Turkish Town Requires Ramadan Drummers To Pass Exam

During the holy month, “Turks are roused before sunrise daily by an army of drummers noisily celebrating the arrival of the Sahur: the last meal for pious Muslims before they begin the daylight fast.” But authorities in the town of Isparta, “believing that standards for this 500-year-old tradition have been slipping,” have instituted a licensing test for the singing percussionists.