Ramadan will not be a muted occasion as it was the last two years for Muslims in Turkey. The Islamic holy month, which will begin on Saturday, was less of a spectacle and more of a solemn period for millions in the country as it battled the coronavirus pandemic.

The traditions and rituals associated with the month of fasting from before the pandemic will largely return after being scaled back in recent years. As the number of coronavirus cases has decreased to as low as around 10,000, Turks can go back to celebrating both the holiday at the end of Ramadan and carrying out daily traditions the old way, except with the ubiquitous presence of protective masks.

Probably the most significant change will be the full opening of mosques for the collective Tarawih prayer. Ali Erbaş, head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), announced at a press conference outlining the body's activities during the holy month on Tuesday that the Tarawih, a voluntary prayer exclusive to Ramadan evenings, will be performed again at mosques and social distancing will not be required. The first Tarawih prayer will be performed on Friday night, before Muslims start fasting in the early hours of Saturday.

Collective prayers were the victim of coronavirus restrictions in the early days of the pandemic before Turkey reopened mosques under the condition the congregation upheld strict social distancing rules. It was only in late 2021 when authorities lifted the social distancing rule at mosques. Wearing protective masks and adherence to hygiene requirements are still mandatory at mosques.

Erbaş hailed the lifting of restrictions and expressed his pleasure to be marking Ramadan "together" with Tarawih, sahur and iftar – the predawn meal that precedes the daily fast and the meal consumed to conclude the fast, respectively. Most cities and towns would host mass sahur and iftar meals in past Ramadans but this tradition was scrapped last year. This year, mass gatherings will be permitted and restaurants, for the first time, will be allowed to host customers for sahur and iftar without any restrictions except mandatory masks.

Erbaş said the "mukabele" Ramadan tradition where verses from the Quran are recited daily at mosques, mostly in the presence of a congregation, will also be observed this year. Nonetheless, he warned the faithful to act with caution and prevent infections by wearing masks and not attending collective prayers if they have coronavirus symptoms.

The COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a primary concern for the country despite the virus still being widespread since the disease is less deadly due to the prevalence of the omicron variant. COVID-19 cases are largely treated the same as a slight case of influenza in the country, which has experienced a significant drop in coronavirus hospitalizations.

If the course of the pandemic remains stable, experts believe that the higher public mobility anticipated during Ramadan Bayram (Eid al-Fitr) will not have much of an effect on the country. The holiday marks the end of Ramadan and is a time when thousands of people head to popular holiday destinations or their hometowns, taking place the first week of May this year. Barring the impact of the BA.2 subvariant lingering in Europe, Turkey may see a further decline in the cases this summer. In the summer of 2021, it had lifted most restrictions related to the pandemic, at a time when people spend more time outdoors and the risk is lower than in winter.