Turkey, Albania and Macedonia Mark the Start of Ramadan
BalkanTravellers.com
Ramadan, one of the most important Muslim religious observances, takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is marked by Muslims throughout the world, who do not consume anything, including food, liquids or tobacco, from dawn until sunset during the entire month.
The Ramadan fasting is meant to teach believers patience and humility and bring them closer to God. “This month will prepare us to always be more humane and to be closer to people in need,” Selim Mucha, President of the Islamic Community of Albania said, quoted by the BalkanWeb electronic media.
In Turkey, the Anatolian Agency reported, the first iftar – the daily, usually communal meal that breaks the fast at sunset, will begin today at 7:30 pm in Ankara, 7:46pm in Istanbul and 7:51pm in Izmir. The last day of fasting will be September 29, while the Eid ul-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the fasting period of Ramadan, falls on September 30.
In Macedonia, Haji Suleiman Effendi Rejepi, head of the country’s Muslim community, also congratuled believers with the beginning of the holy month, according to regional media.
Despite the fact that the only Balkan states where the majority of the population is Muslim are Turkey and Albania, the month of Ramadan is marked in many other countries in the region that have significant Muslim populations as well, including Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Bulgaria.
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