14th Istanbul Biennial: Büyükada Art Safari
'SALTWATER/TUZLU SU: A Theory on Thought Forms' is the theme for the 14th Istanbul Biennial drafted by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. In a city deeply saturated...
In Conversation with Vahid Evazzadeh, Theater Director and Filmmaker
This October, Istanbul will host A Corner in the World, a new international performing arts festival. A Corner in the World is a unique...
Review: Oldies But Goldies – Serious Nostalgia @ Babylon Bomonti
Saturday 26 September saw Babylon’s classic “Oldies But Goldies” night, a throwback mash-up of primarily 80s and 90s hits, making its debut at the...
Review: Nilüfer Verdi Trio feat. Ülkü Aybala Sunat @ Denizde Caz
A night cruise on the Bosphorus is always a good idea, as is a jazz concert by local musicians. Thankfully, The Primetime Cruise gave...
Klarnet Festivali: Barcelona Gipsy Klezmer Orchestra and Ivo Papazov & Trakia...
After a year of exploring Istanbul and getting to know the locals, two things became very clear to me – Turkish people seem to...
Babylon Bomonti’s Housewarming with Flight Facilities
This past Thursday was a big day for Babylon and for those of us who missed the venue this summer. But the wait was...
Venue Spotlight: The Hidden Terrace of #bunk taksim Hostel
#bunk kicked off in 2011 with the aim of bringing high-quality, stylish hostel accommodation to Istanbul in an affordable package. With two locations currently in the...
City Scherzos: Bukowski in Sultanahmet (and Other Ghosts of Teachers Past)
I’ve been a teacher for the past ten years, first in Prague and now in Istanbul. Over the years, you get used to seeing...
Rain or Shine, Minipax Played On
The Minipax Festival was besieged by rain storms for a second year in a row, much to the chagrin of most of the attendees....
In Conversation with 3D Animator Paulius Masteika
“I see myself as world citizen. The whole world is my home but I have to say, Istanbul is the place where I see...
In Conversation with Leeann Murphy of Moon Istanbul & the Turkish...
The recently released Moon Istanbul & the Turkish Coast is a not-so-ordinary guidebook. At 480 pages in full-color, it's the perfect companion for any trip...
City Scherzos: Chopin in Koşuyolu
Some time back, I decided to try a new approach to my Istanbul stories.
Up until that point, the stories, though carefully written, were missing...
Review: Mor ve Ötesi @ Dorock XL Kadıköy
Sending “rock” waves through Turkey and the world for over 20 years, Mor ve Ötesi played to a jam-packed house last Saturday at Dorock...
City Scherzos: This Matter of Medusa
You may have read in the Turkish news recently that archaeologists in Antalya found the head of Medusa … in stone.
The archaeologists told reporters...
In Conversation With Milk Hunter @ Rock Off Festival
By Selin Genç & Gökay Atabek
All metalheads of Istanbul anticipate the summer. Every year in August the two biggest metal festivals take place. Rock...
Antalya Heat
“O for a beaker full of the warm south,” wrote John Keats, capturing that almost marrow-level need for sun after a long time in...
City Scherzos: Istanbul’s Absurdist Heart
The other evening, my wife and I were out in our neighborhood of Koşuyolu feeding the cats as is our evening ritual.
While we were...
Persian Tunes in an Old Schoolyard: A Summer’s Night with Mahsa...
It is a perfect Istanbul summer night after a hot July day. The Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat enters the stage and tells the audience...
In Conversation with Musician Enzo Ikah
Foreigners living in big cities all have something in common: the desire to live a better life. Most of them remain anonymous, but some,...
In Conversation with Samer Al-Kadri of Pages, Istanbul’s First Arabic Bookstore...
Located within quick reach of the historical Chora Museum, Pages, the first Arabic bookstore in Istanbul, marks a historic moment for the city and...
Liszt and more…
All 24 of the performances that took place last month as part of the Istanbul Music Festival were events not to miss, and several...
Review: Art Tour with Sena Başöz of istanbulite
By Missy Weimer and Zamira Skalkottas
In Istanbul, it can sometimes be hard to view art, but not for lack of content; the city is...
Review: Grayson Perry’s “Small Differences” @ Pera Museum
This impressive and satisfying show at the Pera Museum by acclaimed British artist Grayson Perry has everything to love about contemporary art. Grayson Perry's...
More Mozart, More Fazıl Say, More Delight @ IKSV Music Festival
And so the evening of Mozart Sonatas performed by renowned Turkish pianist and composer Fazıl Say at Heybeliada came to an end. After having...