Kurban

Kurban is a term derived from the Arabic qurbān meaning sacrifice or offering, used in Turkish and other Turkic languages to denote both the concept of sacrifice and the Islamic ritual associated with Eid al-Adha. In Turkish, the festival is called Kurban Bayramı.

During Eid al-Adha, Muslims who can afford it slaughter permissible livestock, such as sheep, goats, cows, or camels. The practice commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son in obedience to God, a test in which God provided a ram to sacrifice instead. The meat from the sacrifice is traditionally divided into three portions: for the family, to share with relatives and friends, and for the needy or disadvantaged.

Regional customs vary. Kurban Bayramı is a major public holiday in Turkey, with family visits, charitable giving, and special prayers. Similar rites are observed in other Muslim-majority or economically linked regions, including Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and parts of the Balkans and the Middle East. The date of the festival depends on the Islamic lunar calendar and shifts yearly relative to the Gregorian calendar.

In addition to its religious meaning, kurban is used as a generic term for sacrifice or offering and appears as a given name in Turkish-speaking areas. In modern practice, discussions of the ritual often address animal welfare, halal slaughter requirements, and charitable distribution of meat.