In winter and spring 2014, Istanbul was decorated with billboards of clear blue sea and white sand, titled “Women and Men Only Beaches” and “Private Beach Villas.” Turkish businessman Fadil Akgunduz, better known under the alias Jet Fadil, promised Turkey's Muslims an island of their own in the Maldives. However, the promise of a high-end luxury Islamic holiday in the Maldives proved to be a major scam in July 2014. But the dream of a sea, sand and sun holiday lives on for many observant Muslims in Turkey.
When the word “muhafazakar” — meaning conservative in Turkish — is typed into Google, the first hits are “conservative hotels,” “five-star conservative hotels,” “conservative villa,” “conservative holiday villages” and so on. The “halal tourism" boom has been in the works since the mid-1990s.
Halal tourism, just as any other specialized tourism niche, has certain requirements. First and foremost, this concerns food preparation, which must be halal. The hotel kitchens should be free of alcohol, pork and pork-related products, and all meats served should come from animals slaughtered in accordance with Islamic rules, or be halal-certified. In public areas such as pools and beaches, a private section should be available for female only. In addition, while arcade games, pool tables, bowling alleys and the like are available in most hotels, gambling facilities are frowned upon. In accordance with these basic rules, other amenities may be available to guests. For instance, in most hotels, there is a masjid (prayer hall), the call to prayer can be heard throughout and all entertainment facilities respect the basic rules of Islam. The many hotels that use the crescent instead of stars for their ratings still advertise by listing their star rating. In the last decade, the number of "halal hotels" in Turkey increased tenfold.
Plenty of choices for vacationing are available to observant Muslims in Turkey — from trekking trips in the valleys of the Black Sea region to relaxing at thermal baths all around the country. Depending on economic status and personal interests, one could rent a villa that is off the beaten track or stay at a "halal resort" where all needs are met.
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