"This is a marvellous scene," İsak Haleva said as he sat next to a Muslim mufti and a Christian bishop at one of dozens of dinner tables in the middle of Taksim, Istanbul's most famous square. Chief rabbi of Turkey's Jewish community was among the prominent guests invited to iftar, a dinner to mark the breaking of the fast for Muslims. The dinner, organized by Beyoğlu municipality where the square is located, is one of the most prominent symbols of peaceful coexistence of diverse faiths inhabiting the country.
Istanbul, home to the most members of faiths other than Islam in Turkey, is enlivened with street iftars every Ramadan, the sacred Muslim month where every Muslim is obliged to abstain from eating and drinking from anything from dawn to sunset. On tables set up all along the streets, locals in most neighborhoods of the most populated city of Turkey break their fast with water, dates or pide, a local flat bread consumed most in Ramadan. Regardless of their religion, dinners funded by local municipalities, are open to anyone.
"It is great that all religions sit together at this table to thank God for His blessings. Let this be a message for the world [for unity]. We can feel the presence of angels are here with us today," Rabbi Haleva says.
Apart from Haleva, Yusuf Çetin, spiritual leader of the ancient Syriac Christian community and Aram Ateşyan, acting patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church were among guests of the dinner. Diplomats from foreign missions based in Istanbul also attended the dinner that started after the local mufti recited prayers.
"God expects us to help each other and it basically means to approach each other with compassion. You can't have compassion without love. I pray to God to make us closer to each other in this month of compassion," Yusuf Çetin said.
Street dinners are not limited to Taksim Square and Sultanahmet, another iconic square where the city's landmarks the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are located, also hosts mass dinners which started last week. Following street iftars, the city's open-air venues offer Ramadan-themed events from plays to Sufi music concerts. For those on the go, municipalities offer "iftar counters" in busy mass transit hubs where commuters who cannot make it to iftar in time are served free soups and snacks. Like street iftars, counters are open to anyone regardless of their faith.
Churches also occasionally organize iftar dinners for Muslim neighbors. Panayia Greek Orthodox Church in the city's Beşiktaş district has made the headlines in 2016 when it hosted an iftar dinner in the church's courtyard.
"This country was and will be the land of [different faiths] living as brothers and sisters. Beyoğlu has a legacy of coexistence. You see here at this square what the world needs right now. This dinner table is like an oasis for humanity," Ahmet Misbah Demircan, mayor of Beyoğlu municipality said in a speech at the dinner.
