Georgia’s Muslim community celebrate Eid al-Adha today

Georgia’s Muslim population are today celebrating a major religious holiday, Eid al-Adha.

The festival is known as Kurban Bayram among Georgia’s Muslims.

Eid al-Adha is Islam's holiest festival celebrated annually around the world. The day is an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries.

Muslims are one of the largest religious minority groups in Georgia. Latest statistics reveal Muslims make up approximately 10 percent of the Georgian population.

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Earlier today Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili congratulated the country’s Muslim citizens on the special holiday.

I share the festive feeling that your families are experiencing today and I wish for welfare, spiritual peace and happiness for you,” Margvelashvili said.

Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili also released a statement to mark the day.

To all Muslims living in Georgia, I congratulate you on the holiday. Islam is an integral part of our ancient statehood and this diversity is our wealth,” she said.

For Muslims, Eid al-Adha commemorates the day when the Prophet Abraham intended to sacrifice his son but was instructed by God to offer an animal instead. Eid al-Adha in Arabic literally means "festival of the sacrifice".

As for the term Georgia’s Muslims use to name the holiday, Kurban is derived from the Arabic word qurban, meaning sacrifice, while bayram means feast in Turkish.