Ramadan in Istanbul.

We were so lucky to be in Istanbul during Ramadan.  The night really comes alive around the Hippodrome after Iftar (breaking the fast) every evening.  Whole families arrive in the afternoon with their food and gas cookers and eskies full of goodies and take up position opposite the Blue Mosque and waiting for the dusk Call to Prayer.  And then it's party time.  There are vendors selling watermelon, special bread, fairy floss, cooked food of all descriptions and you can even have your fortune told.

There are stalls with glass blowers and calligraphy masters and places to buy tiles and needle work as well as the usual stalls in the Hippodrome.  The Blue Mosque is brightly lit with messages in Turkish, the fountain has coloured lights and there are a couple of stages where performances take place.  In addition, the place is crowded and the energy is palpable.  Everyone is smiling and laughing and families celebrate together.

I was fortunate to be invited to a private Iftar meal between friends and I learned about the purposes of Ramadan and a little about the Koran.  I can't help but see parallels between Ramadan and Lent but Ramadan is much stricter and more difficult to complete.  I have the greatest of admiration for those who manage to conclude Ramadan having fasted each day.  I know of one person who got up very early each morning and had finished breakfast by 4.30am and then the dusk Call to Prayer was at about 7.45pm of an evening.  How they function is beyond me.  However, there is a four day holiday at the conclusion of Ramadan and it is a time to catch up and celebrate with family and friends.

When we returned to Istanbul after our journeys to other parts, Ramadan was over and it all seemed quite dead around the Hippodrome at night.

Carmel.