Kosovan Turks get ready for Ramadan

(15 May 2018) LEADIN:
The Turkish minority in a Kosovan town is preparing for Ramadan.
People in Prizren have special traditions they follow during the holy month.
STORYLINE:
The picturesque town of Prizren is gearing up for Ramadan.
But some traditions here can be a little different from elsewhere in Kosovo.
It is home to a large proportion of the country's 19,000 Turkish minority.
They live alongside Bosniak and Roma communities as well as the Albanian majority here.
"The Turkish community in Prizren feels very safe and Prizren is their home," says Boyram Pamak, a Turkish resident.
He says the Turkish population here first emerged way back in 1455, during the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
And he says they have had a big influence here.
"For example an Albanian and a Bosnian here speak Turkish," he explains.
Prizren, considered the centre of the Turkish minority in Kosovo, is already a tourist attraction with its ancient castle and the local handmade goods and food.
But in the lead up to Ramadan, businesses get busier as demand for certain items increases.
At this bakery, the workers are cooking local breads and cheese pies which are especially popular during the holy month.
Many Muslims like to break their fast each month with the traditional pie.
"There are more requests during Ramadan. This is a speciality for Ramadan. The whole city comes here to get them," says baker Neqmedin Braha.
It's a constant battle to keep up with demand at this time of year. At a local restaurant, food is piled high on the counters. It's still operating in daylight hours. But soon, places like this will be closed until darkness falls.
Local Muslims respect the ritual of eating and drinking only after sunset.
Local businessman Munir Basha says life in Prizren will change to follow "the Ramadan rhythms".
"During Ramadan, restaurants and cafeterias work less because the major work comes during the night."
Prizren is considered a good example of the inter-religious coexistence with a Muslim majority living peacefully with a small Christian one.
The Turkish minority has two lawmakers in Kosovo's parliament.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Serbia has not recognised.

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