Columns & Conversation

Yabangee has had a number of columns through the years…

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...

Review: Forever Tango @ Zorlu Center

Forever Tango has finally come to Istanbul preceded by its worldwide fame: the show has captivated audiences on Broadway and has been nominated for...

Review: Hamdi Akatay & Tepecik Filarmoni Orkestrası @ Babylon Bomonti

A Thursday night spent in Babylon Bomonti never disappoints. Last week, I finally made it to see Hamdi Akatay & Tepecik Philharmonic Orchestra on stage....

In Conversation with Improv Comedy Duo ‘Ephemerata’

Last week finally gave me an opportunity to visit the Zorlu PSM, a relatively new entertainment complex in the Zincirlikuyu district of Istanbul. Performing in...

In Conversation with Orçun Sünear and Batu Kurnaz of Sattas, Together...

Editor's Note: Sattas will be headlining this year's Oktoberfest Istanbul on Saturday 5 October. For more details, visit the official event page. For locals interested...

Turkey’s Rise on the International Fashion Scene

This week Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul (MBFWI) was set to show why more and more Turkish stylists are inching their way up the ladder...

Review: “Painter and Painting: A Mehmet Güleryüz Retrospective” @ Istanbul Modern

By Sheldon Heyes The life and career of acclaimed Turkish artist Mehmet Güleryüz is on exhibition at the Istanbul Modern Museum until June 2015. 200 pieces...

In Conversation with Denizalp Şimşek, Soloist of Siyah Tavşan Band

Recently, Yabangee had a delightful conversation with the talented young musician Denizalp Şimşek, composer and singer of alternative rock band “Siyah Tavşan”. Their upcoming event “Radiohead Tribute Night” will...

“The Water Diviner”: Dancing with the Last Samurai’s Braveheart Horse Whisperer

No, that headline is not a misprint. It was my impression upon seeing The Water Diviner (Son Umut), a new film that opened in...

Letters from Istanbul: Avenues & Interludes

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,...

English-Only Classes @ Cihangir Yoga

For many yogis, the movement and flow of yoga is the most important part of a class. However, when it comes to improving your...

Yabangee Travel Blog: A Week In Georgia (The One Near Russia)

Article and photos by Louis Herman My trip to Georgia (known locally as Sakartvelo) this January started with a quick flight to Trabzon from Istanbul,...

Q&A: Ayşen Keskinkılıç – Communications Executive of Istanbul Comics & Art...

Nerd culture is rising. Comic book sales are up and everybody and their mum are watching Game Of Thrones or the next Avengers Movie....

Review: Red Axes Midnight Session @ Babylon Bomonti

For those who were at Bomontiada on St. Patrick's Day, you'll know it was a sloppy, high-energy affair for nearly everyone present. The holiday...

In Conversation with Duygu Etikan, Founder of the Istanbul Street Dance...

One of our contributors, Mustafa Çankaya, recently sat down to chat with Duygu Etikan, the founder and creative director of the International Istanbul Street Dance...

In Conversation with Kemal Varol, Poet and Author: Celebrating His Novel,...

“Art is a lie that tells the truth.” This well-known phrase, attributed to Picasso in the early 1920s, takes up permanent residence in the...

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...

Emma Shapplin Wows Rain or Shine

Saturday evening, the Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Amphitheater hosted one of the most unique names in cross-over music, Emma Shapplin: a coloratura soprano who has...

Walk Across Turkey: The Road to Bozkurt

Tuesday, 18 September Tuesday morning I awoke with a start to my cell phone alarm. I panicked. Oh my god, I am still at this...

The Top 5 Yeşilçam Films

Yeşilçam, which translates to “Green Pine”, is a shorthand for Turkey's old film industry. The name comes from Yeşilçam Street, an area of Beyoğlu...

ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Ömer Hacıömeroğlu, Product Designer, Entrepreneur, &...

Ömer Hacıömeroğlu's self-identification as a designer, entrepreneur, and educator is exceptionally accurate. His professional scope sees him fulfilling each of these roles with a...

Letter from Istanbul: My Own Private Venice … In Sultangazi

For those of you who haven’t been there, Sultangazi sits on the furthermost outskirts of Istanbul, out near the highway that heads up to...

Exploring “This Is Not Us, This Is What Remained From Us”...

Freaky Fringe Fascinated Fearsome Fabricated Forgotten Foretelling FINGERS THIS IS NOT US, THIS IS WHAT REMAINED FROM US A Mixer Exhibition by Ali Şentürk (5 September – 12 October) This...

Walk Across Turkey: Köşk

I reached the town of Köşk (population 9,900) early on Tuesday, 4 September. It was only 10:45 a.m. I had planned to spend the...