Columns & Conversation

Turkey has often been described as a “magical” country with its amazing scenery, vast history, and seemingly endless curiosities that can be found in...

They were three sisters and they had all grown up together in a small town in the south of Turkey. The oldest, and the...

When I moved to Üsküdar 3 years ago it was still vilified as a conservative and religious neighborhood with virtually no social life. Over...

Meltem Şahin is an illustrator, animator, and educator with an extensive array of projects in her portfolio. A Fulbright scholar, her exhibition "Negative Pleasure" late last...

The allure of freelance journalism is one based on notions of freedom, travel, excitement, new experiences, and perhaps even danger... anything to get that...

ATÖLYE will host 'Slow Interaction Design' on Wednesday 19 July at 19:00. In our present-day reality of social, cloud, and mobile computing, it’s no secret...

Creative Business Cup is a unique, yearly competition that is powered by the biggest international creative professional network: Creative Business Network. The Creative Entrepreneurship and Economy...

When I arrived at the docks Joy Anna was already there, playing fetch with a mangy stray dog while she waited to join me...

Toward the end of the day, I approached the village of Bahtiyar. It was about a few miles off the main road and up...

The history of the Yedi-Sekiz Hasanpaşa Bakery is palpable as soon as you enter. As you stand within a small room—usually packed with other customers—the...

Sunday, 8 December had Haydarpaşa Station hosting a danceathon like no other. The tango, swing and salsa communities of Istanbul staged what can only...

Brussels, March 26, 2006. Backstage at the Ancienne Belgique concert venue, ten beginning bands are trying to keep calm. One of them will win...

Goran Bregovic's latest album, Champagne for Gypsies (2012), was intended as a criticism of the recent discrimination against the Roma people, one of the largest European...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, scrounging up a date and finding a place to take 'em can be quite the daunting task....

'SALTWATER/TUZLU SU: A Theory on Thought Forms' is the theme for the 14th Istanbul Biennial drafted by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. In a city deeply saturated...

Although it was not specifically advertised in the promotion, Sara Baras came to Istanbul to present her show Voces (Voices). The artist from Cadiz...

Summer is slowly coming to an end. This means a few things – beach days and vacations are becoming distant memories, all the foreign...

Navigating the theater scene in Istanbul is certainly a challenge at times, especially if you need English subtitles. As a New York theater kid,...

Opening a business at any point in Turkey, especially as a foreigner, is a daunting prospect. Restaurants in particular pose significant challenges for aspiring...

Ah, spring in the countryside... the chirping birds, the gentle rustling of the foliage in the welcome breeze, the warm shimmer of guitar reverb......

With their upcoming performance alongside The Young Shaven at Karga on Saturday 16 December, Farketmez reminds us that plenty of Istanbul's most promising bands...

“I see myself as world citizen. The whole world is my home but I have to say, Istanbul is the place where I see...

Walking up the hill from the port of Kadıköy on the sleepy, predominately residential street of Uzun Hafız is a hole in the wall...

One Saturday afternoon in the autumn of 2012, I was walking around Beyoğlu. I don’t spend much time on the European side of Istanbul,...