Turkish Mosque Lights Tell the Faithful to Stay Home During Ramadan

Mahya reads "life fits at home" is seen installed between the minarets of Yeni New mosque, as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. (Reuters)
Mahya reads "life fits at home" is seen installed between the minarets of Yeni New mosque, as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. (Reuters)
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Turkish Mosque Lights Tell the Faithful to Stay Home During Ramadan

Mahya reads "life fits at home" is seen installed between the minarets of Yeni New mosque, as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. (Reuters)
Mahya reads "life fits at home" is seen installed between the minarets of Yeni New mosque, as the outbreak of the coronavirus continues in Istanbul, Turkey, April 27, 2020. (Reuters)

The traditional lighting that hangs between the minarets of Turkish mosques, usually packed for evening prayers in the holy month of Ramadan, is urging Turks to stay at home this year as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic.

Known as "mahya", the tradition of stringing up devotional messages in lights from the soaring minarets of Istanbul's Ottoman-era mosques is unique to Turkey and dates back hundreds of years.

The process of hanging the lights is overseen by masters of the art. Working from sketches, they set lightbulbs on cords to spell out the desired message, before rolling them onto ropes draped between the minarets of the mosque using a pulley.

Suspended between the minarets, the lights normally declare religious messages in huge letters, visible from afar and intended to reward and inspire the faithful who have spent the daylight hours fasting, reported Reuters.

This year, with Turkey at the peak of coronavirus outbreak at the start of the fasting month of Ramadan, the messages are different.

Kahraman Yildiz, one of the last remaining experts on the art, wears a mask for the first time in his long career as he hangs the lights between two minarets of the 400-year-old New Mosque in Istanbul's Fatih district.

"We were giving nice religious messages during the month of Ramadan. This month, something different happened because of this pandemic," he says.

"We are sharing (messages) related to that," Kahraman adds, unfurling the string of lights that read: "Life fits at home".

He then begins hanging the lights one by one on a rope between the minarets as he and his colleagues carefully abide by social distancing rules in a city which has borne the brunt of Turkey's 112,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.

The lights are lit every evening during Ramadan at the time of the call to prayer that announces the end to the day's fast.

"Mahyas have given beautiful messages with excerpts from verses (of the Quran) ... for centuries. But this year for the first time, we have mahyas that we hung up aimed at protecting our health," said Burhan Ersoy, General Director of Foundations.

He said other examples included, "Stay responsible, stay healthy," and "Stay home, stay healthy".



Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid Royal Reserve Sees Release of Over 30 Endangered Animals

The release included 20 Arabian sand gazelles, five Arabian Oryx, four wild hares, three steppe eagles, and a Black kite. SPA
The release included 20 Arabian sand gazelles, five Arabian Oryx, four wild hares, three steppe eagles, and a Black kite. SPA
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Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid Royal Reserve Sees Release of Over 30 Endangered Animals

The release included 20 Arabian sand gazelles, five Arabian Oryx, four wild hares, three steppe eagles, and a Black kite. SPA
The release included 20 Arabian sand gazelles, five Arabian Oryx, four wild hares, three steppe eagles, and a Black kite. SPA

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW), in collaboration with the Imam Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Royal Reserve Development Authority, has released over 30 endangered animals into the King Khalid Royal Reserve, as part of programs for breeding and reintroducing endangered species into their natural habitats, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Wednesday.
The release included 20 Arabian sand gazelles, five Arabian Oryx, four wild hares, three steppe eagles, and a Black kite, aiming to boost the reserve's biodiversity, restore ecological balance, enhance sustainability, and promote eco-tourism, SPA said.
These national efforts reflect the Kingdom's pioneering efforts in preserving natural resources and pursuing sustainable development through building sustainable ecological models. They also demonstrate Saudi Arabia’s commitment to global environmental protection and sustainability, SPA added.