On the banks of the Bosphorus.. Istanbul receives the Night of Power with the largest group breakfast in the history of Turkey

Istanbul -

As is the case in all countries of the Islamic world, the Turks receive the 27th night of Ramadan each year with great interest and reverence, but they chose to have this year's "Laylat al-Qadr" an exceptional celebration of its own, in which thousands of fasting people participate.

On the pier on the coast of the famous Girl’s Tower overlooking from the east on the Bosphorus Strait - one of the most important landmarks of the Asian side of Istanbul - 80,000 participated in a group breakfast, the largest in the city’s history in decades.

The invitation to the collective iftar was made by posting a video on the Uskudar Municipality page.

Uskudar Mayor Hilmi Turkman speaks to the participants at the largest Iftar in Turkey on the coast of Burj Maiden in Istanbul (Turkish press)

Preparations for group breakfast

Uskudar municipality, which organizes breakfast, closed the streets of the neighborhood - which is known for its very crowded - since the afternoon hours in the face of vehicles and traffic, and stopped the flow of tourists taking water boats to the girl's tower "Kiz Kolasi", to open the way for its teams and crews working on organizing tables and distributing food.

Uskudar municipality's page published several videos showing preparations for the mass breakfast, which was described as the "largest".

More than 80 thousand

Turkish press and media sources estimated the number of participants who attended the iftar at more than 80,000. The website of the Turkish newspaper "Kent Howadis" described the breakfast as the largest in the history of the republic, as the breakfast meal covered an area of ​​two kilometers.

The Iftar program included activities and programs presented through a central platform, in which the Mayor of Uskudar and a number of legal persons who welcomed the participants in the Iftar spoke, and touched on the virtues of the 27th of Ramadan and the blessing of reviving its night.

The following video reflects the atmosphere of breakfast, which was published by Uskudar Mayor Hilmi Turkman on his page.

One occasion for the good of many

In turn, an official in the Public Relations and Communication Department of Uskudar Municipality told Al Jazeera Net correspondent in Istanbul that inviting all the people and residents of the city to have breakfast and pray together is the best honor that can be given to this blessed night that the entire Islamic world celebrates because it is the night of the revelation of the Holy Quran.

The official stated that the goal of organizing the huge iftar is to obtain the reward for breaking the fast on the 27th of Ramadan, whose night the Turks consider the Night of Power on a fixed basis, away from asking for wages, and spending the rest of the odd nights of the last ten days of the blessed month of Ramadan, in which the teachings of Islam recommend seeking the blessed night in it.

He added that this breakfast represents an important opportunity for many families to come and eat with relatives, acquaintances and friends in a "wonderful" atmosphere, as people used to sit and watch the sunset on the pier of the coast and port of Uskudar, where the table was held.

Turkish citizens at the table of the largest breakfast in the Turkish Republic (Turkish press)

He also pointed out that the municipality takes into account that the establishment of major breakfast activities will contribute to alleviating the financial burdens on many families who are undercover and fasting, by providing them with breakfast in light of the difficult circumstances they are living in.

He explained that holding a group Iftar also contributes to helping the participants to devote themselves to worship and spend the hours of this night, especially in the nearby Çamlıca Mosque, which is one of the largest mosques in Turkey, which the authorities announced to open for tahajjud and i'tikaf on this night.

Establishing a group breakfast on the Bosphorus contributes to helping the participants to devote themselves to worship and spend the hours of Laylat al-Qadr (Al-Jazeera)

Religious and traditional traditions

Uskudar municipality is known for its keen interest in blending the cultural environment with heritage and religious traditions, especially in the holy month of Ramadan, as the municipality has been holding local collective iftars and distributing meals and food baskets to needy families, university students and citizens passing by in their cars at the time of iftar.

Uskudar Mayor Hilmi Turkman was also known for his supportive stances for children and refugees, and had previously participated in launching and managing several initiatives aimed at improving the living conditions of Syrian refugees in his country.

Every day of the holy month, the city of Istanbul hosts dozens of collective iftars held by its 39 municipalities for the residents of local neighborhoods, as well as iftars held by professional, cooperative and charitable institutions and organizations.

The annual Iftar on the pier on the coast of Burj Al-Fattah is one of the annual traditions witnessed among those breakfasts in terms of the number of participants in it, which did not record the number of 80,000 except this year, in addition to the Iftar of the Great Municipality of Al-Fateh, which is held daily in the courtyards of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque near the mosque. Hagia Sophia on the European side of Istanbul.