Istanbul
Both Taksim Gezi Park protesters and the police were quite calm in Istanbul during the 10th day of the protests thanks to Miraj, a religious night in Islamic tradition.
The Miraj night, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad’s nighttime journey, was celebrated by some protesters carrying banners.
Most of the protesters made use of the religious night by sleeping to reduce the tiredness of the protests, while some kept on night duty and others watched the news related to the protests.
Another group of protesters blocked the roads in Gumussuyu Street in Istanbul, but scattered before long when they did not face any police intervention.
Miraj is a Muslim holy night that commemorates the Prophet Muhammad’s nighttime journey from Mecca to the ‘Farthest Mosque’ in Jerusalem where he ascended to heaven, was purified, and given the instruction for Muslims to pray five times daily.
On the Islamic calendar, Lailat al Miraj (also known as Isra and Mi’raj) is generally observed on the 27th day of the month of Rajab.
