Are modern Turks Muslims?
In accordance with the rules dictated by religion, such spiritual practices as halvet were approved. The believer completely distanced himself from real life for a while, spending his days in prayers to Allah, alone with himself. With the help of religious meditation, the faithful underwent spiritual purification and became closer to God.
In the 15th century, spiritual power was concentrated in the hands of the religious communities of the Millets. Non-Muslims' rights were increasingly limited:
- taxes were collected from them through community leaders;
- government or military careers were not available to them;
- Christian boys were recruited into Muslim families, where they were trained to serve as Janissaries at the court of the Sultan.
Non-Muslims received equal rights with Muslims only in the second half of the 19th century, after the end of the Crimean War. At the beginning of the 20th century, religion was separated from the state, Türkiye became a secular country.
According to statistics, about 90 percent of the population are Muslims, 10% are Orthodox Christians and Jews. Modern Turks do not wear a hijab, but they live according to the Koran, honor all traditions, celebrate religious holidays, fast, and read prayers 5 times a day. There are separate hotels and beaches for Muslims, and halal products are sold in shops and restaurants.
Such features do not affect the quality of rest of tourists representing other faiths:
- in Turkey there are many Russian-speaking people working in the hotel business and trade;
- ancient monuments of Christian culture have been preserved in the country;
- Excursions are organized to holy Orthodox places;
- No complaints are made against visitors regarding revealing clothing.
But away from central cities and resort areas, you need to dress modestly, covering your legs and arms up to the elbows. When entering a mosque, women should cover their heads with a headscarf. Photography must be discussed in advance, as Islam prohibits depicting a person.
No matter how many years have passed, Türkiye follows its once chosen spiritual path. And to the question “Are the Turks Muslims?”, one can answer this way: “The absolute majority!”
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