are basic, almost animalistic instincts, Ramadan is an opportunity to show your patience and restraint. It’s also a time to practise empathy for those that are not privileged enough to have ready access to food.
The elderly and young children are not expected to fast. You’re also exempt it you’re pregnant, sick, menstruating, breastfeeding or travelling. This might seem like a lot of excuses to eat, but those who do take time off are required to make it up before next year.
What is iftar?
When fasting during Ramadan ends each day at sunset, there is a call to prayer to signal that it’s time to break the fast. People flock into the streets to eat iftar, a big, shared meal eaten with family and friends. It’s almost ceremonial, with people gathering in the park, in mosques or in the street to break their fast together.
Each night as the sun set, there was definitely an atmosphere of anticipation and celebration in the air. The sense of community was tangible as people began to eat iftar. It felt a bit like going to the park or the pub on Christmas day at home!
Just as Istanbul restaurants and cafes tend to have a set menu for breakfast, so too did they for iftar. However, they didn’t seem that full when I visited, with most people choosing to eat picnics outside.
One night I was sitting in Süleymaniye Mosque as iftar drew near. Mistaken for somebody that was fasting, a regular of the mosque handed me dates and a cup of water to join them in breaking the fast.
Another night I watched as a man prepared tupperwares of food and snacks ready for iftar. When the call to prayer started, he handed them out to other workers nearby, who joined him in sitting and eating on the street. The city definitely stops to breathe when iftar is eaten.
What’s the atmosphere like during Ramadan?
During the day, I didn’t notice anyone being crabby due to lack of food. Everyone I encountered was friendly and I still received multiple offers of tea from people despite the fast.
In the evenings, the atmosphere was one of celebration. There were flags and colourful lights strung up around the mosques and public squares. On the bigger mosques, such as the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye, there were glowing words hanging between the minarets.
One thing I had not prepared for were drummers in the streets in the middle of the night. It’s their job to wake the fasting citizens so they can eat suhur, a pre-dawn meal, before beginning to fast.
Though I was expecting to hear the call to prayer throughout the night, the drums definitely took me by surprise. I woke in the middle of my first night’s stay, under the impression I’d slipped into the midst of a rhythmic warfare!
Am I expected to fast as well?
As a non-Muslim tourist in Istanbul, you are definitely not expected to fast. I felt zero pressure to fast, and the only change in my diet was not snacking in public.
Istanbul is used to tourists at all times. Even the restaurant staff, who were probably fasting, were polite and friendly as usual as they served my food.
I occasionally encountered other locals eating alongside me, so I guess fasting is quite laid back in Istanbul. I got the impression that fasting was more of a personal decision than an enforced rule.
Is it easy to find food during Ramadan?
Istanbul is a big city, and is thus quite touristy, so I never found it hard to find food. There are enough stalls selling street food like corn and chestnuts that I was never worried about going hungry.
All the cafes and restaurants I visited were open their normal hours, both in the centre and less touristy areas. They did often seem to be empty, especially for lunch, but this just meant my food arrived faster!
Do I need to dress differently during Ramadan?
Dress codes aren’t affected by Ramadan, so there’s no need to dress more conservatively than usual.
In general, I made sure my knees and shoulders were always covered while out and about. I felt even more comfortable when my arms and legs were fully covered. Being pale and blonde I try to draw as little attention to myself as possible while travelling. This isn’t a rule in Istanbul though, and there were definitely locals wearing leggings or t-shirts.
Are timings of cultural attractions or public transport etc. affected?
The opening hours of mosques are always reflected by prayer times, whether it’s Ramadan or not. I found it best to go before or after the midday prayer, using this website to check timings.
The biggest change I noticed was every day around iftar, as people began to break their daily fast. One night, as iftar approached, I saw a queue of hundreds of locals waiting to enter the Blue Mosque.
Similarly, the traffic (which is already pretty hectic) was most busy in the hour leading up to iftar, as people headed to eat.
Overall, Istanbul was very accessible to travel to during Ramadan. I definitely feel it’s one of the easiest Muslim cities to visit during Ramadan as a non-Muslim.
With all the restaurants open as usual, it was easy not to notice Ramadan until iftar in the evening. Suddenly every public space became busy with picnickers and celebrators. This atmosphere of community and celebration spread throughout the city every night, and was one of the highlights of my trip.
I feel very lucky to have experienced Istanbul during Ramadan. I would definitely recommend it as one of the best times to visit Istanbul.
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