By Gozde Bayar
ANKARA (AA) – Turkey’s president on Tuesday marked a holy night for Muslims worldwide.
“I celebrate the Lailat al Miraj Night of our nation and the entire Muslim world. I pray that this holy night brings blessings to all of humanity,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Twitter.
Also known as “the Night of Ascension,” the Lailat al Miraj is observed in Turkey as one of the five holy nights -- each of them called “kandil,” or oil lamp -- when the minarets of mosques are illuminated and there are special prayers.
The night is generally observed on the 27th day of the Islamic month of Rajab, the seventh month in the Islamic calendar.