Turkey's vacationers go on Eid al-Adha holiday amid COVID-19 risk

Travelers from around Turkey hit the road for the Eid al-Adha holiday on July 29, a day before the Muslim feast's eve. The country lifted travel restrictions in June as part of its "normalization" process.

Thursday July 30 2020 05:00 pm

Duvar English

Vacationers around Turkey are preparing for Eid al-Adha, the Muslim sacrifice feast, amid a continuing COVID-19 risk and warnings to minimize social traffic.

**Passengers wearing masks disembark from a ferry in western Bandırma.**

Bus terminals in large cities filled up on July 29 with residents who wished to leave town for the holiday, possibly to join extended family for the traditional holiday.

**Cars line up on the highway in Bolu that serves as a connection between the western part of the country and the Anatolian mainland.**

Duvar columnist Metin Yeğin said that he took a plane into Istanbul's smaller Sabiha Gökçen Airport, where he said passengers were unable to maintain safe distances and weren't seated distantly on the plane either.

**Passengers in Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport crowd the baggage claim area.**

Meanwhile, shoppers in Istanbul flooded the streets to do holiday shopping for sweets, traditionally served in family gatherings during the feast.

**A woman in Istanbul shops for Turkish delight.**

Relatives of soldiers and public servants who died on duty visited cemeteries on July 29, a day before Eid al-Adha Eve, to pray at their loved ones' graves, a tradition before Muslim holidays.

**A man sits by a grave to pray on July 29.**

Turkey's dessert industry has also been busy before the holiday, as traditional desserts are a popular item on holiday tables.

**Baklava vendors in Muş prepare trays of baklava before Eid al-Adha.**

Turkey started its normalization process on June 1, lifting curfews, removing travel restrictions and resuming business as usual.

The country's daily COVID-19 diagnoses spiked following the start of the normalization process, stabilizing around the high 900s.

Topics baklava Airport travel Sabiha Gökçen airport intercity bus travel holiday Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha holiday