Turkey has been one of the most popular tourist destinations for many years, and the Turkish calendar is based on the Gregorian calendar, due to the fact that part of the official holidays in Turkey are based on religious and Islamic holidays, changes are announced every year.
And since traveling to Turkey, especially to famous cities like Istanbul, is very popular, one of the most important things to do before starting your trip is to check official Turkish holidays.
So for those who decided to travel to Turkey, we have taken into consideration the official holidays and public, national and religious holidays in the year 2021, so it is not bad to get acquainted with the local calendar for this country to look at the appropriate time for your trip.
Before examining the official holidays in Turkey, it is better to know the names of days, months and seasons in the Turkish language.
As each country has its own characteristics and features, and knowing the names of the week or names, the seasons and months will help to familiarize yourself with the culture and language of that country.
The names of the days of the week in Turkey in Turkish :
In Istanbul, Turkey, the names of the days of the week differ from Arabic, Persian or English, but some days have common roots:
- Saturday in Turkish: Cumartesi
- Sunday in the Turkish language: Pazar
- Monday in the Turkish language: Pazartesi
- Tuesday in Turkish: Salı
- Wednesday in Turkish: Çarşamba
- Thursday in the Turkish language: Perşembe
- Friday in Turkish: Cuma
The names of the seasons in Turkey in Turkish :
- The seasons of the year are in Turkish: Mevsimler
- The year in the Turkish language: Sene – Yil
- Spring in the Turkish language: Ilkbahar
- Summer in Turkish language: Yaz
- Autumn in the Turkish language: Sonbahar
- Winter in Turkish language: Kış
The names of the months of the year in Turkey in Turkish :
Many of Turkey’s most famous names in relation to the Turkish language are derived from Syriac.
And Syriac was one of the influential languages in the Middle East and Mesopotamia in the fourth and eighth centuries AD.
The followings are the names of Turkey’s most famous in the Turkish language compared to the basic names that we generally adopt:
- January, the name of the month in Turkish: Ocak
- February, the name of the month in Turkish: Şubat
- March, the name of the month in Turkish: Mart
- April, the name of the month in Turkish: Nisan
- May, the name of the month in Turkish: Mayıs
- June, the name of the month in Turkish: Haziran
- July, the name of the month in Turkish: Temmuz
- August, the name of the month in Turkish: Ağustos
- September, the name of the month in Turkish: Eylül
- October, the name of the month in Turkish: Ekim
- November, the name of the month in Turkish: Kasım
- December, the name of the month in Turkish: Aralık
The most important public holidays that are held in Turkey :
- The holiday that is on January 1 in Turkey, which is the New Year’s day, is considered as a national holiday in Turkey, and it is the first day of the New Year so it is celebrated in all countries of the world.
- The holiday that is on April 23 in Turkey, which is the day of national sovereignty and Children’s Day, this day is considered a national holiday in Turkey, and it commemorates the inauguration of the first large national council in Turkey in 1920, and is dedicated to children to celebrate it
- The holiday that is on the 1st of May in Turkey, a holiday on the occasion of Labor Day and Business Solidarity, and this day is a national holiday
- The holiday that is on May 19 in Turkey, which is Ataturk Day, as well as Youth and Sports Day, which is a national holiday, and on the same day the celebration is also held to commemorate the day of the start of the war that led to the independence of the Turkish republic and its establishment as an independent state
- The holiday is on the 13th, 14th and 15th of April, which coincides with Eid al-Fitr, which is an official religious holiday. These days are celebrated in Arab and Islamic countries as well, and on the same official dates announced in Turkey to celebrate the end of Ramadan.
- The holiday that is on July 15 in Turkey, the Day of Democracy in this country happens, and it is a national holiday in Turkey, commemorating the celebration of the failure of the coup in Turkey
- The holiday is from July 20 to July 23 in Turkey. Eid al-Adha falls on these days, which is the official religious holiday, as in some neighboring Arab and Islamic countries.
- The Holiday in August 30th in Turkey, Victory Day in Turkey is a national holiday
- The holiday that is on October 6 in Turkey, the day commemorating the liberation of Istanbul, and on the same day a regional closure is held, but this is not included in the official holiday programs for 2020
- The holiday on October 28 and 29 in Turkey, which is Republic Day, is an official holiday
Tips for traveling during official holidays in Turkey:
Before traveling to Turkey, especially to buy flights to Istanbul, Turkey, you must pay attention to the following points:
- The Istanbul Grand Bazaar and the Istanbul Spices Market are closed during the religious holidays, which are in the month of Ramadan and the days of Eid al-Adha, in addition to the public holidays on October 29, Sundays are also closed on a regular and weekly basis as a regular holiday.
- We can tell you that it is very safe to travel to Turkey during the holidays, so do not worry
- The Blue Mosque in Turkey is open during religious holidays, but since the crowd is much higher than usual in relation to the appointments and prayer times, the reopening times may definitely be delayed for visitors to enter after the prayer sessions.
- It is worth noting that many museums in Turkey are currently closed on Mondays, although they are closed for only half an hour during religious holidays, if you are on a road trip or only plan to stay overnight, this may reduce the possibility of using what remains for you from time to visit Turkey’s attractions
- If you travel to Turkey during the election day period, most attractions and facilities will be open and available, but if you wish to drink alcohol during this period, serving alcohol is often illegal and forbidden in restaurants and bars until the end of the official vote.
- If you are in Turkey during the month of Ramadan, you must be sensitive and understanding that those around you may be fasting, of course, food and drink are still available at all hours of the day, but when you eat in public places or when you walk on the street, it is better to avoid to eat or drink in public places out of respect for people who are fasting temporarily, you can instead go to a cafe or restaurant to have appetizers or snacks
- Although Turkish Independence Day is not a religious event of course, the city is colored by the colors of the Turkish flag all over Turkey, and on this day the Turkish flag hangs from balconies, windows, and everywhere else you look at it! Depending on where you are, you may encounter many festivals and ceremonial music parades marking the anniversary of this day in Turkey.
