Istanbul and Ramadan

[Napi's Mom]

Having heard from the Shore Excursion Dept. that one of the reasons there are so few tours on the 11/15 Nautica cruise in Istanbul is that it will be during Ramadan. They are trying to find others. But we are booked in hotel for Post Cruise stay, that is within walking distance of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia, and wondering if Ramadan means we won't be allowed to tour in these venues, some sites said that it was possible they will be closed.We have 1 day only.

Previously I posted about how to find how many rooms were available on O website...note they never list more than 7 rooms in a given category, click on others room# to see if avail., so if they list 7 there might be more...but it will show you which are closed or close to being closed

[Jayayeff]

I would re-check that information as Ramadan will be long over by 15th November. Dependent upon moon sightings the month of Ramdan this year should start 25th or 26th September and end 23th or 24th October. I'm not sure how many days they take in Turkey for the Eid holiday following Ramadan but for us in the UAE it is 3, so by 15th November day to day life should be very much back to normal.

[Napi's Mom]

I would re-check that information as Ramadan will be long over by 15th November. Dependent upon moon sightings the month of Ramdan this year should start 25th or 26th September and end 23th or 24th October. I'm not sure how many days they take in Turkey for the Eid holiday following Ramadan but for us in the UAE it is 3, so by 15th November day to day life should be very much back to normal.

Well All I had to go on was a quote from the Shore Excursion desk from "O", and a website that said it could extend late into Nov. So I'm happy to know this IS NOT SO. (So why are there so few excursions in Istanbul??? "O"??) I just checked their website and their Excursion Pkg. deals list NO excursion for Istanbul..it used to! (But did NOT lower the price, for the pkg. so you're paying more than the sum total of the ones that are listed if bought separatly. Hummm.

[Jayayeff]

Hopefully they are in the process of updating the information for you. I just double-checked the dates from my diary and they will definitely be on or around those I posted above, with both Ramadan and Eid over before the end of October. Enoy your November trip, life in Istanbul should be as normal when you are there.

[whyme]

Hopefully they are in the process of updating the information for you. I just double-checked the dates from my diary and they will definitely be on or around those I posted above, with both Ramadan and Eid over before the end of October. Enoy your November trip, life in Istanbul should be as normal when you are there.

 

 

According to the Islamic Society of North America the first day of fasting for Ramadan 2006 is expected to be September 24th. (depending on where you live)

Source: http://www.moonsighting.com

[obrayddd]

You caught my attention as we are sailing from Istanbul on the Nautica September 27 and are planning on spending a few days in Istanbul prior to sailing. Will all the usual sights be open during Ramadan and what about restaurants during the day. Any information would be most helpful.

Thanks

[TudorSue]

Napi's Mom-and fellow 11/15 Nautica cruiser,

 

Where are you staying in Istanbul? We're looking into hotels in Sultanmet near the main sites. We plan on staying two additional days (3 nights) in Istanbul and flying back to NY on 11/18 on the Turkish Air nonstop (code share with American Air). We did our own air booking too.

 

TudorSue

[Trece]

We spent a week in Morocco during Ramadan more than a few years ago and being in an Islamic country during that period is something I probably wouldn't choose to do again. I don't recall closures as much as the fact that (and Jayayeff will do better at the correct terminology) observers of Ramadan do not eat, drink, or smoke from sunrise to sunset during that period. This made for a very testy guide (this was a land tour and he was a smoker - no matter how religious you are it's difficult to overcome the physiological changes a smoker's body goes through when you can't smoke). Also, even though we should not have, we felt very awkward eating in front of him because we knew he could not. We tried very hard to be sensitive.

 

Also, we felt he short-shrifted us towards the end of each day's touring because understandably he was eager to break his fast, and be able to smoke!! We were there in February and the days were short so consequently sunset was early, resulting in some very short tour days. We felt like that scene from EUROPEAN VACATION when the Griswalds are going through the Louvre at warp speed!

 

Shop keepers also were on the testy & impatient side. I mean these comments only as observations, not criticisms! I would be the same identical way if I could not eat and while I've never smoked in my life I know how hard it has to be not to. Not to mention observing these prohibitions while dealing with tourists!!! We are not always an easy bunch!!

 

But on a lighter note, our favorite memory of Ramadan in Morocco is that the beginning and end of the day's fast is marked by some sort of "signal." I can't recall what they used in other cities, but in the area of Fez where we were staying a few nights, it was announced with a CANNON. So at sunrise one morning we were jolted out of bed by a cannon going off very close to our hotel. On a wry note I can say that this was pre 9-11 so it wasn't accompanied by any particular feeling of uneasiness - more a feeling of "what in the HECK was that??" :D

 

I have to admit that since this experience I do check now before booking cruises or trips on religious and other holidays in given countries - not necessarily to change my plans, but to know what I'm up against. Cruise lines and tour companies are not forthcoming with this information for obvious reasons. Last year we were on a "on our own" trip in Greece over their Orthodox Easter with another couple - lots was closed and we knew it would be. Walking on the far side of a busy street, we saw a family celebrating Easter outside with the lamb on the spit etc. They saw us looking, waved us over, sat us down, filled our plates, poured us wine & beer, and we had a priceless time with them eating, dancing, and drinking! We would never have experienced that had we avoided Orthodox Easter.

 

I think the important thing is not to be blindsided and to research what is likely to be happening over various holidays, religious or otherwise, and have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C etc. Have a great time! :D

[Saga Ruby]

What a wonderful, informed attitude you have toward being a traveler. I admire your flexibility which brought such rich rewards in your visit to Greece during Orthodox Easter. I have always believed that travel is all about the people, not the places.

 

Gosh, a cannon to announce the beginning of Ramadan in Fez? Thanks for the lively, amusing insights.

 

Ruby

[Napi's Mom]

Napi's Mom-and fellow 11/15 Nautica cruiser,

 

Where are you staying in Istanbul? We're looking into hotels in Sultanmet near the main sites. We plan on staying two additional days (3 nights) in Istanbul and flying back to NY on 11/18 on the Turkish Air nonstop (code share with American Air). We did our own air booking too.

 

TudorSue

We found this delightful little hotel called the "Angels Home Hotel" a 3*** Boutique hotel, just 12 rooms...not at all expensive in Nov....Not for the "4 Seasons" or Hilton type, but it has a roof patio looking over the "Blue Mosque" on one side & the sea on the other...& resturant w/free breakfast Buffet. We are only staying 1 nt. (16 nts. already away and Napi will be missing us and causing my Daughter all sorts of trouble--you need to own a Siberian Huskey to understand this!) So with our early air (8:55) we probably won't have a chance to sample the buffet that opens 7:30. Check it out on Travel Advisor...4th most popular hotel with them in Istanbul! BUT it's a family run homey type place...check out the reviews!!

Thank you all for your info on Ramadan...and trust Be Be to again put her foot in...

[BeBeReader]

My foot? What foot?:confused:

[willmschen]

We were in Istanbul last October when Ramadan began. Restaurants were pretty empty during the day, but everything was open (restaurants and shops).

 

Betty

[zTraveler]

Napi's Mom,

Your timing is perfect to visit the lovely city of Istanbul. There is a Picasso Exhibition that will be displayed at the Sakýp Sabancý Museum of the Sabancý University from Nov. 21, 2005 through March 25, 2006. The exhibit includes 135 works in various mediums by Picasso. The exhibition has works on loan from the Paris and Barcelona Picasso museums and some from a collection the artist kept to himself all his life and bequeathed to his family.

Open:

Tuesday-Friday 10:00 am - 06:00 pm,

Wednesdays 10:00 am – 10:00 pm,

Weekends 10:00 am - 06:00 pm.

Tel: 0212 277 22 00

The museum is closed on Mondays

I think that one of the best things we can do as travelers is to learn about the people and the cultures we visit. If we can learn more about people in foreign lands, we just might be more accepting and understanding of neighbors at home.

Enjoy Istanbul!

[TudorSue]

We found this delightful little hotel called the "Angels Home Hotel" a 3*** Boutique hotel' date=' just 12 rooms...not at all expensive in Nov....Not for the "4 Seasons" or Hilton type, but it has a roof patio looking over the "Blue Mosque" on one side & the sea on the other...& resturant w/free breakfast Buffet. We are only staying 1 nt. (16 nts. already away and Napi will be missing us and causing my Daughter all sorts of trouble--[i']you need to own a[/i] Siberian Huskey to understand this!) So with our early air (8:55) we probably won't have a chance to sample the buffet that opens 7:30. Check it out on Travel Advisor...4th most popular hotel with them in Istanbul! BUT it's a family run homey type place...check out the reviews!!

Thank you all for your info on Ramadan...and trust Be Be to again put her foot in...

Thanks for the Istanbul hotel information. I'm also going through tripadvisor for recommendations. We're really "pushing the envelope" time-wise too, but then we don't have kids or pets. And speaking of holidays and the like, I wonder if we'll have a proper Thanksgiving dinner on board the Nautica?

[Napi's Mom]

My Prince Charming & I were just wondering the same thing. We are "at sea" on the Day (well actually back home it would be later I guess) but they could do SOMETHING for us I think, but not all the travelers will be Americans, so could be they won't. My family has been a little shifted around this year so I wish we could be home but couldn't miss this trip, it is going to SO many places I've dreamed of going to! Of course everones idea of a proper Thanks. dinner is different

[TudorSue]

Napi's Mom,

 

Yes, a proper T-day dinner is open to interpretation! But maybe a turkey, do you think? Ah, the suspense....

[TudorSue]

Napi's Mom,

 

We booked at Sari Konak in Istanbul...also in Sultanmet. According to tripadvisor there are at least half a dozen hotels in that district that are highly rated, including Angel's Home and SK.

[Napi's Mom]

Napi's Mom,

 

We booked at Sari Konak in Istanbul...also in Sultanmet. According to tripadvisor there are at least half a dozen hotels in that district that are highly rated, including Angel's Home and SK.

Glad you found a nice one, I think ours is listed as all booked already. Now to worry about transfers, and need to take a tour the day we arrive...only other day we're there (Monday) the Topkapi is closed!!! Us Midwesterners like to cross every T before hand, unless we're on familiar ground. Hence the worry about the transfers...Say aren't you bound for Alaska...hope your trip is as great as ours was..

[TudorSue]

Say aren't you bound for Alaska...hope your trip is as great as ours was....

 

only other day we're there (Monday) the Topkapi is closed

 

Yes, we're scheduled on a HAL Alaska cruise in September so I am dual-tracking with everything!

 

BTW, Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesdays, so you should be able to see a fair amount.

[Napi's Mom]

Just looked up the location of both our hotels...Are within a block of each other. Yours seems like a more Hotel establishment..ours looks like a Harem,and is one of those "you either love it or hate it" places...websites show that yours is a little classier but you don't have CATS I bet (just a joke,one review of the hotel complained about their cats) I can take or leave them. Hope you're right about the Topkapi, I'll look a little farther into the travel sites. You never said where you ended up in Rome. I'm starting to walk more to try to get into some sort of condition to see the sights each place. I had knee replacement in Feb. and waited about 10 yrs to do it so I'm in BAD condition. My Prince is 67 and looks like 45-50 (he'd join F11 in the pool with a speedo) Again have a great trip to Alaska

[JimandStan]

Wanted to give everyone reading this thread a quick heads up about appropriate clothing when tourining in Istanbul.

 

We were there, last April, and although the temperatures were very high, nobody wearing shorts was allowed inside the Blue Mosque, or any other Mosque for that matter.

 

Everyone knows that they insist that visitors remove their shoes, but the shorts ban is almost an unspoken rule :eek:

This goes for women and men, nothing that shows ANY shin.

After travelling almost 4000 miles, to have missed the Blue Mosque because of a wardrobe malfunction would have been the pits!

Cover your legs, people!

[TudorSue]

JYou never said where you ended up in Rome.

 

We considerd a couple of hotels, and in the end booked into Residenza Cellini for 3 nights before the cruise. You can read about it on tripadvisor. There are several small hotels in the same building.

 

BTW, Napi looks very intelligent!

[Winner]

Wearing shorts and/or abbreviated tops in any house of worship is extremely disrepectful. Do you attend your home church in shorts and tees?

[Napi's Mom]

Napi IS WAY TOO Smart for us old folks..hence the taller fences in our backyard, rocks in places easy to dig under.He's better than when we adopted him but... (We need the Dog Whisperer!)He's beautiful tho. Wow Tudor Sue you picked two great hotels, both of which are near ours...

About the shorts in church..I do feel it is a roper respectful thing to do to not wear shorts, tennis shoes, and tops that show your navel, either in a Mosque or in your own home place of worship. But you would be surprised to the furor we created in our staid church when the church board suggested that the people serving as official participants (usher ,at the alter or whatever they might do to aid in the service) would not wear the tennis shoes, shorts etc. The general concenses (Sp?) was"Be glad they're HERE" This wasn't for attending, but in an official capacity. Guess "Times they are a'change'n" Too bad!