Half-day holiday (arife) 23rd May followed by a 3-day holiday on 24th, 25th, 26th May 2020.
Official holiday. Banks, post offices and administrations will be closed.
Ramazan (not a holiday) : 24th April - 24th May 2020
The 30-day Islamic holy month of Ramazan (called Ramadan in other countries) is a time of fasting, prayer and celebration.
However you will see that as Turkey is a secular Republic this Islamic holiday is celebrated very differently from in Islamic countries.
Although strict observance of the Koranic law means fasting from dawn to dusk (no eating, drinking or smoking between these hours)
not all Muslims will observe Ramazan (only an estimated 30% of the population will observe Ramazan every year).
The idea behind the Ramazan fasting is to remind observers that some people are hungry all year round. So some people prefer to give
to a charity rather than fasting. The holy month has a limited impact on daily life in most towns certainly in a region like Cappadocia.
Non-Muslims are not expected to fast although it is polite not to eat or smoke in front of someone who is fasting.
Ramazan: What does it change for you?
In Cappadocia or Istanbul you will have no problem for finding a restaurant or café open. Some workplaces and offices may adapt their
opening hours so it is best to check before you travel (the dates change by 11 days every year). Those spending all day without
eating drinking or without a cigarette can tend to be tetchy or a little irritable (which is normally out of character in Cappadocia)..
The day ends with a big feast every evening called iftar where mounds of food make up for the fasting during the day!
(Some people actually manage to put weight on during Ramazan!). Be particularly wary while driving after sunset as observers race
to get home for the big meal!
In the middle of the night drummers circulate through towns and villages to wake sleepers so they can prepare the big early-morning
meal before the fast begins again at sunrise. They tend to make their noise around 03:30 and 04:00 am, and they make sure everyone hears them.
Make sure you bring earplugs with you!
Şeker Bayramı (Sugar Festival) : 24th May - 26th May 2020
Although the month of Ramazan is not a public holiday it is immediately followed by the three-day national holiday of Ramazan Bayrami
(also called Şeker Bayramı or Sugar Festival). As with all holidays this is a time to put aside any disputes and problems you may
have with family or others. During Şeker Bayramı large quantities sweets are eaten and offered and the younger members visit the older
members of the family.
In recent years, for many, Bayrams have become nothing more than a chance for a vacation, rather than maintaining any real religious significance.
Here the country does slow down and places close as Turkish people celebrate one of the main holidays in the year. Make sure you have
accommodation booked; hotels will fill up quickly as relatives travel to spend the holiday with their family (think of it like Thanksgiving
or Christmas).
Typically shops are closed on the first day of the festival, but they open up again on the second day. Museums, archaeological sites
and similar visitor sights close for the first full day of the holiday, but are usually open on the second and third days, and may be
particularly busy with visitors. Transport may be on holiday (Sunday) schedules, at least for the first day of the holiday.
Transport services may be particularly busy as people travel for vacation, so reserve your seats in advance.