Three Ideas to Improve Istanbul

Most citizens of Istanbul, including myself, have a tendency to get caught up in a cycle of complaining about the things that are wrong...

Scholarship to Study Cultural Management in Istanbul Bilgi University

Istanbul Bilgi University’s Cultural Management focused programs (CAMMA) cordially invites you to explore more on the cultural / creative scene of Turkey. If you have...

ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Emilie Kleding Rasmussen, Freelance Journalist

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

Walk Across Turkey: The Watermelon Guys

The day’s walk was along a section of road with gently rolling hills, gradually climbing towards Denizli, a city halfway between the Menderes River...

A Guide to Volunteering In Istanbul

Every single day you spend with a person to make their day better, every moment of teaching someone something new, every step you take...

Poetry Slam Istanbul: Paving the way for Poets & Performers on...

Poetry Slam Istanbul, the first open mic poetry slam event in Istanbul will bring poetry performers and an audience to Kaset Kadıköy on March...

Finding and Following Your Way

“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you,...

Letter from Istanbul: Looking Back at the Old New World

This month marks my tenth anniversary in the city by the Bosphorus, so I want to go back and remember how it was that...

ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Selen Sariel, Designer-in-Residence

Every year the Designer-in-Residence program at ATÖLYE sparks newfound life in the hub's impressive Prototyping Lab - an opportunity to conceptualize, experiment, and share...

8 Essential Turkish Dramas to Watch while Social Distancing

In the final month of 2019, the first Coronavirus case was recorded in Wuhan, China. The pandemic has since spread nearly all over the...

(Nov 19) “Ecosystem Strategies: The Making of the 21st Century” with...

ATÖLYE Academy hosts Boundaryless in a sensemaking session titled “Ecosystem Strategies: The Making of the 21st Century” on Thursday 19 November from 17:30 to...

In Conversation with SABO on “Time Machine” – (Versus Art Project)

Versus Art Project is hosting a new exhibition from artist SABO entitled "Time Machine" from Thursday 3 June through Saturday 10 July. Based on...

In Conversation with Liana Georgi: Artist, Singer-Songwriter, and Pride Advocate

She may not recall this as vividly as us, as we did not ask her about it... but we first met Liana Georgi (she/they)...

(PAST EVENT) We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues – New Beginnings

We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues is a new monthly series showcasing the inspiring contributions being made by Istanbul’s diverse international community to the...

An International Linguistic Puzzle

My wife and I visited Konya, May 2023. Never having been to Konya before, we decided to hire a guide for an all-day walking...

A Five Star Toilet – Bathroom Tales in Turkey

Back in 1990 when I first visited Turkey, toilets, whether squat or what we think of as ‘normal’ but the Turks call Ala Franga,...

The Contemporary Flood

I keep thinking about waste these days. Why don’t we recycle enough? Why? People at my office prefer consuming water from 0.5 liter plastic...

From Boza to Bourbon: House of Hops and Barley

Before coming to Istanbul I worked at restaurants in some capacity for over a decade. There are certain things I miss about working in...

On the Road to Gebze: Surviving in the Industrial Heartland

On the road to Gebze, where I teach twice a week, I have a lot of time to contemplate the passing landscape. Out on the...
Yıldız Park

Through the Lens: Yıldız Park

  Now is the best season to visit Istanbul's parks and shake off the winter blues. A good place to start is Yıldız Park (yıldız is...

Six Tips For Foreigners To Blend Into Turkish Society

I cried. I cried for weeks and it went on around two months. I even questioned my decision of moving to Istanbul and contemplated...

Through the Lens: Street Art Edition

One day while walking through the streets of Kadıköy searching for inspiration, I stumbled upon a magnificent art piece just ahead of me on the...

Istanbul Recycling 101

When I first came to Istanbul in October of 2014, I was completely bewildered by the recycling system. I found almost nothing on the...

10 Tips for Coping with Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness as...

Being an expat is difficult. You need courage to leave not only your comfort zone and sense of security behind, but also your lifestyle,...