Filename: WAM25495 Headline: Men begin butchering the body of a decapitated ram in a courtyard. This sheep was killed while fully conscious as a ritual animal sacrifice or Qurban, so his owner could observe the traditions of the Eid al-Adha celebrations. The holiday celebrations result in the slaughter of millions of animals in this one country alone. Turgutlu, Manisa, Turkiye, 2022. Deniz Tapkan Cengiz / We Animals Description: Eid al-Adha (the “Feast of the Sacrifice”)—one of the main Islamic holidays celebrated in Turkiye—involves mass animal sacrifice. To show respect to Allah, Muslims observe the holiday by slaughtering sheep, cattle, and other animals. Temporary markets selling these animals are established throughout the country before the feast begins. After an animal is sold, their bodies are painted with the buyer’s name. If the buyer chooses to slaughter the animal at home, the animal's feet are bound together to facilitate transport. Other buyers may have the seller arrange for the animal's slaughter. Those making the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, may even purchase an animal, have them slaughtered on their behalf with a voucher, and have the sacrifice confirmed online. The practice of slaughtering animals stems from Islamic teachings that advocated sacrificing a ram to remind believers that they must submit to Allah’s will—and this is why most people today prefer to sacrifice rams. Sacrificial animals are killed and butchered on the feast’s first day. A prayer is recited while the animal's throat is cut, their head removed and blood drained. The animal's skin is then flayed and salted. Their internal organs are divided into edible and inedible. In 2021, according to the chairperson of the Sheep and Goat Breeders Association of Turkey, over 3.75 million sacrificial animals were sold for slaughter in Turkiye. Of these, approximately 2.5 million sheep and 850,000 cattle were offered for sale as sacrificial animals. During Eid al-Adha, worshippers might caress the animal in the morning but will eat that same animal in the evening, a practice that reportedly causes trauma for many people, especially children. Area of Focus: Food Systems,Ceremony and Religious Use,Farmed Animals Supplemental categories: Slaughter, Sacrifice, Food Systems Sublocation: Turgutlu City: Manisa Country: Türkiye Photographer/Filmmaker: Deniz Tapkan Cengiz Credit: Deniz Tapkan Cengiz / We Animals Year: 2022 License Type(s): Non-Commercial Use WA Keywords: Scientific name: Ovis aries Size: 5360px X 8187px

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