Indulge in a Slice of Turkey this Eid Al Adha

AL BARSHA, UAE - Sept. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- A trip to Turkey during Eid Al Adha serves up the incredible opportunity to observe rare, forgotten traditions and practices in action.

You could start simple if in Istanbul or Bursa, capital cities to the Ottoman Empire, you could take in an oil-wrestling match, an archery competition or a traditional Karagöz-Hacivat puppet show and shadow play.

"Eid Al Adha spells a colourful burst of activities, lavish feasts and cultural practices in Turkey. It's one of the main reasons why we see a heavy influx of tourists during the Eid holidays," notes Salih Ozer, Attaché of Culture and Information, Turkey to the UAE.

In fact, last September the number of tourists travelling to Istanbul alone stood at well over 1.2 million, marking a 6.8% increase when compared to September 2014's 1.1 million tourists. And the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism is confident that the upcoming Eid holidays will offset the recent slump in tourist numbers.

Turkish delights

Naturally, the Eid Al Adha celebrations usher in an excellent opportunity to feast on Turkish cuisine — regional cooking complemented by multiple-courses. The nation's restaurants serve up meals spanning Turkish soup, followed by a main course of meat and side dishes made with rice or bulgur. Worth special mention are pistachio lamb kebabs, a Southern Turkey specialty and a real crowd pleaser.

One or more vegetable dishes made with olive oil are usually available for sampling towards the end of the meal. For dessert, traditional desserts such as baklava (a rich, layered pastry), şekerpare (an almond-based pastry) and ekmek kadayıfı (Turkish bread pudding) are usually presented after a good cup of Turkish coffee or tea.

"Bakeries, cafés, restaurants and teashops across the country are particularly popular with tourists during Eid. Sampling regional cuisine is one of the best ways to experience the warmth of Turkish hospitality and the culture at its finest," comments Ozer.

Tourist hotspots

Noteworthy places to visit during Eid Al Adha include Turkish mosques – particularly Istanbul's iconic Blue Mosque (also known as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque) – the minarets and courtyards of which are extravagantly lit and bustling with activity.

In fact, the entire Sultan Ahmet Square, which is also home to the Hagia Sophia and the Hippodrome, turns into a focal point during Eid. Not only is the cultural richness of Turkey heavily concentrated in the square, but each year it also plays host to a range of stalls, exhibitions, puppet theatres, concerts and folk dances, to name but a few highlights.

Also worth special mention is Istanbul's Beyazit Square, particularly well known for its jewelry, accessories, locally produced textiles, and local cuisine: sweets, fruit juices, sorbets, kofta sandwiches, Turkish döner and spicy sucuk sausages are some popular favourites.

A little further down, on the banks of Turkey's Golden Horn, the district of Eyüp and its environs attract both tourists and locals year round, but visitors spending Eid in Eyüp are privy to a much wider spectrum of activities. The Feshane International Fair, Convention, and Culture Center, meanwhile, is another area where the fervor of Eid is experienced intensely, its length packed with shadow theatre, jugglers and puppets.

"Eid Al Adha is a great time to be in Turkey; foreigners are welcome and a spiritual atmosphere prevails, with stalls and restaurants offering veritable banquets in the evenings. The nation has so much to offer during this period, and is so hospitable, that we always tend to register a surge in tourists," says Ozer.