According to the calendar of the Diyanet, Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs, the first day of fasting of Ramadan 2027 is Monday 8 February and the last is Monday 8 March; the festival marking the end of Ramadan, Ramazan Bayramı, runs from Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 March 2027. Turkey sets these dates in advance by astronomical calculation: they do not depend on sighting the moon and may differ by a day from those of other countries. For a month, the city lives to the rhythm of the fast: relative calm during the day, cheerful crowds at sunset around the great mosques, illuminated inscriptions between the minarets and drums in the streets before dawn. For a visitor, it is a special time, open to all provided a few customs are respected: sights stay open, and so do most restaurants.
Highlights
The mahya between the minarets
Throughout the month, illuminated messages are strung between the minarets of the great mosques, an Ottoman tradition said to date back to the reign of Ahmed I and the [Blue Mosque](/fr/attractions/mosquee-bleue). The bulbs, once oil lamps, spell out phrases such as "Hoş geldin ya şehr-i Ramazan" ("Welcome, O month of Ramadan") at the start and "Elveda" ("Farewell") at the end. In 2026, mahya adorned the Blue Mosque, the [Süleymaniye Mosque](/fr/attractions/mosquee-suleymaniye), Eyüp Sultan, Atik Valide in Üsküdar and the Mimar Sinan Mosque in Ataşehir, among others. The best views are from the ferries and the Galata Bridge.
Iftar in Sultanahmet Square
Between the Blue Mosque and [Hagia Sophia](/fr/attractions/sainte-sophie-istanbul), families and groups of friends settle on the lawns and benches with their meal and wait for the call to prayer that marks the breaking of the fast. On the first evening, the Fatih municipality holds a communal iftar there with the Ottoman military band (mehter) and the Ramadan cannon, fired by an army artillery unit. In recent years, the square, on the site of the ancient [Hippodrome](/fr/attractions/hippodrome-de-constantinople), has also hosted stalls of local specialities and crafts during the month, lively until late in the evening.
Breaking the fast at Süleymaniye
Around the Süleymaniye Mosque, many Istanbulites come to break their fast in the gardens overlooking the Golden Horn, with food they have brought. The small bean restaurants in the next street are full at iftar time. The mosque, its illuminated minarets and its mahya can be seen from afar from Eminönü.
Eyüp Sultan
The Eyüp mosque, which houses the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet, is the most venerated place in Istanbul. During Ramadan, its square and lanes fill with families at iftar, then for the night-time tarawih prayer, especially at weekends. The Night of Power (Kadir Gecesi), on the evening of Friday 5 March 2027, draws huge crowds there. See also our page on [Eyüp and Pierre Loti hill](/fr/attractions/eyup-et-colline-pierre-loti).
The sahur drummers
Before dawn, drummers (davulcu) go through the neighbourhoods to wake residents for the last meal before the fast, the sahur. In 2026, some 3,000 licensed drummers played in 961 Istanbul neighbourhoods, each carrying a photo card issued by the municipal police. They then go from door to door, often towards the end of the month, to collect a tip, which is entirely voluntary. In hotels in residential districts, pack earplugs.
Ramadan bread and güllaç
In the late afternoon, queues form outside bakeries for ramazan pidesi, a round flatbread sprinkled with sesame and nigella seeds, made during the month of fasting. For dessert, güllaç layers thin sheets of starch soaked in sweetened milk and rose water, topped with pomegranate seeds.
The end-of-Ramadan festival
Ramazan Bayramı, from 9 to 11 March 2027, consists of three public holidays, preceded by a half-day off on the afternoon of 8 March (arife). People visit family and children receive sweets and small sums of money. The [Grand Bazaar](/fr/attractions/grand-bazar-istanbul) closes during the festival, and many residents leave the city. On the first day of the festival, Ministry of Culture museums in principle only open in the early afternoon, although several major sites opened at their usual hours in 2026, and the national palaces stay closed.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Eating, drinking or smoking in public is not forbidden: in Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu or Kadıköy, most restaurants and cafés stay open during the day. Be discreet in more conservative districts such as Fatih, Çarşamba or Eyüp, and avoid eating in front of a mosque entrance. Iftar is at sunset, around 6:30pm at the start of the month and around 7pm at the end (Turkey stays on UTC+3 all year round): restaurants offer iftar menus and are full at that time, so book. The hour before iftar is the worst time to get around, by taxi or public transport. Mosques remain open to visitors between prayers, but avoid iftar time and the evening prayer, extended by tarawih. If you are invited to share an iftar, accept gladly: it is a common gesture of hospitality. For the city's other free sights, see [Free Istanbul](/fr/articles/activites-gratuites-istanbul). Information as observed in October 2026.
How to get there
Sultanahmet Square, Fatih, Istanbul: tram T1, Sultanahmet stop. Süleymaniye Mosque: metro M2, Vezneciler station, then a 10-minute walk. Eyüp Sultan: tram T5 from Eminönü, Eyüpsultan Teleferik stop, or the Golden Horn ferry, Eyüp pier.
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