The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are two dominant and majestic buildings within Istanbul that regularly make the listings in numerous guidebooks and travel blogs as two of the top landmarks to see in Istanbul. Standing directly opposite each other, the stories of these two buildings stretches far back, connecting two of the world’s greatest empires and also two of the world’s leading religions.
Is Turkey purely an Islamic based country or is there a tolerance to other religions? How many religions are there in Turkey? We provide an insight with this blog into religion in Turkey and the tolerance of the people and the secular government towards those of other religions who all live in harmony in Turkey.
Kurban Bayram, or the Sacrificial Feast starts 70 days after the end of Ramadan. The four-and-a-half day festival is centered around family and community, and usually celebrated by slaughtering a goat or sheep and preparing a great feast. Read up on how Kurban Bayram will affect you if you're in Turkey - and what you can expect if you're taking part in a Kurban Bayram feast.
It's difficult to imagine a country you've never visited, which is why we often get asked about the reality of living in a predominantly Muslim country. Marie Coggin, a British expat living in Bodrum, addresses a few commonly asked questions, and puts to rest the concerns some people might have about visiting and living in Turkey.
As a predominately Muslim country, people are often surprised to learn that Turkey has a historical timeline steeped in Christianity. The most abundant and obvious relics from that era are old churches, still standing in places like central Anatolian Cappadocia and Istanbul. Indeed one doesn’t have to look far to see the signs of Christianity’s history in Turkey, here you can read all about churches in Turkey.
Opening their doors to everyone regardless of faith, the mosques of Turkey provide a unique insight into the role of Islam in this secular, democratic country. Even though a large proportion of the country is Muslim, not every citizen practises the religion so away from the bars and restaurants of the coastal resorts, seeing inside a mosque is an alternative and easy glimpse at one of the biggest religions of the world.
Travelling is central to Islam. Mohammed made many trips during his lifetime, and some would say that travelling is important to Muslims as they have to complete Hajj at some point in their lifetimes. But while making the pilgrim trip to Mecca is one travel event not to see much change over the course of time, all other aspects of travelling for Muslims has. In this blog we show just why Antalya is the go-to hotspot for Muslims who are looking to take a long summer holiday.
There are many things to consider when planning to move overseas. Cultural fit and religion are certainly right there on top of most European's check lists. Should we buy a home in a Muslim country such as Turkey? Shall we fit in? Will it be safe and liberal? These are natural questions that would be overseas property buyers have on their compatibility check-lists. Our blog cuts straight to the chase and looks at the essence of life and religion in Turkey. Is Turkey really the 'Islamic' country we thought it was or is it something that is even superior to what we have in our home countries?