4 1 Travels into f/^e L e v a n t Part I. 
CHAP. XXXIV. 
Of the Ramadan. 
i^madan. E fecond command that the Turks are to obferve, is Falling, whereby 
J[_ theflelh is mortified, concupifcence fubdued, and the foul purified. 
Now this Falling they reduce to a Lent of one month, which they call Ramadan ; 
The Turklfh but before I fay any more of that, we are to know that the Turkifh year con- 
fiftsof three hundred fifty four days, divided into twelve months or moons, for 
they begin 'their feveral months at the beginning of the -feveral moons, and 
thofe months have, one thirty days and -the other nine and twenty, and fo 
The names of alternately. Their firft month is called Mnharrem ai^ that is to fay, the firit 
theTurkifh month of the year, and hath thirty days j the fecond S^/fr it hath nine and 
Months. twenty days; the third Rebiul ewel ai^ has thirty daysj the fourth Rtbtd 
Mir ai, nine and twenty days , the fifth Dgiamaz.il ewel, of thirty days ; 
the lixth Dgiamaz.il ahkir of nine and twenty days ; the feventh Redgeb ai., of 
thirty days^the eighth Chaabanai, of nine and twenty days ; the mnthRemez.an 
^?7,which hath thirty days ; the tenth Chenvdai, of nine and twenty days ; the 
eleventh Zoalkaade ai, of thirty days; the twelfth Zoulhidge ai, of nine and 
twenty days. All know that the Epoche, from which they began to reckon their 
years, was the year of Mahomet's flight, whichthey call hegyra,3nd was the 
twenty fecond of July, in the year of our Lord, fix hundred twenty two,where- 
fore thefixteenth oïjuly, in the year 1663, is with them the twenty ninth 
tî^êyf'i- daï of Zodhid^e, or the laft day of the year 1073, from the Hegyra ; for their 
ylfc being eleven days fliorter than ours ; whereas we make ufe of the Biflex- 
tile or leap-year, that we may not lofe,fome minutes that are over and above 
our three hundred fixty five days, fo the Turks that they may not leave thole 
minutes behind which enter not into the account oftheir three hundred fifty 
four days ; every thirty years add a day eleven times ro the laft of their Months 
Cdlkd Zoiilhidge that is to fay, that in eleven Years of thirty it hath thirty 
days, to wit, the fecond year, the fifth, the feventh the tenth, the thirteenth, 
thefifteenth, the eighteenth, the twenty firft, the twenty fourth, the twenty 
fixth, and the twenty ninth : in all the other years this Month hath but 29 days. 
But now to return to the Ramadan, this is the Month in which, (as they fay) 
the Alcoran came down from Heaven in, and therein they faft, which they begin 
Thebegining in this manner: when the Moonoï Chaaban, which immediately preceeds that 
of the Rama- Ramadan, is over, they look out at Night for the new Moon, which com- 
monly they fee not the firft day of our account ; however there are People 
that ftand upon Hills and other high places to endeavour to fee it. So foon 
as any one hath feen it, he comes an4 publifties it in the City, and if he be 
The time of 3 jyian of Credit, he hath 3 Reward given him, 2iX\ù Ramadan h appointed all 
the Ramadan. yg^n over, by publick Proclamation ; and not only fo,butairoby firing 
of a Gun in the Evening -, then all the Minarets are fet round with Lamps, 
infuch order, that they reprefent feveral Figures, which is done every Night 
of this Moon, during which, they turn the Days into Nights, and the Nights 
rfr/the Turk's ^^^^ ' ^^^^ ^°^P' ^" Night-time the Streets and 
turn the days CofFee-Houfes are full of People, and all fall to Junketing and Reveling as long 
into nights, as the Night lafts,but as foon as the dawning appears they leave off eating and 
and the nights drinking: Itisfaidin the y^/cor4« that they may eat and drink all Nightlong, 
into days. xinliW they can diftinguifh a white Thread from a Black by the Morning Light ; 
after that it is unlawful for them to eat, drink, or fmoak Tobacco ; in a word, 
to put any thing into their Mouths-, nay more, to touch their Wives, till the 
The cry of ]\ioon appear again at Night, which is told them by the. Muez.ims calling to 
in theK^/î^- ^^'^Y^rs from the tops of the Minarets, when it is time to break their Faft, and 
i^in, then they eat and drink all in the Night-time their Bellies full of Flefh or Fifh, 
as they pleafe, and fpendpart of the Night in the CoiTee-Houfes, which are 
all 
