Friday, August 29, 2008

Looking for Classic Turkish Tastes

ANN/TZStaff report, "Sultanahmet square getting ready for holy month of Ramadan" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey

Monday, August 25, 2008

İstanbul's Sultanahmet square -- named after the famous Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) -- has long been the center of traditional Ramadan entertainment in the city and it is now being prepared to play this role once again.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Eminönü Municipality Mayor Nevzat Er said the Sultanahmet Ramadan Festivities are the most familiar and popular activity of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, in İstanbul.

Er said it will be the 14th year of the municipality-sponsored festivities and that some special activities will be held in the amphitheater next to the Firuzağa Mosque in Sultanahmet square. He stressed that the activities will not damage any of the historical sites there. On the contrary, he said, they will serve as an introduction to the historical part of the city for many people.

The mayor explained that they will not spend any public funds to organize these events, adding that profits from the rental of bazaar space to vendors will be the main source of funding.

The festivities will begin with recitations from the Quran and a concert of Sufi music next Monday after the Terawih prayer, a congregational prayer that Muslims perform after the night prayer during Ramadan.

Later in the month the after-Terawih program will feature speeches from prominent national figures, in addition to Sufi music performances. Every day there will be a fast-breaking meal, a Karagöz and Hacıvat shadow puppet show for children, story telling and plays telling the tales of Nasreddin Hodja.

Once again a traditional bazaar will be set up in Sultanahmet Square this year. There will be 80 stands in the bazaar, featuring Turkish cuisine, gift shops and traditional crafts. There will also be vendors throughout the square selling traditional foods such as kestane (roasted chestnuts), mısır (corn on the cob), kumpir (stuffed baked potato) and delicious drinks such as salep and boza. Gözleme (stuffed flatbread) and macun, a sort of cold taffy, will also be available for anyone looking for classic Turkish tastes.

[Picture: To ensure safety and hygiene, janitorial workers and security guards will be on duty every night].

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Friday, August 29, 2008

Looking for Classic Turkish Tastes
ANN/TZStaff report, "Sultanahmet square getting ready for holy month of Ramadan" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey

Monday, August 25, 2008

İstanbul's Sultanahmet square -- named after the famous Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) -- has long been the center of traditional Ramadan entertainment in the city and it is now being prepared to play this role once again.

Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Eminönü Municipality Mayor Nevzat Er said the Sultanahmet Ramadan Festivities are the most familiar and popular activity of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, in İstanbul.

Er said it will be the 14th year of the municipality-sponsored festivities and that some special activities will be held in the amphitheater next to the Firuzağa Mosque in Sultanahmet square. He stressed that the activities will not damage any of the historical sites there. On the contrary, he said, they will serve as an introduction to the historical part of the city for many people.

The mayor explained that they will not spend any public funds to organize these events, adding that profits from the rental of bazaar space to vendors will be the main source of funding.

The festivities will begin with recitations from the Quran and a concert of Sufi music next Monday after the Terawih prayer, a congregational prayer that Muslims perform after the night prayer during Ramadan.

Later in the month the after-Terawih program will feature speeches from prominent national figures, in addition to Sufi music performances. Every day there will be a fast-breaking meal, a Karagöz and Hacıvat shadow puppet show for children, story telling and plays telling the tales of Nasreddin Hodja.

Once again a traditional bazaar will be set up in Sultanahmet Square this year. There will be 80 stands in the bazaar, featuring Turkish cuisine, gift shops and traditional crafts. There will also be vendors throughout the square selling traditional foods such as kestane (roasted chestnuts), mısır (corn on the cob), kumpir (stuffed baked potato) and delicious drinks such as salep and boza. Gözleme (stuffed flatbread) and macun, a sort of cold taffy, will also be available for anyone looking for classic Turkish tastes.

[Picture: To ensure safety and hygiene, janitorial workers and security guards will be on duty every night].

No comments: