Istanbul: Muslims around the world marked the first day of Eid al-Adha on Wednesday, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, one of Islam's major religious holidays. The holiday honors Prophet Ibrahim's devotion to God and his readiness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience. Muslims observe the occasion through prayers, meals, charitable giving, and gatherings with loved ones.
According to Anadolu Agency, as part of the tradition, many families sacrifice an animal, such as a sheep, goat, or cow. The meat is then divided among relatives, neighbors, and people in need. Eid al-Adha is closely connected to the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. Hajj rituals officially began Monday with pilgrims arriving in Mina, west of Saudi Arabia, amid extensive services and security measures aimed at facilitating the pilgrimage.
The six-day Hajj season includes the standing at Arafat on Tuesday, overnight stays in Muzdalifah, the symbolic stoning ritual, and the farewell circumambulation at the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The ritual consists of several practices, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.
In Trkiye, celebrations began with early morning prayers in mosques across the country. Large crowds, including local and foreign tourists, gathered at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, forming long queues to enter for Eid prayers. After the prayers, families and friends greeted one another and exchanged holiday wishes.
Muslims outside Trkiye also took part in Eid celebrations across many regions, from the Middle East to Asia. In Azerbaijan, worshippers gathered in mosques in the capital Baku to pray for peace and prosperity for their country and the wider Islamic world. Heavy crowds were observed in mosques throughout Baku, leading worshippers to perform their prayers in courtyards, gardens, and surrounding areas.
In Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Muslims observed the Eid al-Adha prayer in masjids and mosques. Imams delivered sermons to the congregation on the meaning and significance of Eid al-Adha, as well as the history and wisdom behind the ritual of sacrifice. Prayers were also offered for the country's peace, security, and prosperity.
Muslims in Balkan countries, including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, North Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo, also celebrated Eid al-Adha. Thousands of Muslim worshippers gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem for Eid prayers amid a heavy Israeli police presence around the Old City.
The Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem estimated the number of worshippers at Al-Aqsa Mosque for this year's Eid al-Adha prayers at 140,000. Eid prayers were also held across 11 Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, and Syria. The prayers were attended by leaders and high-level officials and marked by calls for security, stability, and support for Palestine.
This year's Eid al-Adha comes as thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to mark the holiday amid war, blockade, and ongoing Israeli military escalation despite a truce in effect since October 2025. The ceasefire came after Israel's two-year war on Gaza that killed over 172,000 people, wounded more than 172,000 others, and caused widespread destruction affecting 90% of the civilian infrastructure.