Mahya lights

Mahya lights stretched across the minarets of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul spell out traditional Ramazan Bayramı wishes ("Let us love, Let us be loved").

Mahya lights are decorative lights which are strung up between the minarets of Turkish mosques to form illuminated words or pictures on festive occasions such as Eid al-Fitr (Ramazan Bayramı), Eid al-Adha (Kurban Bayramı), on Kandil nights, and throughout the holy month of Ramadan.[1]

Mahya lights are a unique part of traditional Turkish festivities. They can also occasionally be seen on some mosques in the Balkans, such as in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, northeastern Greece, and other countries which were formerly part of the Ottoman Empire.

  1. ^ Mahyas to light up Turkish mosques during Ramadan. Hurriyet Daily News. 12 April 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2022