The Sounds of Ramazan

We recently moved to a new neighborhood here in Istanbul.  It is on the edge of the city only a short walk into the forest.  There are a lot of "villas" (gated communities with something similar to the single family home with a yard from the States) as well as "sites" (also gated but grouped apartment buildings with a shared playground and pool and parking etc.) near our neighborhood.  Having never lived in neither I don't know what those communities feel like, but I do know that our little neighborhood, which is bordered by forests, villas and sites, is a wonderful place for us right now.  It is a very "community" type of neighborhood where everyone seems to know everyone and people still gather in the streets to talk and the children to play.  The people are very friendly and we really love it.  I imagine that quite a few apartments hold not only one family unit, but extended family as well.  During Ramazan (which ends in two days with a three day holiday) Muslims fast from sun up to sun down and their fast also includes no drink.  After the call to prayer that signals the breaking of their fast, they all sit together for a big meal.  And after the meal is when our neighborhood becomes full of sounds.  I think we tend to hear it so well because that is when our kids are asleep in bed and we too are retiring for the night.  But it sounds like everyone else is just getting going.  The kids take to the streets again (in the dark) and we can hear playing and laughing.  Couples chat and stroll through the streets, maybe coming from another family's home.  A small carnival, set up just for this season of Ramazan, comes to life with noises of laughing and screaming.  And it probably continues that way till 11:00 or 12:00, especially when the weather is nice.  And of course, the sound we hear the most loudly is the drummer at the early morning hours, before the sun rises.  He walks through our streets, right past our windows, drumming loudly with a now familiar beat, waking the faithful to get up and prepare their big breakfast before their fast begins again.