Muslims observe holy night of Raghaib in Istanbul mosques

ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE - JAN. 2, 2025: Muslims in Türkiye began observing the holy night of Raghaib on Thursday, Jan. 02.In Istanbul, thousands of worshippers gathered at iconic mosques across the city, including Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Sultanahmet, Fatih, Suleymaniye, Eyupsultan, and Taksim mosques. They performed special prayers on this night and recited versus from the holy Quran.Laylat-ul-Raghaib marks the beginning of three holy months on the Islamic Hijri calendar -- Rajab, Sha'ban and Ramadan.Raghaib comes from the root "regabe" in Arabic, which means to desire, seek or tend toward.It is marked on Thursday night, preceding the first Friday in the month of Rajab. Muslims perform special prayers and read from Islam's holy book, the Quran. (Footage by Tayyib Hosbas & Melik Firat Yucel/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)