City Highlights: Sancaklar Cami

A friend of mine from the Czech Republic once told me her feelings while she visited Istanbul one year ago. She said that it...

Romancing the Old City: A Somewhat Cynical Love Note to Istanbul

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine. Then up he...

The Creme de la Kaymak of Eccentric and Interesting Expat Istanbulites

Someone recently described Istanbul to me as a city where you can "have the best day of your life, followed by the worst day”,...

Small Projects Istanbul: Emphasizing Education

“They first need to learn Turkish to be better integrated into their Turkish communities -- namely, their schools,” stressed Anna Tuson, the communication manager...

Insider Trading: Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamam

I am fascinated by hamams. Their architecture (those gorgeous holed domes), their history (the ancient ritual of public bathing) and the leisure (they provide...

Review: Spoken Word Istanbul @ Arsen Lüpen

Three years ago, Merve Pehlivan, an art and writing enthusiast, decided to create a friendly environment where writers, poets, singers and performers of all...

Beers of Turkey – Then and Now

Beer, one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to mankind, can be very nutritional when consumed in moderation, and therefore has the well-earned name...

Eleven Things No Turkish Home Should Be Without

Eleven essentials for the Turkish home: 1. Hamam kit – Regular trips to the hamam are an Istanbul institution. With this in mind it’s no...

The Passages of İstiklal

İstiklal Caddesi is home to many eateries, stores and coffee shops. Although chains such as Shake Shack have been cropping up, the promenade manages...

Book of Travels: The Evliya Çelebi TV Show

These days quasi-historical shows like Game of Thrones are the most watched (and pirated) shows on TV. Also, Muhteşem Yüzyıl, “The Magnificent Century”, a prime-time...

In Conversation with Samer Al-Kadri of Pages, Istanbul’s First Arabic Bookstore...

Located within quick reach of the historical Chora Museum, Pages, the first Arabic bookstore in Istanbul, marks a historic moment for the city and...

In Search of Mantı

As you walk down the streets of Istanbul, the air swirls with color and unfamiliar smells. Occasionally, you stop and peer into shop windows,...

Istanbul Street Names: The Stories They Tell

Having only laid claim to most of their monikers since the declaration of the Republic, Istanbul’s street names often go unnoticed (highly due to...

Istanbul’s Hidden Architecture: Şemsi Pasha Mosque

Mimar Sinan was, without a doubt, the greatest architect of the Ottoman empire. His importance and influence are often compared with his contemporary Michelangelo, and it's an established...

Walking the Rainbow: Istanbul’s Colorful Stairs

Protest in Turkey can take many forms. Sadly enough, few of them will leave a positive imprint on your memory: TOMAs and tear gas,...

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Turkish Fortune-Telling Culture

After observing several overturned coffee cups with increasing curiosity during my first few months here, it became apparent that one does not simply sip...

Gold Day Recipes: Delicious Eats for a Day of Socializing and...

Like every other Turkish kid who grew up in the 90s, I have been to many “gold days” (altın günü) hosted by my mother...

Rezan Has Museum: A Gem on the Golden Horn

The Golden Horn was of great importance during the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. This deep, natural harbor was a strategic point to defend the...

9 Tips to Know Before Visiting a Turkish Home

One day, after having heard our neighbor's son practicing his guitar almost daily, I went to her door and asked in piecemeal Turkish if...

The Byzantine Chronicles: The (Re-imagined) History of Byzantium from Constantine to...

The Byzantine Chronicles, a new blog by Yabangee contributor Timothy Mottram, sets out to shed light on some of Byzantium’s history through fictitious narratives. Each...

Want to Learn Turkish? Try World Café

It wasn't so long ago that we promoted the first iteration of World Café, a language learning project organized by local university teachers. After...

Sketching Istanbul’s Hans Part 2: Rüstem Paşa Han

Emilie Varlet and Gabrielle Reeves began exploring Istanbul's hans in the summer of 2014, when they first started their sketching adventures in the city. They have...

Sketching Istanbul’s Hans Part 1: Büyük Valide Han

Emilie Varlet and Gabrielle Reeves began exploring Istanbul's hans in the summer of 2014, when they first started their sketching adventures in the city. They have...

In Conversation with the Editors of Sofra: A Gathering of Foreign...

Having been one of the contributors to the Tales from the Expat Harem anthology over a decade ago, I was excited to see a...