Arts, Culture & History

Contemporary Istanbul, the city's premier international art fair, is back for its 18th edition, bringing together art enthusiasts, collectors, curators, and artists from around...

“Light is more important than the lantern, The poem more important than the notebook” ― Syrian poet, Nizar Qabbani To the general public, Syria has become...

“A Doenmeh friend of mine told me his father had informed him that his father’s mother used to go to the beach every Friday...

IKSV has announced the title and conceptual framework of its 16th Istanbul Biennial. The Biennial will be taking place between September 14th and November...

Have you heard Piri before? It is an audio walking tour app which urges explorers to discover amazing cities. With Piri, you can explore the...

Before Orhan Pamuk came to prominence in the West and launched Turkey once more into the international literary scene, Yaşar Kemal was Turkey’s best-known...

Once there was a time when Hattusha was reached by foot, through a dense forest that flourished near the Red River or Kızılırmak and...

Istanbul arguably doesn’t really have one central district, like a downtown or a city center. It is a city of many centers, each with...

Perched on the hill of Çamlıca is a spiritual gem that combines Ottoman and modern architecture, where the breeze carries both the sounds of...

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

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet True facts, Shakespeare, true facts. And while I...

The marriage bureaucrats at the Şişli marriage bureau seem like the unhappiest people in the world. Just a few meters from the miniature theater, where everyday...

The Princes' Islands (Adalar) are a chain of nine small islands in the Sea of Marmara, about 20 km east of the center of...

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...

How does one explain Barış Manço?  He is kind of like the Turkish John Denver, but with the notoriety of John Lennon and a...

You may not be aware that there is either a museum or a synagogue in central Karaköy, downhill from Galata Tower and directly facing the tram stop....

A darbuka drum is a Middle Eastern instrument whose structure varies depending on location. They all have a conical shape with a nearly circular...

I discovered a great passion for cooking when I started traveling around the world. I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing! I wanted to...

Cities like Istanbul stand alternatively as testaments to humanity's sustained success and survival and to its limitless culture of waste and forgetfulness. While Newton...

Phoenix Ancient City near present day Taşlıca lies far from the touristic bustle of Marmaris. This semi-isolated site is a treasure trove of archaic...

Born on the 15th of January 1902 in Thessaloniki, where his father was serving as an Ottoman government official; Nazım Hikmet Ran, commonly known...

When Mosul was invaded in June, one of the first announcements made by ISIS was that the civilians within their territory would be treated...

Editor's Note: This venue is no longer open. Located within quick reach of the historical Chora Museum, Pages, the first Arabic bookstore in Istanbul, marks...

Fun Fact: There are around 60 state-run brothels in Turkey. This may be surprising given Turkey’s reputation as a conservative, rather religious country. So,...