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Below you’ll find a list of the official, national and religious holidays in Turkey for 2008, 2009 and 2010. When you plan a city trip or a cultural excursion, you may want to take a look at these. Museums, monuments and palaces are closed on official and national holidays, and have deviating opening hours during religious holidays. Banks don’t even open their doors, no matter the holiday.
Please note: May 1st is not an official holiday in Turkey. Every year eventful (prohibited) demonstrations to celebrate this day, and to try to persuade the government to make it an official holiday, take place in and around the Taksim area. These demonstrations often end quite violent in nature, so I advice you either to plan your holiday May 1st excluded, or plan excursions far away from crowded areas (Taksim, Kadıköy, Nişantaşı) and settle for excursions in Sultanahmet or take a Bosphorus tour on May 1st.
2008
Tuesday, 1 January
New Year’s Day (Yılbaşı) - Official Holiday
Wednesday, 23 April
National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Ulusal Eğemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı) - National Holiday - Anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Parliament
Monday, 19 May
Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth & Sports Day (Atatürk’ü Anma Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı) - National Holiday - The arrival of Atatürk in Samsun, the beginning of the War of Independence
Saturday, 30 August
Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) - National Holiday - Victory over the allied forces in 1922
Monday, 29 September
Feast of the Ramadan’s Eve (Ramazan Bayramı Arifesi) - Religious Holiday - ½ day
Tuesday, 30 September - Thursday, 2 October
Feast of the Ramadan (Ramazan Bayramı) - Religious Holidays - To celebrate the end of fasting
Wednesday, 29 October
Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) - National Holiday - Anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic
Sunday, 7 December
Feast of the Sacrifice’s Eve (Kurban Bayramı Arifesi) - Religious Holiday - ½ day
Monday, 8 - Thursday, 11 December
Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) - Religious Holidays - Four-day festival where sheep are sacrificed/slaughtered and their meat is distributed to the poor
2009
Thursday, 1 January
New Year’s Day (Yılbaşı) - Official Holiday
Thursday, 23 April
National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Ulusal Eğemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı) - National Holiday - Anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Parliament
Tuesday, 19 May
Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth & Sports Day (Atatürk’ü Anma Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı) - National Holiday - The arrival of Atatürk in Samsun, the beginning of the War of Independence
Sunday, 30 August
Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) - National Holiday - Victory over the allied forces in 1922
Saturday, 19 September
Feast of the Ramadan’s Eve (Ramazan Bayramı Arifesi) - Religious Holiday - ½ day
Sunday, 20 - Tuesday, 22 September
Feast of the Ramadan (Ramazan Bayramı) - Religious Holidays - To celebrate the end of fasting
Thursday, 29 October
Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) - National Holiday - Anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic
Thursday, 26 November
Feast of the Sacrifice’s Eve (Kurban Bayramı Arifesi) - Religious Holiday - ½ day
Friday, 27 - Monday, 30 November
Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) - Religious Holidays - Four-day festival where sheep are sacrificed/slaughtered and their meat is distributed to the poor
2010
Friday, 1 January
New Year’s Day (Yılbaşı) - Official Holiday
Friday, 23 April
National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (Ulusal Eğemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı) - National Holiday - Anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Parliament
Wednesday, 19 May
Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth & Sports Day (Atatürk’ü Anma Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı) - National Holiday - The arrival of Atatürk in Samsun, the beginning of the War of Independence
Monday, 30 August
Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) - National Holiday - Victory over the allied forces in 1922
Wednesday, 8 September
Feast of the Ramadan’s Eve (Ramazan Bayramı Arifesi) - Religious Holiday - ½ day
Thursday, 9 September - Saturday, 11 September
Feast of the Ramadan (Ramazan Bayramı) - Religious Holidays - To celebrate the end of fasting
Friday, 29 October
Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) - National Holiday - Anniversary of the declaration of the Turkish Republic
Monday, 15 November
Feast of the Sacrifice’s Eve (Kurban Bayramı Arifesi) - Religious Holiday - ½ day
Tuesday, 16 - Friday, 19 November
Feast of the Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) - Religious Holidays - Four-day festival where sheep are sacrificed/slaughtered and their meat is distributed to the poor
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
How does Ramazan effect opening hours at Gaziantep and Antakya Archeological museums? Do they change hours?
Thank you for a prompt reply since I travel on Sunday
H. Granot
I called both museums, and they confirmed that during the Ramazan their regular opening hours apply:
Gaziantep Archeological museum (Gaziantep Arkeoloji Müzesi): open every day from 08:00 - 12:00 and from 13:00 - 17:00, but closed on Monday.
Hatay Archeological museum in Antakya (Hatay Arkeoloji Müzesi): open every day from 09:30 - 17:00, but closed on Monday.
During the Feast of the Ramadan (Ramazan Bayramı), both museums are closed in the morning on the first day of the bayram. During the rest of the bayram it’s again business as usual.
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