From the cool marbles of Mecca to the hills of Istanbul decorated with mahyas, and the sad but enthusiastic iftar tables of Sarajevo... Destinations where you will experience an unforgettable Ramadan with your family.
Our Prophet (PBUH) said, 'Umrah performed in the month of Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj performed with me'. Just to attain the good tidings of this hadith is reason enough to spend Ramadan in the holy lands. Sitting on the cool marbles of the Kaaba in Mecca, waiting for the sound of the adhan side by side with people from all over the world fills one's heart with a completely different awe. As the iftar time approaches, those long tables spread across the courtyards of Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi are the most concrete form of brotherhood and sharing. You cannot find the feeling of 'satisfaction' you feel while breaking your fast with a glass of zamzam and a date offered to you even in the most luxurious restaurants in the world. With HalalWorld's luxury hotel options right next to the Kaaba, inside the clock tower, you can make this challenging but equally delicious worship journey much more comfortable for your family.
If you are an expatriate living in Europe, the biggest longing echoing inside you during the month of Ramadan is the 'sound of the adhan'. Istanbul is the embodied state of the question 'Where are those old Ramadans?' that they told about in your childhood. The glittering mahyas stretched between two minarets, the smell of hot Ramadan pita spilling onto the street from the bakeries, and that sweet rush that lasts until the morning in the courtyard of Eyup Sultan... Ramadan in Istanbul is not only a month of worship but also a huge cultural feast. The taste of breaking your fast with a simit and ayran in your hand on a small cloth you spread on the grass in Sultanahmet Square is like nothing else. Performing tarawih in the tremendous acoustics of Suleymaniye at nights and then drinking boza in Vefa will be one of the most beautiful memories you will build with your family. By staying in HalalWorld's alcohol-free boutique hotels in Istanbul Fatih or the Bosphorus line, you can join this spiritual atmosphere by walking.
If you are looking for a visa-free, calmer but highly spiritual European route, Sarajevo, the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is just for you. In the middle of Europe, this sad but equally proud city, where adhan rises from its minarets five times a day, literally blossoms during the month of Ramadan. Walking through the stone streets of Baščaršija, the smell of 'somun' (Bosnian pita) spreading from the bakeries and Bosnian burek cooked on wood fire makes your head spin. As the iftar time approaches, hearing the sound of the traditional iftar cannon fired from the Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija) and breaking the fast by watching the whole city from the top is a unique experience. When you perform tarawih side by side with our Bosnian brothers, who still carry the scars of the war but never compromise their beliefs, at the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, you feel deeply once again that Islamic brotherhood knows no borders. Moreover, Sarajevo is one of the cities in Europe where you can be most comfortable regarding halal food.
The month of Ramadan is of course very beautiful in our home, in our own kitchen. However, experiencing this blessed month as 'one heart' with millions of Muslim brothers and sisters in different geographies is a completely different experience that makes one feel not alone in the world.
Sometimes breaking our habits and stepping out of our comfort zone is the greatest gift we can give to our souls. Put aside the rush at home this Ramadan; hold your family's hands and experience the immense richness of the Islamic geography on site. Whether you break your fast with Zamzam in Masjid al-Haram, wait for the evening adhan among the smells of simit in Sultanahmet, or perform tarawih shoulder to shoulder with our Bosnian brothers in Baščaršija. Whichever route you take, the HalalWorld.com family, which carefully selects halal hotels that suit your privacy and beliefs, is always with you. We wish you an auspicious, fruitful, and travel-filled Ramadan!
