Ramadan in Istanbul Article by Sh Abdul Hakim Muran

8/3/2019 Ramadan in Istanbul Article by Sh Abdul Hakim Muran

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Istanbuls Illuminated Ramadan Nights

Page 42Q-News, Issue 368Sept-Oct 2006

The nights of Ramadan find the Istanbul skies alight with prayers and exhortations to goodness andmercy. While the famed mahya messages hang precariously between the ancient minarets, the streetsand are abuzz with activity, more sacred than profane. As Abdal-Hakim Murad observes, Ramadanbrings to the surface some of Istanbuls deepest human secrets.

The great City resembles the improbable armof the sea that cuts it in half, cheerfullyconsistent on the surface, yet churned bystrange currents known only to veteranfishermen. The fasting month, in spite of itsprivate nature (Fasting is Mine, as the hadithinsists), is more of a public affair than any of

the other rites of religion, perhaps because ofits elemental quality; and in this city it forceseach citizen to decide how he stands with God.No-one is surprised to see the men in greencaps crouched behind the wheels of their oldShahins, weaving through the traffic tenminutes before sundown. More interesting arethe fashionable young men with pigtails andgoatees (the current fad), discreetly acceptingglasses of tea as the adhan divides the City intothe grateful and the guilty. The first useful

lesson that Istanbul provides is never to judgeby appearances.

The adhan rolls out from a thousand minarets;and food stalls and borek parlours that havebeen sleepy all day, catering only for the oddtourist or religious cynic, suddenly spring intolife. God seems to have thrown a giant switch,and the whole city is galvanized. ManyStambullus have been waiting at restauranttables for an hour before sundown, and those

who are still milling in the streets will nowhave to struggle to find a hot meal. This is thepicture even in the chic Westernised suburbs ofKadiky, Beyoglu and Sisli; while near the greatmosques, their minarets beacons whichsummon huge crowds, fairs are now doing briskbusiness. Around the great mosque-complex ofSultanahmet, hundreds of street vendors, many

defying the prohibition on non-Western dress,call out the virtues of their candyfloss,sweetcorn, roast chestnuts, pastries,buttermilk, lindenflower tea, and spicedsausages. The aroma of tripe soup and tobaccomingles with religious songs by Gunesdogdu,Bahriyeli and Ozer. Children gape at street

performers (the fortune-teller with his babyrabbits; the shadow-puppet man, the leglessbeggar on wheels).

By the western gate of the Sultanahmet Mosquea man dressed in a Goofy suit suddenlyappears, followed by a camera crew. This isDoggy, chief attraction of a childrens show onHilal TV, one of Turkeys fifteen religiouschannels. Doggy has come to Sultanahmet, itseems, to ask small children how old they are.The smallest are aghast, as well they might be;but the older ones are quite familiar withDoggy. They talk firmly into the microphone,giving their names and ages, and talking aboutwhat they like best about Ramadan. Back in thestudio, later on, Doggy will bow his head as achild member of his studio audience recites apoem about the Prophets poverty. The camerazooms in on the face of a little girl, who isabout to cry.

Out of place in this crowd are the tourists.Jollity forms no part of their understanding ofIslam; and this happy yet entirely non-alcoholicstreet party seems to worry them. Once, in thedays of romance-hunters like Nerval and PierreLoti, the difference of the foule Orientaleallowed Europeans an Olympian detachment, asthey contemplated Turkish customs as a


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raree-show of curious menagerie performances.Now, however, as the Turks clothes and bodylanguage have been Westernised indeed, asyoung Turks look more fashionable than thetourists themselves the difference ofOriental from European has been largely

abolished. This new City is more challengingbecause less strange, and many visitors seem torespond with a grim determination to hold theirbreath, rather than to inhale the air whichanimates these happy crowds.

Some spectacular examples of this are readilyfound. Tourist women who are asked not toenter mosques or graveyards with their thighsexposed behave like righteous martyrs, their

faces indicating all the contempt which theenlightened West will muster in the face ofbenighted prudishness. And once, at theBeyazit mosque, I saw a group of German menenter the mosque during the prayer. Walkingup and down the rows of worshippers, theyscanned their camcorders over the faces ofthese picturesque Turks. When the prayer wasover, the Turks called the tourist police, whono doubt explained politely that thesensibilities of worshippers should berespected. I suspect that the proud Teutons,

coming from a country where Muslims have topay a tax to support the national churches, maynot have understood the nature of theiroffence.

What the tourists at Sultanahmet really resent,of course, is not the existence of smiling Turks,but the fact that all this joy seems connectedto the vast shadow of the imperial mosquewhich looms behind the fair. High above thethrong, suspended between two of the six

minarets, is a mahya, a pattern of light bulbswhose message is changed every couple ofdays. Today it is TOGETHERNESS IS A MERCY.In Ottoman times, the mahyaci, or master-craftsman responsible for designing andhoisting these messages, was a public celebrity.He would embroider coloured designs on piecesof satin, which he would present to the sultan,who would then choose the designs and phrases

which would appear on the great imperialmosques. On occasion the mahyaci wouldpresent moving images, such as boats and fish.Abdullatif Efendi (d.1877), perhaps the mostfamous of all mahyacis, once presented animage of a royal barge suspended between the

Sleymaniyes minarets, on the night of the15th of Ramadan. Pictures are now no longerseen, and in the early Republican period therewas a vogue for national messages, such asDONT FORGET THE RED CRESCENT, BUYLOCAL GOODS, and REMEMBER AIRCRAFT, buttoday the slogans are purely religious oncemore.

Those who enter the courtyard during Ramadanwill find an enormous book fair, where sixty of

the countrys leading religious publishers offertheir newest works. In recent years, the oldertype of literature, such as poorly-printedprayer-books with garish covers, or manuals forhousewives, has receded, in favour of a new,sophisticated body of writing. Publishers like Izand Gelenek have no equivalent elsewhere inthe Islamic world, bringing out works ofinterest by non-Muslim philosophers, as well asmodern Muslim thinkers. The focus is onWestern Muslim writers: Garaudy, Winkel,Valsan, Herlihy, Eaton and others. MiddleEastern texts, apart from classical ones, arescarce. It is all rather intellectual, and evenelitist; although populism is still present, andthere are several concessions to the local loveof conspiracy theories: Ataturk The Bulgarian(banned), Robin Cook Poisoned by Mossad forOpposing the Iraq War (fairly popular), BinLaden the Pentagons Pawn: The Hidden Story(circulation unknown).

The Blue Mosque, despite its immensity, is full

for Tarawih prayers; and this is not terriblysurprising, given the beauty of the ceremonyhere. In some mosques, the full khatm isobserved; but here the Tarawih lasts for lessthan an hour, after which the crowds rejoin thefun of the fair. After each four rakas a briefinterval of collective dhikr supervenes, in theform of the salat-i ummiyye; and at the endthere comes a prayer which, booming around


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the vastnesses of the mosque, recalls thesuperb rolling dignity of the Ottoman language.As Urdu-speakers well know, prayers in alanguage where everything happens before theverb have tremendous dramatic impact: Andour sins, in this and earlier months, against You

and other members of our nation, Our Lord,forgive! And the affairs of the Muslims here andin the world, Our Lord, set right! And to thesoul of Sultan Ahmet, Our Lord, grant rest!

In the Ottoman period, the great singers facedtheir greatest audiences during Ramadanworship, and in recent years attempts havebeen made to revive the symphonic quality ofthe Tarawih of days gone by. Knowledge of themaqam system is axiomatic here. Some

younger, less qualified men with soaring voicesare allowed to recite in the mosques duringRamadan, even when the ritual is televisedlive, but in theory only those with an ijaza inmaqams can be heard. Hence the ilahi singer inthe Fatih mosque, who sings a special Ramadanqasida or a ghazal after each four rakas, mayset the artistic pace for the entire ceremony.The Istanbul adhan and iqama are often inmaqam Hijaz or Saba, but the yatsi prayeritself is typically in Rast, the critical musicalmoment being the connection between thefinal words of the iqama and the imams takbir.This produces a contrast, which is thenarticulated by the muezzin in the ceremonialwords which gather the congregation for theTarawih, with its twenty formal rakas. Theseoften begin, as tajwid conventionally does, inmaqam Saba, but after four rakas the singerwill modulate into one of the modes which maypermissibly follow from Saba: Kurd, Nahawand,or Ushshak. The imam of the mosque will thenbegin the fifth raka in the same maqam,

beginning an exquisite modal dialogue whichcognoscenti hope, usually with good reason,will descend at the right pace back to Sabaduring the witr prayer.. Six maqams may thusbe heard during the single Tarawih. KaniKaraca, the blind, aged chief muezzin of theSleymaniye mosque, who died only recently,was certainly capable of many more, firing his

voice high into the sublime, shadowy spaces ofSinans greatest masterpiece.

Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire,musical standards in the great metropolitan

mosques started to decline. At theSleymaniye, however, largely thanks to amusically sophisticated partnership betweenImam Muzaffer Ozak (d.1985), and the chiefmuezzin, Hafiz Sevket Efendi, which lasted fortwenty-six years, the old traditions werefaithfully preserved. One of Ozaks pupils, thesinger Ahmet Ozhan, who abandoned popculture in favour of religious music, is workinghard to maintain the transmission of thisprecious heritage. The founder-director of the

Turkish Historical Music Society, Ozhan strivesto spread knowledge of the traditional Rajaband Shaban songs, of the different ilahi hymnsappropriate at different points in Ramadan,and the right style of leading Tarawih. Ahousehold name in Turkey, Ozhans effortshave already transformed the quality ofreligious music in many of the countrysmosques.

The high artistic standards of the IstanbulRamadan have done much to hold the attention

of the Turkish population. Some entirelysecular souls will come to hear the Tarawih asthey might attend the opera; and many havefound God as a result.

The crowds are vast, quickly filling theimmensity of the mosques. But on the 27th ofRamadan, which the Mufti decrees is the mostprobable date of Laylat al-Qadr the Night ofDestiny the crowds and the imams shift into astill higher gear. Sabah prayers at the mosqueof Eyp is the most popular worship experiencein the city, but arrive even at two in themorning on the 27th, and you will find it hardto squeeze beyond the leather curtains into themosque interior. Here, more than anywhereelse in the City, the Turks are feasting, andfeasting again, on the Quran.


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Like a benign watchful presence, behind thefive-hundred year old plane tree planted by theConquerors own hand in the mosque court, liesthe grave of the Companion Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, which, of the hundreds of activepilgrimage sites in the City, remains the

greatest magnet for visitors. The space isablaze with a turquoise glow, supplied by theIznik tiles, which are among the most preciousceramic masterpieces in the world. Closebeside it is the itikaf chamber built forPrincess Adile, who spent her Ramadans here acentury ago, before being buried among theroyal tombs nearby. Outside lie the graves ofwarlike pashas, sayyids, and ulema, includingEbussuud Efendi, the great tafsir scholar, andreviver of the Shariah in the time of Sultan

Suleyman. Here too are the sainted ladies, andthen great madrassahs and tekkes, beyond thestone stairs where a new Sultan, visiting themosque for his coronation, would descend fromhis horse, to walk the remainder ofEnthronement Road humbly on foot. In hispalace, the Sultan alone could ride at Eyp,he too was required to dismount.

Other holy places abound in the City, and haveplayed their part in keeping the Turkish spirit

alive. Take the ferry, for instance, fromSeraglio Point to the Asian suburb of skdar,and you will find the tomb-complex of AzizMahmud Hudai alive with visitors from everysocial background (this is the suburb wherewealthier religious people live). Higher up thehill is the tekke of his pupil Selami Baba, whosemineral waters are still popular, and where thecemetery contains fallen heroes of Turkeyswars. As the ship approaches the shore, onereads ISLAM IS GOOD MANNERS in the sky-

writing between the minarets of the mosque ofPrincess Mihrimah, daughter of Suleyman and inher day the richest woman in the world, andwhose mosque and madrassah are among theclimaxes of the Citys architecture. Moorednearby is the Ramadan Ship, a smartpassenger vessel chartered by the skdarmunicipality, where one may break ones fast,and be regaled with religious music while

contemplating the incomparable skyline of theEuropean shore.

The increasing presence of women in themosques is posing some interesting problems.

Sinan and his colleagues were Hanafis, andgave little thought to the accommodation ofworshipping women. Today, however, ever-larger numbers of women come to themosques, and this is particularly evident duringRamadan. For the Sultanahmet Tarawih,therefore, large areas in the main prayer-hallhave been allocated to women. In the confinedspace of the Noble Mantle Mosque, however,this is impossible, so the neighbouring mosqueof Hoca Uveis has been designated a women-

only prayer hall during the congregationalprayers, particularly at the Ogle and Ikindiprayers, when most visitors come. This processseems set to continue. Most theology studentsin Turkey now are women, and the countryappointed, in 2005, its first female muftis.There are also over six hundred full-timefemale preachers (vaize).

Laylat al-Qadr is followed by another change inmood. The sky-writing at Sultanahmet now

reads: INTERCEDE O MESSENGER OF GOD!Most poignant is the Arefa Day, the last daybefore the Bayram (its name is a curiousborrowing from the fasting day before theGreat Bayram). The television stations are alertto the bitter-sweet quality of this time,especially as the adhan for aksam prayerapproaches. The team of men in suits who havebeen sitting in a boat in the Bosphorus everyafternoon in Ramadan, talking about Religionand Life, are now discussing forgiveness. A livebroadcast from the Eyp mosque shows themufti of Kayseri ending the fast with a longprayer. Even the commercial breaks are few(Mummy, I want a Hittite biscuit. Give me aHittite biscuit please. Hayir Gas: Becauseyour life is precious to us. Bellona Furniture:How happy I am to have found it.).


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Next day, the fast ends with the LesserBayram. Unless one is attracted to the prospectof an hour shivering beneath the October rain,it is wise to set out for the mosque shortlyafter Sabah prayers, or even to stay in the

mosque from Sabah until the Bayram Imamappears in splendour, an hour after sunrise. So Ileave my house in Stygian darkness and walkthrough the silent streets of my ghetto district.The graffiti is just visible: PEST CONTROL CALL538 244 7622. DOWN WITH FENERBAHCE. HE

WHO LOVES ALLAH WILL NOT THROW HIS

RUBBISH HERE.

More decorously, high above the street,

competing politicians wish us well: MAY YOURBAYRAM BE BLESSED AND PROSPEROUS(SALVATION PARTY). WE WISH YOU A MERRY

BAYRAM (REPUBLICAN PEOPLES PARTY). MAY

YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES AND ALL OUR

COUNTRY ENJOY A PEACEFUL AND PROFITABLE

BAYRAM (AK PARTY).

Inside the mosque of Sultan Beyazit, popularwith Sufi pietists as a mosque built only withentirely lawful funds, there is still room for me.

In the mihrab, a hoca is giving us Surah al-Rahman in a local hadr style. The qafla is crisp,and the quarter-tones immaculate. This is goodnews, since we still have an hour to go. I noticethat after every minute or so, the hoca pauses,while everyone in the mosque recites theBayram takbir. He then reads a translation ofhis text. This audience participation meansthat the hocas voice must remain in a singlemaqam for an hour, and this he manages, in anaustere performance that is entirely in keepingwith the atmosphere of this restrained andascetical building.

The Bayram Imam appears, and the men nearthe mihrab rise in respect. He reminds thecongregation of the Hanafi traditions of theBayram namaz, and then the great crowd ishushed in prayer. After the teslim, he ascends

the minbar, one step at a time, until, afteralmost a minute, he is three steps from thesummit. Here he bows briefly to the qibla,hand on heart, and then turns, to allow thevoice of religion to fill the mosque, as it hasdone for a thousand Bayrams before. He speaks

of the need to maintain the momentum ofRamadan, and not to leave compassion andworship behind as we travel onwards from themonth.

After the khutbah, in the courtyard of themosque, many in the crowd have formed acircle beneath the colonnade. To the sound ofthe salat-i ummiyye, everyone moves aroundthe circle, embracing everyone, until, reachingits end, they stand in their turn. The procedure

takes a long time; but it is voluntary, so I find aside exit, and re-enter the now busy streets.Shops are closed, but buses and trams are freefor the three days of the holiday, and manyStambullus are already beginning the round ofvisits to friends and relations which lie at theheart of this family festival.

That evening, high above the eastern minaretsof Sultanahmet, the sky writing reads Elveda:Farewell.

Ramadan in Istanbul Article by Sh Abdul Hakim Muran

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