Survival Guide - Discover Turkey: Experience the Best of Turkey - page 751

Public Holidays
» New Year's Day (Yılbaşı; 1 January)
» National Sovereignty & Children's Day (Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Günü; 23 April)
Commemorates the first meeting of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1920.
» International Workers' Day (May Day; 1 May) Features marches through İstanbul.
Thousands gather around Taksim Sq, where the Taksim Square Massacre happened on 1
May 1977.
» Youth & Sports Day (Gençlik ve Spor Günü; 19 May) Dedicated to Atatürk and Turkish
youth.
» Şeker Bayramı (Sweets Holiday; see table) Also known as Ramazan Bayramı, it celeb-
rates the end of Ramazan.
» Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı; 30 August) Commemorates the republican army's victory
over the invading Greek army at Dumlupınar during the War of Independence.
» Kurban Bayramı (Festival of the Sacrifice; see table) The most important holiday,
marking İbrahim's near-sacrifice of İsmael on Mt Moriah (Quran, Sura 37; Genesis 22).
Transport and accommodation fill up fast.
» Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı; 28 to 29 October) Commemorates the proclama-
tion of the republic by Atatürk in 1923.

Major Islamic Holidays
The rhythms of Islamic practice are tied to the lunar calendar, which is slightly shorter than its Gregorian equivalent,
so the Muslim calendar begins around 11 days earlier each year. The following dates are approximate.

ISLAMIC
YEAR

NEW
YEAR

PROPHET'S
BIRTHDAY

RAMAZAN ŞEKER
BAYRAMI

KURBAN
BAYRAMI

1434 16 Nov 201225 Jan 2013 10 Jul 2013 8 Aug 2013 15 Oct 2013

1435 5 Nov 2013 14 Jan 2014 29 Jun 2014 28 Jul 2014 4 Oct 2014

1436 25 Oct 2014 3 Jan 2015 18 Jun 2015 17 Jul 2015 23 Sep 2015

1437 14 Oct 2014 23 Dec 2014 7 Jun 2015 6 Jul 2015 12 Sep 2015