Unique spiritual atmosphere in Ramadan in Qatar, says Turkish envoy’s wife

Ramadan in Qatar is characterised by a unique spiritual atmosphere, especially with various activities that Qatar hosts during the holy month in Souq Waqif, Katara and other places, Turkish ambassador Dr M Mustafa Göksu's wife Kobra Goksu told local Arabic daily Arrayah.

"With the advent of the month of Ramadan, which is the month of mercy and blessings, the beautiful and unique Ramadan atmosphere in Qatar emerges. I have noticed that Turkey and Qatar have similar Ramadan traditions, such as the keenness to perform Tarawih prayers and Tahajjud prayers, as well as firing the cannon at Iftar time," she pointed out."Ramadan tents are erected in the city squares in Turkey for the collective Iftar. Municipalities organise Iftar invitations in neighbourhoods and streets, and people break their fast in the special tents. During the month of Ramadan, our mosques are decorated and illuminated with boards called 'Al Mahaya' which are hung on the front of the mosques, welcoming the advent of the month of Ramadan."We also have drummers roaming the city streets and lanes in all the cities of Turkey. They read poetry called "mani" and inform people about the time of Suhoor when they wander around the streets of Turkish cities. The Turkish people sleep after Tarawih prayers and are woken up for Suhour by the drummers. It is generally common for the Holy Qur'an to be recited individually in Qatar. On the other hand, in addition to reading the Qur’an individually in Turkey, there is a “maqala” (collective reciting) which is a form of reading the Qur’an, in which a reader reads the Qur’an and others follow him, which is also common. The late dinner called “Ghabga” in Qatar, and the “Garangao” event, which takes place in the middle of Ramadan, is a culture that does not exist in Turkey.In addition, the Ramadan gifts that our Qatari brothers send us with the advent of Ramadan is a culture that I like very much, but we do not have it in Turkey."Since Ramadan is the month of sharing, we attach a great importance to having Suhoor and Iftar with our friends. Usually, we invite our relatives, neighbours and friends and have Iftar together. It was sad we were unable to offer Iftar and Suhoor meals due to the Covid-19 restrictions last year.But this year, as the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Doha, we organised a large-scale Iftar programme at our Embassy residence in order to liven and keep the spirit of Ramadan alive. We were able to experience the joy of Ramadan once again with the group Iftars at our embassy.Hence, we organised group Iftar meals with our citizens working in the same sectors, we aim to make our citizens meet, mingle and share the spirit of Ramadan together. In order to promote our Ramadan culture, we have organized Iftar meals with a wide participation. In this context, we have invited all the ambassadors to Doha as part of this year's Iftar programmes.Mrs Koksu added, since our country has a very rich food culture, each region has its own unique dishes. Generally, people break their fast with dates, olives or dried fruits on the Ramadan table. After that, the meal continues with hot soup, then olive oil dishes, pastries and Ottoman sherbet, a must-have for Ramadan tables. Finally, a cup of tea perfectly matches the traditional Turkish dessert. In addition, our tables are decorated with Ramadan bread called “Bideh”, and a light dessert with milk called “collage”. In Qatar, the iftar table is delicious and varied, and I attended that on more than one occasion with some Qatari friends.On the diplomatic lifestyle Mrs Koksu commented: “Of course, my husband is a very busy ambassador and I attend many official ceremonies with him. This gives me a chance to meet and join many people. Thanks to this, I made many friends, which added colour to my life. With the motto saying there is a strong, dedicated woman behind every successful man, my children and I will always continue to support His Excellency the Ambassador with happiness and honour.She also recalled memories experienced in the months of Ramadan from childhood, and said that there is a fast called “boat fasting” to make children love fasting in Ramadan, where they fast until noon.The elders of the family complete this fast, which is for children from half a day to a full day. When Eid arrives, the children sell their fasts to the elders of the family and thus receive the Eid present, which is always in cash. We also have a shadow play (puppet show) called “Karakoz and Hajivat” during Ramadan. We carried out this tradition at the Turkish School in Qatar and Yunus Emre Institute this year.With reference to spending Ramadan abroad Mrs Koksu recalled: “I spent my first Ramadan outside Turkey in Medina, Saudi Arabia, next to the city of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), in an atmosphere of high spiritual feelings, and that Ramadan is unforgettable for me.” She concluded.