ANKARA
Welcoming the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims across the world rushed to mosques to perform the first Tarawih prayer, an extra prayer specific to Ramadan, according to the practices of Prophet Mohammed, performed by Muslims following the obligatory night prayer Isha'.
Muslims in New Jersey, with the highest Turkish population in the United States, performed their first Tarawih prayer at Ulucamii (Grand Mosque) and Karachay Turks Mosque in Paterson City and Yeni Dunya Cami (New World Mosque) in Clifton City.
Gathering at Rotterdam's Mevlana Mosque, Muslims in the Netherlands welcomed Ramadan with the first Tarawih prayer.
Muslims in the Russian capital Moscow started Ramadan with the first Tarawih prayer at Merkez Camii (Central Mosque) at midnight local time, entering the mosque after a body search by the Russian police taking strict security measures around the mosque.
To observe one of the longest daily period of fasting, Muslims living in Moscow will fast for 19 hours and 2 minutes at the first day of Ramadan along with people living far northern parts of Russia to fast for longer hours.
Thousands of Muslims filled the mosques in French capital Paris for the first Tarawih prayer of the holy month Ramadan. Gathering at the yard of the Buyuk Camii (Grand Mosque), Muslims chatted as they waited for the call to prayer.
Switzerland's Muslims welcomed Ramadan with prayers and saying salavats, prayers upon and praise words for Prophet Mohammed, at Geneva's Islamic Cultural Association Mosque.
Following the evening prayer Maghrib, several Muslims read the Qur'an until the time of Tarawih prayer.
As for Bulgaria, Chief Mufti of Bulgarian Muslims Mustafa Alis Haci expressed his appreciation upon many more young Muslims coming to mosques,
He described the attendance to the first Tarawih prayer at Banya Basi Mosque, the sole mosque of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, despite the ongoing renovation works as "The jamaah (Muslim community or group of Muslims gathering to perform the prayer at mosque) flew to the mosque."
Sofia Regional Mufti Mustafa Izbistali noted that "It is upsetting that at least 70 thousand Muslims living in the 1.5 million populated Sofia can perform their prayer at only one mosque."
Rushing to Sehitlik Camisi (Martyrs' Mosque), the largest mosque of the German capital Berlin, Muslims living in Germany performed the first Tarawih prayer of Ramadan.
Ramadan began in the Balkans with the first Tarawih prayer, with several Muslims lining up at mosques with great enthusiasm in many cities of Bosnia Herzegovina such as Mostar, Travnik, Zenitsa and Tuzla as well as the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.
Muslims in Serbia performed the first tarawih prayer in 170 mosques and masjids across the country. Several Muslims in capital Belgrade gathered for Tarawih prayer at the Bayrakli Mosque, an Ottoman artwork.
Kosovar, Macedonian, Croatian and Montenegro Muslims also rushed to the mosques in the capitals to welcome Ramadan with prayers and nasheeds (Islamic hmyns) after Tarawih prayers.
Muslims in Kyrgyzystan performed their first Tarawih prayer at Merkez Camisi (Central Mosque) in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev issued a message for Ramadan, stressing that "People fasting pray for peace, tranquility, health and prosperity from Allah all along the month of Ramadan."
As they act on the Islamic calendar used in the Arab countries, almost 1.670 million Muslims living in Spain will start Ramadan as of Tuesday evening with the first Tarawih prayer and sahoor meal, the meal before dawn during Ramadan.
Upon the news coming from Saudi Arabia that "The Ramadan crescent hasn't been observed in the sky yet", Muslims of Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon decided to begin their fast on Wednesday.
