How many Muslims live in Istanbul?

The city of 17 million people is now home to an estimated 2 million Arabs, who have opened coffee shops, book stores, theatre and media companies, and joined the staff of universities.

What is the main religion in Istanbul?

More than 99 percent of the population is Muslim, mostly Sunni. Christianity (Oriental Orthodoxy, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic) and Judaism are the other religions in practice, but the non-Muslim population declined in the early 2000s.

Is Istanbul a holy city for Muslims?

Turkey, especially İstanbul is famous for Muslim sacred places. There are many religious places in İstanbul that millions of Muslim people visit in a year. İstanbul has an ancient Islamic history and so there are many important structures considered as pilgrimage sites.

Can Christians live in Istanbul?

The largest Christian population in Turkey is in Istanbul, which has a large community of Armenians and Greeks. Istanbul is also where the Patriarchate of Greek Orthodox Christianity is located.

What is the no of Christians in Turkey?

Today there are between 120,000 and 320,000 Christians in Turkey who belong to various Christian denominations, and around 26,000 Jews in Turkey. Turkey has numerous important sites for Judaism and Christianity, being one of the birthplaces of the latter.

Best Area for Muslim Expats in Turkey - Basaksehir, Istanbul

Is pork eaten in Turkey?

More than 90% of the Turkish population is muslim, whom are not allowed to eat pork for religious reasons. Pigmeat in Turkey is sold to ethnic minorities like Greeks, ex-patriots and tourists. In addition, pork is increasingly popular in secular high society.

Can you drink alcohol in Turkey?

Turkey is a secular country, and even though the majority of the Turkish population is Muslim, the consumption of alcohol both in public and in private is very common.

Why are there so many mosques in Istanbul?

When the Roman Empire split in 395, the city became the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and a hub of Christianity—until Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II captured the city in 1453. The Muslim Turks of the Ottoman empire proceeded to convert churches to mosques around the city and build mosques of their own.

Why did many Turkish people convert to Islam?

The Turks began converting to Islam after the Muslim conquest of Transoxiana through the efforts of missionaries, Sufis, and merchants. Although initiated by the Arabs, the conversion of the Turks to Islam was filtered through Persian and Central Asian culture.

Which city has the most mosque in the world?

The Mosque City of Bagerhat (Bengali: মসজিদের শহর বাগেরহাট; historically known as Khalifatabad) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bagerhat District, Bangladesh. It contains 360 mosques, public buildings, mausoleums, bridges, roads, water tanks and other public buildings constructed from baked brick.

Is Istanbul safe for Americans?

While Turkey may have a not-so-good reputation (especially because of its proximity to dangerous areas near the Syrian border), it is predominantly safe in Istanbul for the majority of tourists, whether it's solo travelers or family travelers.

Is English widely spoken in Turkey?

Though Turkey is a country that is surrounded by many English-as-second-language countries, proficiency in English in Turkey is actually quite low. Studies have found that only 15 to 20 percent of the population have a basic level of English.

Do Turkish people celebrate Christmas?

Being a Muslim country, Christmas isn't celebrated in Turkey. But Santa Claus is termed Noel Baba in Turkish, who is believed to bring gifts on New Year's eve in Turkey.

What foods are forbidden in turkey?

According to the restrictions laid down in the Koran four foods are strictly forbidden in the Islamic world: the meat of animals that have died by means other than having their throats cut; blood from an animal's body; pork; and the meat of an animal slaughtered as a sacrifice in the name of any other than God.

What is Turkish most eaten meat?

Lamb. Lamb is the most popular type of meat used in Turkish food. When someone says “meat” in Turkey, more often than not they're referring to lamb. Turkish people eat a lot of lamb so you'll find it in many meat dishes like kebabs, kofte, lahmacun, pide, ragout, and casserole.

Do Turkish eat horse meat?

Donkeys and mules are also haram, while horsemeat is considered mekruh — not forbidden but considered abominable. The milk of both horses and donkeys is haram. Other animals considered haram are pigs, turtles and elephants. The eating of carrion (animals which died rather than being slaughtered) is forbidden as well.

Does Turkey have a dress code?

In Turkish cities, shorts and T-shirts are acceptable. There is no problem wearing shorts for comfort, except when you visit mosques. As for Turks, most of them will be wearing "smart casual" clothes: sleeved summer dresses or sleeved top and skirt for women, short-sleeved shirt and long trousers for men.

Is it difficult to learn Turkish?

The US Foreign Service Institute ranked all the languages based on difficulty. Then, they assigned a number for how long it takes to master it, and Turkish may surprise you. According to them, Turkish is a category IV language. This means that you need 44 weeks, or 1100 hours to reach Turkish fluency.

What language is closest to Turkey?

Turkish is most closely related to other Turkic languages, including Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Uzbek, Kyrgyz and Kazakh. Another theory is that it is one of the many Altaic languages, which also include Japanese, Mongolian, and Korean.

Can I drink tap water in Istanbul?

Yes, it is safe to cook with tap water. The tap water in Istanbul is generally very clean, even good enough to drink straight from the tap. When you cook with tap water, you are only ingesting a tiny amount of tap water into your body in the worst-case scenario.

Why not buy apple tea in Istanbul?

Don't Buy Apple Tea

The apple tea may be very famous in Istanbul but it is certainly not the best beverage to have. To top it all, the powder tea also looks very much artificial. Therefore, it is better that you go for authentic Turkish tea instead of the apple tea.

Are American tourists welcome in Turkey?

The United States has issued a travel advisory alert telling people visiting Turkey to exercise extra caution because of terrorism and arbitrary detentions. Due to Turkey's political unrest, the country is prone to terrorist attacks, with most cases reported in the southeast, Ankara, and Istanbul.

Where is the largest mosque in the United States?

The Islamic Center of America (Arabic: ٱلْمَرْكَز ٱلْإِسْلَامِيّ فِي أَمْرِيكَا‎, al-Markaz al-ʾIslāmīy Fī ʾAmrīkā) is a Shia mosque located in Dearborn, Michigan, in the United States. The 120,000 sq. ft.

What is the most religious area in the world?