Eid

In Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey, Albania and Kosovo, or in countries with large Muslim communities, such as Bosnia and North Macedonia, many people gathered on Thursday morning for the Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Turkey celebrated the first day of Eid al-Fitr, a three-day Muslim festival celebrated after the fasting month of Ramadan, under the shadow of strict measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 disease for the second year in a row.

Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, is being celebrated in Turkey under the shadow of strict measures to stem the spread of COVID-19 disease for the second year in a row.

Mass prayers, iftar dinners - breaking the daily fast - and family and neighbourhood gatherings are essential parts of Ramadan, besides other events such as concerts, fairs and conferences.

Finally, in Eid al-Fitr, known also in the Balkans as Ramazan Bajram, believers come together to celebrate the end of the holy month.

The holy fasting month of Ramadan has begun with Muslims from all over the world observing the fast under the shadow of the pandemic.

Turkish miners in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak have also marked the start of Ramadan by having a "sahur," a pre-dawn meal before starting the fast, 250 meters below ground.

Muslims around the world are celebrating Ramadan this month by reading the Quran, praying, fasting and doing good works.

Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims. This year, Ramadan will begin in the evening of Monday, April 12, and ends in the evening of Wednesday, May 12.

Almost 2 million Muslims observe Ramadan.

Inter-city travel restrictions introduced in early April as part of wide-ranging measures to arrest the spread of the coronavirus may be abolished next month, Hürriyet daily has reported.

The Turkish public largely complied with the four-day lockdown taken across the country, but some 48,000 people violated the curfews rules, the Interior Ministry has said.

The country imposed the nationwide curfew during Eid al-Fitr on May 23 to curb the spread of COVID-19.

A four-day curfew Turkey imposed on the country's 81 provinces to curb the spread of the coronavirus outbreak ended on May 27.

Although Turkey usually declares curfew at the weekends in the major cities, this one covered all of the country for four days to include the Eid al-Fitr, holiday which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Imams attend Eid al-Fitr prayers that mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan in Pristina, Kosovo, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/VALDRIN XHEMAJ

Muslims attend a morning prayer session to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, at Lokomotiv Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV