Islamic festivals

The Feast of Sacrifice bayram (holiday) or Eid al-Adha is one of the two most important festivities of Islam. Sacrificing sheep, goats, camels or cows, depending on the wealth of the family, during the bayram has become a tradition.

Today is the first day of the two biggest festivities of Islam, Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, also marking the completion of the annual pilgrimage around Kaaba in Mecca.

Leading Turkish pilgrims in Mecca this year, Mehmet Görmez, Turkey?s Religious Affairs (Diyanet) Director, delivered a khutbah (sermon) and a prayer there Sept. 23, on the eve of the festivities? start. 

Muslims worldwide, including those in Turkey, are set to celebrate Islam's holy Feast of Sacrifice - known as Eid al-Adha in Arabic - with millions of Muslims across the world making a pilgrimage this week to Saudi Arabia.

The four-day celebration begins on Sept. 24 in Turkey and most other countries with a predominantly Muslim population.  

A major Islamic holiday is coming up and Turkey's biggest city is now home to hundreds of thousands of cows and sheep from all over the country to be bought and sold.

Beginning Sept. 24, Muslims will celebrate the four-day Eid al-Adha, also known as the "Feast of the Sacrifice," which celebrates the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son for God.

'People are afraid of traveling with their animals. So, the number of livestock has naturally decreased in big cities,' breeder Yunus Coktin said, referring to the outlawed PKK's renewed armed campaign The hustle and bustle of breeders and buyers, the shouts of bargaining, the shaking of hands and, of course, the overpowering smell of countless of cows and sheep...

Turkey has declared a nine-day public holiday starting from Sept. 19 over Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), with a half day off for public employees falling on Sept. 23, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Civil servants will be granted leave on Sept. 21, 22, and a half day on Sept. 23, Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu's office said in a written statement. 

Nationwide road accidents have marked this year's holiday of Eid al-Fitr, despite the extra measures that were taken.

Including the first two days before the holiday began on July 17, 74 people have died and 377 have been injured over the four days. 

A strike at the ?zmir facility of Turkey?s petrochemical giant, Petkim, came to an end late June 1 after workers agreed to a deal with the company?s management.

On May 28, nearly 1,000 workers of the petrochemical producer in the province of Izmir, in western Turkey, went on strike, occupying the facility for better work conditions. 

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader has pledged to double the amount of money given to pensioners on religious holidays if he becomes prime minister, ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled for June 7.

The Feast of Sacrifice, the Bayram has gone, right? Since the holiday mood is over, I would like to say a few words to those who continued to fight the entire world during the holiday