Holy Month, Ramadan. In a Turkish Household.

Every year in the month of Ramadan (also known as Ramazan in Turkish), Muslims fast from sunrise to senset. They abstain from eating and drinking including sexual relations. Although fasting is beneficial for the health and well-being, it is intended to educate Muslims in spiritual self-purification. It’s a period of time to cleanse the soul, ask forgiveness for previous sins, and focus in pleasing the God (known as Allah) by putting forward more prayers.

After sunset, Muslims will immediately break their fast. For the past 21 years of my life, my mother (who is born in Ankara, Turkey, and lived there for 18 years before settling in Australia) has always cooked the most amazing, delicious, traditional Turkish foods to break our fast at dawn. She would spend probably half her day cooking her ‘secret’ recipes. From my personal experience in Ramadan, I see the delicious foods that are cooked with delight more of a reward for our fasting during the day. Often the table would be covered with a variety of Turkish foods cooked by my mother.

My mother and aunties would often get together to cook certain Turkish dishes that require more effort and are more time consuming. These include the well known Turkish 'Manti' and 'Gozleme'

Manti- spicy mince meat

                               Gozleme- Made from dough which consists of either cheese and spinach or meat

After food has been eaten, Muslims would conduct special prayers called Tarawih in the Mosque (a worship place). Long portions of the Quran (religious scriptures) are recited. 

I am super excited to experience this years Ramadan which will commence on July the 9th, 2013.

Aysha Nur 

Reference (in order of pictures)
1- http://tmwthemword.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/women-praying.jpg

2- http://medya.todayszaman.com/todayszaman/2011/08/21/ramadan08.jpg

3- http://www.giverecipe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Turkish-Dumplings-Manti8.jpg
4- http://atcp.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/gozleme1.JPG

5- http://medya.todayszaman.com/todayszaman/2011/08/21/ramadan01.jpg