Advice & Info

Anyone who has spent time in Turkey, especially Istanbul, will have noted the condition of street animals here. For all the compassion that exists...

cold, dark, eerie leather soles staccato along pavements avoiding cracks and stray van İstanbul becalmed, again street lamps whisper through hüzün diesel engines growl like kangal buses ready to depart north...

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

Istanbul sure does have a lot to offer when it comes to the world of books - there are boutique retailers, hidden stores, retail...

You can walk into any chain bookstore in Istanbul and find stacks of neatly ordered books. Normally, they have the recently published stuff, 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...

I’ve often passed in front of this church and wondered at its brilliance because it does actually look like a source of light. Maybe...

Pera Museum is currently hosting a thought provoking exhibition exploring critical issues in science, culture, and politics in the last 150 years, curated by...

Those traversing the crumbling walls demarcating the boundaries of old Istanbul may find that amongst the equally-as-crumbled residential buildings between Chora Church and Tekfur...

In theory, BookSerf is a simple enough concept. You choose some of your own books you'd be willing to share, browse other people's selections and...

In a city the size of Istanbul, it’s definitely understandable that sometimes you just want to get away. One place that would normally not...

I have received a mixed bag of reactions from Turkish people when I explain that Kiralık Aşk is “my dizi.” It’s a barely-realistic technicolor drama...

The Urban Dictionary defines cheesy as “unsubtle, inauthentic, and trying too hard.” Alanya, on the southern coast of Turkey, is a good case in...

Ayvalık boasts beautiful blue water, lovely sunsets, and plenty of beaches to relax on, but its range of nature also provides no shortage of...

So you’re thinking about getting married in Turkey. If you’re a foreigner, you probably have quite a few questions about the process. I’m a...

Rent increases are an unpleasant but inevitable part of adult life. However, as rent prices have spiked by an unprecedented degree over the past...

Istanbul Technical University, commonly known as ITU or Teknik Üniversite, is one of the best universities in Turkey, always ranking among the top three....

In our previous piece we discussed choosing your obstetrician - this was the most difficult part. Now it is time for you to relax...

This weekend has seen the country suffer yet another senseless terror attack, leaving 5 dead and 39 injured in the heart of our beautiful,...

There is no better time to start working on your resolutions than the Fall season! Don’t believe me? Let me show you why. Most people...

While regular weekend lockdowns in Istanbul have been a unifying experience in a myriad of ways, so much of our experience is tied to...

The first time I came across the signature 'Yabancı' was when I stepped out of my house to do the privileged walk during the...

Sometimes the grit and grime and non-stop pace of the city just get overwhelming. You need a break from the packed Metrobus and the...

Some time ago, I was discussing Elif Şafak with a Turkish friend.  I mentioned that I was reading The Bastard of Istanbul, and after...