The Heat of Summers Present and Past
I’m pretty sure we hit traffic the first time I visited Ortaköy. I distinctly remember being in a taxi for what felt like ages,...
Expat Life: Struggles of My New Turkish Home
I arrived in Istanbul with little knowledge of the country, its culture or language. Straight from the vacation in Japan with my boyfriend and...
The Art of Solitude
It comes on suddenly. One moment you’re experiencing an exciting roller coaster of new experiences, emotions, thoughts, and people. You’re learning to become more...
Open Call: Istanbulspor Season Ticket & Passolig Giveaway!
Aligning oneself with an Istanbul football club is a right of passage when living in Turkey's most populous city. There are plenty of clubs...
The Personalities of Six Istanbul Neighborhoods
Personality is a phenomenon which describes the way people behave in everyday life. It’s an essential concept in order to understand and predict our...
When His Family Comes First: Navigating Turkish Family Dynamics as a...
If you are in a relationship with a Turkish partner, one of the first things you may notice is not just how much he...
A Moment for the Victims in Ankara
This weekend has seen the country suffer its worst terror attack to date, with two bomb blasts in Ankara leaving over 95 dead and 240 injured. The tragic...
Sea Turtles in Turkey: Caretta Caretta Conservation at Iztuzu Beach
In a time of increasing disregard for the environment within Turkey, the conservation work being undertaken to protect endangered marine turtles on the southwest...
We Are With Istanbul
This week has been one of sadness and deep reflection for all of us in Turkey. These heinous, tragic attacks are all too frequent and...
Coming to your senses: The Olfactor
“At no other time (than autumn) does the earth let itself be inhaled in one smell, the ripe earth; in a smell that is...
The Language of Swimming: Freestyle or Overarm
Being Australian and living in Istanbul, one of the hardest things to cope with at first was the difficulty of finding a pool to...
You May Just Be An Istanbullu When…
OK, I’ll admit it: I hate these lists. They’re usually a shortcut to thinking. Besides, I’ve always fancied myself more an impressionist than medievalist,...
In Conversation with Christian Feiland, Aiding Istanbul’s Street Animal Helpers with...
Anyone who has spent time in Turkey, especially Istanbul, will have noted the condition of street animals here. For all the compassion that exists...
Fires Across Turkey: Relief Organizations You Can Support
We recently made an open call to our community for suggestions and have since compiled a list of organizations that are currently taking part...
Organization Profile: Jasmine Baladi
Editor's Note: Jasmine Baladi is one of the organizations at this year's We Are All Refugees event.
Jasmine Baladi is a Syrian run, non-profit organization...
Tale from Istanbul’s New Normal
Friday night. A few minutes before midnight. April 20th, 2020. Kaan is in the CCTV room of the luxurious hotel where he works as...
Broke and Lost in Istanbul
“Habitash! Habitash!”
The unfamiliar deckhand appeared as a silhouette, repeatedly emphasizing this made-up word as though I would finally understand what it meant the sixth...
My Turkish Neighbours Who Taught Me What ‘Korkma’ Means
In Turkish, the word ‘korkma’ means ‘don’t be scared.’ How I learned this makes for an interesting story—one which strengthened my belief that people,...
Real Student Comments
In all facets of daily, human life, the divide between what is expressed to others and what is in truth thought in one’s own,...
Underneath Istanbul
The timeless column feels cold and rough to the touch. I like to visit things that are a lot older than I am. It...
Technomads: A 13,000 KM Pedagogical Road Trip to Mongolia
After a few years in Istanbul and a very yabancı life, it is time for us to go on a big adventure in 2020!...
Terrorism in Turkey
Let’s first and foremost acknowledge the great privilege of being able to choose your place of residence. Most people are not granted the luxury...
Remembering Prince: A Purple Paisley Park in My Heart
'The girl on the seesaw is laughing
For love is the color this place imparts...
Admission is easy, just say you believe
And come to this place...
Dispatches from Cappadocia: The Soup Of Shame – A Late Night...
Recently my friends and I have created a rule. We are not allowed to have more than 3 cocktails when we’re out. Whoever is...































