LIVING TO THE RHYTHM OF THE MOSQUE
If you’re choosing a home in Turkey you may want to consider the nation’s primary religion.
It may be a secular country and it’s fair to say quite a few will not strictly observe the Muslim traditions every single day but, nevertheless, mosques are numerous and play a hugely significant part in everyday life.
If you’ve holidayed in Turkey before, you will have no doubt heard the muezzin’s call to prayer and even enjoyed the exotic and evocative sound of the east.
But, while the haunting daily recital can become a trigger for happy holiday memories, if unprepared it can also be one of the most frequent causes of discontent among new arrivals in the country.
Call To Prayer
Those cries that “God is great” echo over every town and village five times a day – and the first one is just before first light.
In winter that might be as late as 7am, which isn’t too bad if you’re an early riser anyway. But imagine being woken daily at 5am in the summer months while the muezzin summons the faithful over the mosque’s loudspeakers for several minutes at a time.
It’s been going on for centuries; it’s part of the tapestry of the nation’s rich culture. You can’t just go and knock on the door and ask them to turn it down a bit or complain to Environmental Health. The call to prayer is part of fabric of life in Turkey and it’s not going to change to suit your sleeping habits.
So, if you’re looking at buying or renting property in Turkey, it’s probably best to keep a weather eye on the proximity of the nearest mosque.
Living Like A Local
If you’re happy to immerse yourself completely in local life, then there’s every chance you’ll barely notice the call to prayer after a few months. It will probably become as much part of your life as the sound of the traffic.
But, if you need your beauty sleep or if you’re the sort of person who is wide awake when a mouse coughs, you might want to spend a little time on Google Earth before plotting places you’d be happy to call home.
As ever, we’re here to help so give us a call if you’d like help identifying properties in Istanbul, Fethiye, Kalkan, Kaş, Hisarönü, Ovacık, Dalaman or Göcek. We’d be delighted to offer advice on moving and getting started in your new place in the sun.