No, not an incorrect spelling of Ramadan which is the term most of us will recognise! Unfortunately, we have not really been given an explanation of why it’s called Ramazan in North Cyprus – it just is! The month of fasting for all practicing Muslims who choose to follow this religious event will culminate in family gatherings, visiting the graves of loved ones past and generally having a few days holiday to get the body and mind back to its previous state.
North Cyprus is home to a really wide variety of music and musicians of various genre, and you can find some great venues across the island in which to listen to music, get involved or dance to what you hear! The island is a base for some wonderful home-grown talent in the classical music genre and in the rock world too, and there are music classes and private tuition available on the island for youngsters to learn new skills.
There are quite a few public holidays known as ‘bayrams’ in North Cyprus, some of which have been inherited from Turkey and all of which carry very significant meaning.
As North Cyprus is predominantly a Muslim population, there are certain religious holidays that are observed, such as Ramazan or Ramadan. This is a month of fasting followed by celebrations described for Christian understanding as the Muslim equivalent of Christmas. There are also dates in the calendar that pay tribute to landmark historical events such as the TRNC’s declaration of independence.
