Welcome
Login:   Pass:     Register - Forgot Password - Resend Activation

Turkish Class Forums / Turkey

Turkey

Add reply to this discussion
Moderators: libralady, sonunda
Municipalities strive to maintain tradition of Ramadan drummers
(13 Messages in 2 pages - View all)
[1] 2
1.       tunci
7149 posts
 17 Jul 2012 Tue 07:47 pm

 

Municipalities strive to maintain tradition of Ramadan drummers

 

Drummers will once again be on the streets every morning to wake people up to have their pre-dawn meals when Ramadan starts on Friday.


17 July 2012 / HATİCE KÜBRA KULA , İSTANBUL

Several municipalities across Turkey are struggling to maintain the tradition of Ramadan drummers, who are assigned with waking people up to have their suhoor [pre-dawn meal] before dawn during the holy month of Ramadan, with new practices such as making drummers wear a fez and white shirt and organizing competitions to select the best Ramadan drummers.

For many people in Turkey, Ramadan drummers are one of the most important markers of the holy month of Ramadan, helping people wake up for the pre-dawn meal by drumming during Ramadan nights. But for others they prefer using their mobile phones or alarm clocks to wake up for sahur, finding the noise of drumming unnecessary and unpleasant. However, the existence of Ramadan drummers bears utmost significance for the continuation of a tradition dating back to the old Ramadan days.

During Ottoman times, Ramadan drummers -- who were also regarded as night guards of the streets -- were on duty for the purpose of waking Ottoman Muslims up for sahur in a pleasant way. Each day they would recite different Turkish poems accompanied by drumming. Furthermore, being a Ramadan drummer was not an easy job since playing drums during Ramadan was a special tradition handed down from father to son, so the drummers were mostly from the same family. At the end of Ramadan, the drummers would visit the homes of the people to get tips for the service they provided during Ramadan.

Now, after nearly 700 years from the foundation of the Ottoman Empire, there are new practices expected to be carried out by the municipalities to contribute to the process of continuing the old tradition of playing Ramadan drums during the holy month. The Çorum Municipality has made many special preparations for the Ramadan drummers. The drummers will wear a fez (Ottoman hat), white shirts and black trousers, reminiscent of the daywear for men in the Ottoman Empire. “We even pay attention to the harmony between the walking of the drummers and what they play when we train them at the Çorum Municipality,” said Salahattin Delice, an instructor of the Ramadan drummers, who are also given courses by the municipality on how to play drums appropriately for Ramadan. The municipality will provide special cards for the drummers similar to identification cards and only a particular number of drummers have been charged with duty. Drummers who have not taken the municipality course will not be allowed to drum on the streets. The municipality’s goal is to create an atmosphere of the old traditions without disturbing people.

The Beylikdüzü Municipality organized a competition to select the best Ramadan drummers to play drums during the holy month in İstanbul’s Beylikdüzü district. The candidates were given a week’s training by a music teacher. Following the training, the drummers showed their skills in front of a jury that included Beylikdüzü Vice Mayor Efrahim Yeşil. İstanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu and Beylikdüzü Mayor Yusuf Uzun gave the drummers advice following the competition.

The winner of the competition, İsmail Kuşçu, expressed his delight over the revival of the tradition with the recognition of the municipalities. He said he has been a Ramadan drummer for a very long time and that his wish is to see the survival of the old traditions. Kuşçu added that they have received some complaints during Ramadan, but most people are happy about the drummers. “The people who do not want us to wake them up for sahur are the ones whose children are sleeping or who have sick people at home, yet they just want us to play our drums less loudly and they do not behave rudely to the drummers,” said Kuşçu.

In some parts of Turkey, such as the southeastern province of Gaziantep, the drummers are not happy with the lack of support from the municipality. Bileç Davulcu, the head of an organization for drummers in Gaziantep, complained that although they receive positive reactions from people about the Ramadan drummers, the municipality does not allow them to drum during Ramadan. He said the municipality did give them special outfits to wear, but ultimately, the municipality refused to let them play drums. Davulcu also stated that they do not have problems receiving tips from people.

However, in some provinces, the number of Ramadan drummers who want to play drums is decreasing due to inadequate tips along with the oppressive summer heat, which causes officials anxiety that the tradition will survive.

Note : I like this tradition..woken up by drum is reminding me of the beautiful Ramadan times of my childhood..I hate alarm clocks..or mobile phone alarms..

 



Edited (7/20/2012) by tunci

jolanaze liked this message
2.       tunci
7149 posts
 20 Jul 2012 Fri 03:00 pm

 

Muslims welcome holy month of Ramadan with excitement

 

19 July 2012 / TODAY´S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
For Muslims, Ramadan is the most blessed and spiritually beneficial month of the Islamic calendar and receives a heartfelt welcome all throughout the world, with Muslim believers entering a holy period of spiritual reflection and purification.

On Friday, the world´s 1.2 billion Muslims, around one-fifth of humanity, will begin this year´s observance of the Ramadan fasting season, obligatory for all adult and physically fit believers and regarded as one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. This holy month is celebrated all over the world with great enthusiasm and joy; it is an excellent opportunity to remove all cultural and geographical obstacles that stand before the unification of all Muslims around common sacred values.

During Ramadan, believers are expected to put more effort into refraining from anger, envy, greed, lust, sarcastic retorts, backbiting and gossip and are encouraged to read the entire Quran.

The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar (Hijri) calendar, established in 638 by the second caliph of the Prophet Muhammad, Omar. The month of Ramadan is the most venerated and blessed month of the Islamic year.

In the lunar calendar, months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan migrates throughout the seasons.

The most prominent event of this month is the fasting practiced by most Muslims around the world. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world stop eating about one hour before the sun comes up and break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, maghrib, is due.

The fast is intended to be an act of deep personal worship in which Muslims seek a heightened level of closeness to God. It is expected to allow the fasters to experience the deprivations that poor people are usually exposed to. The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the inner soul (nafs) and free it from all evil qualities disliked by God. Properly observing the fast is supposed to induce a feeling of peace and calm. It also allows Muslims to practice self-discipline and sacrifice as well as to feel sympathy for those less fortunate, aiming to make Muslims more generous and charitable.

What is Ramadan, the most blessed of all months?

The ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan is spent by Muslims around the world in a complete fast. They abstain from eating and drinking and intimacy with the opposite sex until nightfall, when a meal is served to break the day´s fast. As a time to purify the soul, Muslims refocus their attention on God and avoid from various daily enjoyments throughout Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan is considered the most venerated, blessed and spiritually beneficial month of the Islamic year. During this month, prayers, fasting, charity and self-accountability are particularly emphasized, and all obligatory religious observances are further encouraged during this time as the Prophet Muhammad called this month "the month of my ummah [people]."

The name Ramadan is derived from the Arabic word "ramida" or "ar-ramad," which means intense scorching heat and dryness of the ground. Muslims are advised to spend this month reviewing their lives in light of Islamic teachings. It is recommended that they forgive those who wronged or hurt them, improve ties with family and friends, refrain from bad deeds and repent for their wrongdoings. In this way, Muslims can purify their souls, lives, thoughts and feelings.

Ramadan brings special excitement and religious zeal to Muslims, who are supposed to change both their physical and emotional condition during the fasting period. Therefore, fasting is not merely a physical act; it is a spiritual commitment as well.

A typical day in Ramadan begins by waking up at an early hour for suhoor, a small pre-dawn meal. Fasting, which starts with the break of dawn, continues until iftar time. Though fasting is only mandatory as of adolescence, some young children are also interested in fasting with their elders. They look forward to the excitement of the holy month of Ramadan and breaking their fasts with special meals they share with their families. Adults also appreciate the opportunity to double their rewards from God and seek forgiveness for their past sins. Ramadan brings with it an atmosphere of peace, fraternity and tolerance, which enables Muslims to lead better lives in terms of spirituality and moral values.

During Ramadan, every part of the body must refrain from bad deeds. The tongue must avoid gossiping. The eyes must refrain from looking at forbidden things. The hands must not touch or take anything that does not belong to them. The ears must avoid listening to idle conversation or obscene words. And the feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In this way, all parts of the body observe fasting.

Pregnant women, the elderly, the ill, travelers -- provided that they make up the prescribed period of fasting later -- and children who have not reached puberty are all exempt from fasting.

lana- liked this message
3.       AlphaF
5677 posts
 20 Jul 2012 Fri 04:23 pm

Note : I like this tradition..woken up by drum is reminding me of the beautiful Ramadan times of my childhood..I hate alarm clocks..or mobile phone alarms..

 

Yeah !  Neither alarm clocks nor mobile phone clocks can produce sufficient havoc to make non - Moslem neighbors jump right out of their beds in the middle of the night...spoils all the fun !

A better idea would have been having cannons fired at every street corner, at the correct time.

 

Tradition? What tradition?

I dont think moslems playing drums in the middle of the night, should get any more credit or symphaty compared to Christians ringing Church bells about the same time. I would like to believe Prophet Muhammad was suffiently considerate to spare his non-moslem neighbors the agony.

4.       Abla
3648 posts
 20 Jul 2012 Fri 06:05 pm

Quote:AlphaF

non - Moslem neighbors jump right out of their beds in the middle of the night

 

The populist Real Finn party in my country also complains about Muslim adhan which won´t let people sleep at night.

 

There is no mosque with a minaret in the whole of Finland.

 

 

5.       tunci
7149 posts
 20 Jul 2012 Fri 06:40 pm

 

Syrian refugees welcome Ramadan in tent cities

 

20 July 2012 / TODAY´S ZAMAN WITH WIRES, İSTANBUL
Syrian refugees who have fled the ongoing violence in their country and sought refuge in Turkey woke up for this Ramadan´s first suhur (the pre-dawn meal during Ramadan) in tent cities.

Despite feeling sadness at being away from their home country, the Syrian refugees staying in a tent city at Yayladağı in the southern province of Hatay welcomed the holy month of Ramadan with excitement. Sharing their suhur meal with reporters from the Anatolia news agency, the Syrian refugees highlighted that Turkey is doing its best for their comfort.

Fried foods, stuffed green peppers with olive oil, tea, honey, jam, cheese and olives were served during the suhur meal. After the meal, the Syrians performed the morning prayer at the mosque and prayed for an end to the ongoing war in their country.

Raid Salih, a Syrian refugee who fled from the Syrian town of Idlib and settled in the tent city established in Hatay´s Boynuyoğun district, said that he and his family came from Syria about a year ago when the clashes in his hometown intensified and this is their second Ramadan in Turkey.

He added: “We were in Turkey during the last holy month of Ramadan. Although we are happy about staying in Turkey. We believe that the Assad regime´s end is near and we hope we will celebrate the Eid in our home country. Turkey provides everything we need. We would like to express our gratitude to Prime Minister Erdoğan and the Turkish nation that embraced us.”

Another Syrian refugee living in the tent city, İzzettin Hilhano, voiced his hope for welcoming the next Ramadan in their homes and thanked the Turkish nation for their help.

Hasan İdo, a resident of the tent city, said he loves Turkey very much and underlined that Syrians will never forget the help and hospitality of Turkish people.

In a written statement released on July 13, the Prime Ministry´s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said there are currently 38,914 Syrians refugees in Turkey who have fled the clashes in their country.

AFAD indicated that the Syrian refugees staying in Turkey are in the towns of Altınozu, Yayladağı, Reyhanlı, Apaydın and Karbeyaz in the southern province of Hatay as well as in the southern provinces of Şanlıurfa, Gaziantep and Kilis.

The Syrian citizens taking shelter in Turkey have been provided with food, lodging, health, security, social activities, education, and religious, translation and communications services.

AFAD said that 1,152 Syrians entered Turkey on July 12 and 13 and 292 returned to Syria under their own free will on both days. The statement added that from the outbreak of unrest in Syria until July 13, a total of 63,655 Syrian refugees had entered Turkey and 24,751 had chosen to return to their country.

According to AFAD, currently there are 9,588 Syrian refugees in Hatay, 6,099 in Gaziantep province, 11,420 in Kilis and 11,545 in Şanlıurfa province.

There are 262 Syrians, including 26 companions, staying at various Turkish hospitals and receiving medical treatment, the statement added.

A total of 4,511 Syrian children and young adults who had to flee their country are being provided with preschool, primary and secondary education in Turkey.

 

 

 

 

6.       tunci
7149 posts
 20 Jul 2012 Fri 06:43 pm

 

İstanbul home to ‘street iftars’ during holy month of Ramadan

 

Throughout Ramadan many streets in İstanbul will host iftars (fast-breaking dinners) in the open air, and a wide variety of events will accompany them, from entertainment for children to religious discussions and shadow puppet shows to concerts and poetry recitations.

The district of Başakşehir will host Ramadan programs at four different centers: Bahçeşehir, Şahintepe, Güvercintepe and Kayaşehir. The iftar tables that have been set up in 13 neighborhoods in the district are expected to serve thousands of people during the holy month. Başakşehir’s Ramadan activities include concerts, street iftars, religious discussions, Quran recitals and programs for children. For more information and the full program, see www.basaksehirramazan.com, on which the Ramadan activities are being aired live.

The Fatih municipality has set up a Ramadan tent in Eminönü Square to offer iftar for 5,000 people every night during Ramadan. The iftar menu consists of at least four types of food in addition to dates and olives. People will also be offered cold sherbet after they perform the post iftar prayers called “teravih.”

In Ümraniye, the municipality plans to host 5,000 people every night at six different locations and will distribute food packages to 8,000 families. It will also offer street iftars in various neighborhoods for 2,000 or 3,000 people according to the size of the neighborhood. Other highlights include religious discussions, concerts and programs for children. Last year, Ümraniye hosted 100,000 guests at a dinner table stretching over one-and-a-half kilometers for iftar.

Post-iftar concerts to mark Ramadan in Sarıyer

Sarıyer residents will be enjoying admission-free post-iftar concerts throughout Ramadan at an area in İstinye that served as a shipyard until 1991. The district will set up tables every day for 1,000 guests in a different neighborhood during Ramadan.

One of the busiest districts of İstanbul, Şişli, has three Ramadan tents in three different locations to serve iftar every night during the holy month to 5,000 people. Street iftars are also held across five neighborhoods.

The historic peninsula, the center of old İstanbul, is likely to be the most attractive location in the city during Ramadan. The Fatih district, Sultanahmet Square, Beyazıt Square and the Eminönü neighborhood all host Ramadan events, ranging from concerts to Hacıvat and Karagöz shadow puppet shows.

Historic Beyazıt Square will host the Turkish Book and Culture Fair, an annual Ramadan special presented by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, till the end of Ramadan. The literary fair promises a host of exciting opportunities for İstanbul residents to mingle and learn from a selection of top poets and authors.

Meanwhile, Sultanahmet Square, the undisputed heart of Ramadan activities in the city, will offer an exhibition of traditional Turkish crafts and many other side events such as concerts and Hacıvat and Karagöz shadow puppet shows.

Beşiktaş Municipality offers boat tours along with iftar

Beşiktaş residents can take a boat trip every night where they’ll have the opportunity to break their fast on a boat, which is able to host up to 400 people and equipped with iftar tables.

Twenty-five neighborhoods and 20 villages of Beykoz are home to iftars on streets throughout Ramadan. District residents of different religions meet at numerous iftar tables set on the streets of Polonezköy and several other neighborhoods.

The Beyoğlu Municipality, which has been hosting a variety of Ramadan events in Taksim Gezi Park and the Tepebaşı quarter for many years, has carried the joy of Ramadan to Hasköy along the Golden Horn, where residents gather at open-air iftar tables to break their fast.

A total of 25,000 people have their iftars at nine locations in Üsküdar during Ramadan. Drummers assigned by the municipality tour the streets to summon fasters to iftar tables. Residents can also tour the Üsküdar Book Fair near the Bağlarbaşı Cultural Center from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. throughout Ramadan.

In the districts of Esenler, Kartal, Zeytinburnu and Sultangazi, iftar tables are also set up on the streets for thousands of residents to break their fast. The many side events in these districts include concerts, religious discussions, Quran and poetry recitals and comedy plays.

 

20 July 2012 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL



Edited (7/20/2012) by tunci

lana- liked this message
7.       tunci
7149 posts
 21 Jul 2012 Sat 11:03 am

 

Ottoman Ramadan through foreigners’ eyes

NIKI GAMM, Hurriyet Daily News

What happens during the month of Ramadan in Muslim countries is as old as Islam itself, although many of the traditional entertainments are now provided by television Media

The 17th century Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Celebi, speaks of gathering friends and going over to the northern side of the Golden Horn where they would break their fast alongside one of the streams and spend their Ramadan nights reciting poetry and talking. Celebi also writes of having been entertained with theater plays, storytellers and shadow plays.

The 17th century Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Celebi, speaks of gathering friends and going over to the northern side of the Golden Horn where they would break their fast alongside one of the streams and spend their Ramadan nights reciting poetry and talking. Celebi also writes of having been entertained with theater plays, storytellers and shadow plays.

 

The month of Ramadan has started and the story is as old as Islam. For the Ottomans too consumed no food or drink between dawn and dusk and spent the night eating and making merry. During Ramadan mosques would be full, almost to the point of overflowing. Strings of lights with religious sayings would be strung between the minarets of the imperial mosques. Most Muslims would enjoy a large dinner in which there would be traditional dishes served and eat a smaller breakfast before dawn. It was a time for family, relatives and friends. The wealthy and the powerful starting with the sultan on down would provide lavish meals and gifts to those around them.

The 17th century Ottoman travel writer, Evliya Celebi, speaks of gathering friends and going over to the northern side of the Golden Horn where they would break their fast alongside one of the streams and spend their Ramadan nights reciting poetry and talking. Celebi also writes of having been entertained with theater plays, storytellers, dancers and shadow plays.

For the foreigner, the customs of the Ottoman Turk were a curiosity, not least when it came to religious practices. The month of Ramadan was no exception so when young Miss Julia Pardoe landed in Istanbul in 1835 during Ramadan, one experience on her list was to take part in the breaking of the fast that all pious Muslims kept during daylight hours.

“As it was the time of the Ramazan, neither coffee nor sweetmeats were handed to us, though the offer of refreshments was made, which we, however, declined, being resolved to keep Lent with them according to their own fashion. We fasted, therefore, until about half past six o’clock, when the cry of the muezzin from the minarets proclaimed that one of the out watchers, of whom many are employed for the purpose, had caught a glimpse of the moon. Instantly all were in motion; their preliminary arrangements had been so zealously and carefully made that not another second was lost; and, as a slave announced dinner, we all followed her to a smaller apartment, where the table, if such I may call it, was already laid,” Pardoe wrote, detailing the event in her travelogue, which as later published.

“The room was a perfect square, totally unfurnished, save that in the center of the floor was spread a carpet, on which stood a wooden frame, about two feet in height, supporting an immense round plated tray, with the edge slightly raised. In the center of the tray was placed a capacious white basin, filled with a kind of cold bread soup; and around it were ranged a circle of small porcelain saucers, filled with sliced cheese, anchovies, caviare, and sweetmeats of every description: among these were scattered spoons of box-wood, and goblets of pink and white sherbet, whose rose-scented contents perfumed the apartment. The outer range of the tray was covered with fragments of unleavened bread, torn asunder; and portions of the Ramazan cake, a dry, close, sickly kind of paste, glazed with the whites of eggs, and strewed over with aniseeds,” Pardoe wrote.

“Fish, embedded in rice, followed the side or rather circle saucers, most of which I sparingly partook as the only answer that I was capable of giving to the unceasing ‘Eat, eat, you are welcome,’ of the lady of the house,” Pardoe wrote.

“Nineteen dishes, of fish, flesh, fowl, pastry, and creams, succeeding each other in the most heterogeneous manner — the salt following the sweet and the stew preceding the custard — were terminated by a pyramid of pilaf. I had the perseverance to sit out this elaborate culinary exhibition; an exertion which is, however, by no means required of any one, by the observance of Turkish courtesy. Gastronomy is no science in the East, and gourmands are unknown; the Osmanlis only eat to live, they do not live to eat,” she wrote.

“As we rose from table, a slave presented herself, holding a basin and strainer of wrought metal, while a second poured tepid water over our hands, from an elegantly-formed vase of the same materials; and a third handed to us embroidered napkins of great beauty, of which I really availed myself with reluctance,” Pardoe wrote.

“Having performed this agreeable ceremony, we returned to the principal apartment, where our party received an addition in the person of a very pretty [and] old [tale-teller], who had been invited to relieve the tedium of the evening with some of her narrations. This custom is very general during the Ramazan, and is a great resource to the Turkish ladies, who can thus recline in luxurious inaction, and have their minds amused without any personal exertion. Coffee was prepared at the [barbeque], and handed round: after which the elder lady seated herself on a pile of cushions placed upon the floor, and smoked a couple of pipes in perfect silence, and with extreme gusto, flinging out volumes of smoke, that created a thick mist in the apartment,” she wrote.

The Italian traveler Edmondo de Amicis in the 19th century had a different vision of what happens during Ramadan. He noted how serious everyone generally took fasting, although he refers to one exception he found, a young officer who had been drinking coffee when the door to his office suddenly opened. He was in such a hurry to hide it that he half spilled it on his shoes. But de Amicis adds a story about his boatman who couldn’t be tempted to even sniff the loaf of bread he had with him in his boat before the sun had gone down and the Ramadan cannon had sounded. “On the instant, thirty two thousand teeth tear a thousand huge mouths-full from a thousand loaves! But why say a thousand when in every house and café and restaurant is being enacted at precisely the same moment, and for a short time, the Turkish city is nothing but a huge monster whose hundred thousand jaws are all tearing and devouring at once,” de Amicis wrote.

Lady Dorina Neave spent 26 years of her life in Istanbul at the end of the 19th century and wrote about it. She experienced the years of Sultan Abdulhamid II’s reign from 1876 to 1909. As she came to Turkey at quite a young age she came to know the culture well. Her account of Ramadan, which she refers to only once in her writing, differs markedly from the others shared in this column. “It so happened that we paid our visit to the bazaars during the Festival of Ramadan, and, as, during this season, the Turks fast all day and feast all night, there was a great need of ready money, for all members of the wealthy class were obliged to keep their doors open and to feed anyone who claimed hospitality during the period from sunset to sunrise. To procure the money required for the purchase of large stores of food, many household treasures in the shape of jewelry, china, glass and carpets were sent to the pawnbrokers’ shops in the bazaars. It was owing to this circumstance that we found the stalls unusually well stocked, and as money in return for them was urgently required, they were being sold at very moderate prices.”


8.       tunci
7149 posts
 22 Jul 2012 Sun 12:17 pm

Music in Ramadan that is food for the soul

PHOTO SUNDAY’S ZAMAN, KÜRŞAT BAYHAN

Once again we are enjoying the pleasure of getting into the spirit of Ramadan, the sultan of the other 11 months.

 We all hope to get rid of our spiritual stains during this beautiful month. While our stomachs go hungry, we want to fill our souls with the blessings of this month.

However, it should be noted with sorrow that the recommendations concerning this month are generally limited to hunger, iftar (the fast-breaking meal) and suhoor (the pre-dawn meal). Of course these recommendations bear points that should be taken into consideration. But this month isn’t just a period which is just limited to staying hungry or eating and drinking. We should be endeavoring to fill our souls with fasting, praying, reading the Quran, worshipping and contemplation.

During this journey, music may be a good companion for us. If you happen to ask, “Is it proper to listen to music in Ramadan?” there are so many special genres that will help us feel the spiritual climate of this month. Thanks to this music perhaps our ears will be purified just like our heart. This month, several very talented artists will greet us during suhoor and iftar programs as well as on various events on TV. However, we have prepared a small anthology for those who want to discover others beyond those on TV. You will be addicted to these rhymes not only during Ramadan but also for life.

Ramadan incomplete without the Quran

The month of Ramadan is the month of the Quran as well as the month of fasting. We therefore start our anthology with Quranic recitations, as the spirit of the Quran is felt with hatim (reading the Quran from beginning to end) during this month. We should make an effort to read and understand our holy book and to take in the spirit of the Quran. Besides reading it, listening to Quranic recitations will also bring great peace to our hearts. In mukabele you will be able to listen to the recitation of our holy book by a hafiz (a person who has memorized the entire Quran) with a melodious voice. In addition, you will also be able to listen to it on your mp3 player or on your computer during the day. You can also listen to Quranic recitations by world-renowned hafizs from Mustafa İsmail to Abdulbasit Abdussamed.

Ramadan surprise from Sami Özer

The music album “Alim Allah” (All-Knowing God) which Sami Özer released after 10 years was a big surprise before Ramadan. Striving to make Sufi music popular with the masses again after many years, Özer, as always, interprets musical works in his own way in “Alim Allah.” The album is named after a Rifai (a Sufi order) verse composed by Nâyî Ali Rıza Bey. The Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt (the family of the Prophet Muhammad) come into prominence in verses of poetry that were included in “Alim Allah” in which Özer sings 12 musical pieces, most of which are classics but also include his own compositions. If you are listening to Özer for the very first time, we also strongly recommend that you listen to his series of albums “Ey Allahım 1,” “Ey Allahım 2” and “Ey Allahım 3.”

Discover Ramazaniye

With the arrival of Ramadan many traditions are revived while some traditions of Ramadans past have been forgotten. One of those is the ramazaniye. The verses of poetry sung between four cycles of the terawih prayer peculiar to Ramadan, rhythmic “amens” uttered after the prayer and composed qasidahs (odes typically written for the Prophet) are called ramazaniye. Unfortunately, you cannot come across ramazaniye music everywhere. You can hear the best examples of ramazaniye, which is one of the indispensable parts of Ramadan, in the musical album of the same name produced by İBB Kültür AŞ in 2009.

Enderun Teravihi: an ancient tradition of Ramadan

Enderun Teravihi” and “Cumhur müezzinliği” feature a tradition that was undertaken during Ramadan 70 or 80 years ago in all mosques of İstanbul and in mansions where terawih prayer was performed. However, this tradition was forgotten and even abolished in big mosques. “Enderun Teravihi” or “Enderun Usûlü” (Enderun Style), which refers to performing each of the four cycles of the terawih prayer by reading verses from the Quran in different musical modes of Turkish classical music and singing verses of poetry in between each of the four cycles was revived in previous years thanks to the efforts of Ahmet Şahin and Mehmet Kemiksiz. In addition to the book which was prepared for the purpose of continuing this tradition, a musical album was also produced. You may download it from www.enderunteravihi.com free of charge and listen to Şahin and Kemiksiz sing.

‘Meşk’ of Karaca and Kutbay

If you haven’t heard of them yet, this Ramadan might be the time for you to discover great master reed flute players Aka Gündüz Kutbay and Kani Karaca. Three years ago Kalan Müzik Corporation released for the first time recordings by Karaca and Kutbay, who filled his short life with a great music career and who is the voice, which comes to life with a reed flute, of a life that is devoted to music. Musical albums dubbed “Aşk” and “Meşk” were prepared by reed flute player Aziz Şenol Filiz. In the musical album “Aşk,” Kutbay’s previously unreleased works are included while “Meşk” features his work with master singer Karaca.

Yansımalar and Tekbilek

Yansımalar is a musical group that has helped Turkish classical music gain favor with young generations again and you may prefer to listen to them instead. The reed flute played by Aziz Şenol Filiz and the melodies sung by Birol Yayla will definitely lead you to contemplation. We strongly recommend the musical albums “Bab-ı Esra,” “Serzeniş” and “Pervane.” Ömer Faruk Tekbilek’s compositions which have a slow rhythm and are rich in spirit will cause you to experience different feelings. You should definitely listen to his “Best Of” album.

Commemorate Hafızs

If you haven’t yet discovered Hafız Kemal and Hafız Burhan, who are among the great singers of Turkish classical music, Ramadan would be a good time to do so. Kemal was an artist who was both talented and modest and whose name was written in gold letters in Turkey’s artistic history. It will be a very different experience for you to listen to him singing Mevlid-i Şerif (a literary work on the birth of the Prophet Muhammad). Listening to the great master Hafız Burhan singing odes will open a different window to your spiritual world. If you are interested in finding these albums, Kalan Müzik Corporation released both albums in previous years and they are still available on the market.

Each is precious, each is special

Of course there are many additional names to mention here. Do invite the singing of Ahmet Özhan, Hafız Celal Yılmaz, Mustafa Demirci, Mehmet Emin Ay and others into your spiritual world. We also advise you to listen to Niyazi Sayın, Kudsi Erguner and Sadrettin Özçimli playing the reed flute.

22 July 2012 / ALİ PEKTAŞ , İSTANBUL


9.       AlphaF
5677 posts
 23 Jul 2012 Mon 03:29 pm

 

Quoting Abla

 

 

The populist Real Finn party in my country also complains about Muslim adhan which won´t let people sleep at night.

 

There is no mosque with a minaret in the whole of Finland.

 

 

 

Complaining about drums, eh ?

Wait till they face my cannons...they will all fill in " DRUMS BACK PLEASE !" petitions. 

10.       tunci
7149 posts
 23 Jul 2012 Mon 05:06 pm

 

Quoting AlphaF

 

 

Complaining about drums, eh ?

Wait till they face my cannons...they will all fill in " DRUMS BACK PLEASE !" petitions. 

 

Looks like you are more worried than non-moslems..{#emotions_dlg.suspicious}

(13 Messages in 2 pages - View all)
[1] 2
Add reply to this discussion




Turkish Dictionary
Turkish Chat
Open mini chat
New in Forums
Why yer gördüm but yeri geziyorum
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much, makes perfect sense!
Etmeyi vs etmek
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much!
Görülmez vs görünmiyor
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much, very well explained!
Içeri and içeriye
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much for the detailed ...
Present continous tense
HaydiDeer: Got it, thank you!
Hic vs herhangi, degil vs yok
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much!
Rize Artvin Airport Transfer - Rize Tours
rizetours: Dear Guest; In order to make your Black Sea trip more enjoyable, our c...
What does \"kabul ettiğini\" mean?
HaydiDeer: Thank you very much for the detailed ...
Kimse vs biri (anyone)
HaydiDeer: Thank you!
Random Pictures of Turkey
Most commented