Ahirkapi Hidrellez

Ahirkapi Hidrellez is Istanbul's traditional spring festival. Celebrations kick off with a number of gypsy bands parading from Hagia Sophia to the Ahirkapi Park, where centuries-old rituals continue to entertain residents and visitors alike until the wee hours.

One such ritual is the Nahils, a grand ceremony involving a symbolic "wish-tree" where people stick their wishes written on a piece of paper in the belief that they will come true.

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