Columns & Conversation

Yabangee has had a number of columns through the years…

Anatolian Travel Archives: Eflatun Pınar

We raced against the sun to reach the spring before all light had gone, Seçkin at the wheel and me biting my nails with...

Walk Across Turkey: Breaking Free From Eğirdir

Monday and Tuesday, 8 and 9 October I enjoyed the pension at Eğirdir so much that several days when my week’s vacation was finished, I...

Rubber Walrus: Terrifyingly Sexual

There is something terrifyingly sexual about Rubber Walrus. This, in the same way that there is something terrifyingly sexual about being a seventeen-year-old boy,...

Retrospective – Life Lessons #3: Scott Cohen

From the organizer: You are invited to attend the third episode of ATÖLYE Academy’s Life Lessons series with Newlab’s Co founder Scott Cohen on the 16th of July. The third guest...

Walk Across Turkey: Kuşadası to Havutçulu

When I arrived at the docks Joy Anna was already there, playing fetch with a mangy stray dog while she waited to join me...

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...

ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Ege Akdemir and Selen Gürsoy, Curators...

These past few months have offered new experiences for all of us, and an opportunity to approach the old normal with fresh perspective. Creatives...

Muxtar: A Documentary about Democracy in the Village

Democracy: A political system defined by the vote of the people and the service of elected representatives whose main duty is to meet the...

Interview: Nasuh Mahruki on AKUT (Search and Rescue Assocation)

By Gökay Ürk In the second part of my interview with Nasuh Mahruki (read the first part here), we talk about AKUT (Search and Rescue...

Retrospective – Expat Spotlight #11: Digital Nomads @ ATÖLYE

In collaboration with ATÖLYE, Yabangee continues to present Expat Spotlight, a monthly series showcasing the freshest, most inspiring contributions being made by Istanbul’s diverse...

Behind the Scenes at the IKSV 38th Istanbul Film Festival: Daily...

The creation story of Cyrano de Bergerac: Edmond Edmond, which tells the creation story of Cyrano de Bergerac, probably the most popular play in French...

Walk Across Turkey: The Wedding

The next day, Saturday, Metin and I took a car to his village for the wedding. Our first stop was in another village to...

Review: Mashrou’ Leila @ Bronx Pi Sahne

On Friday, Nov. 28, a group of friends and I were getting pumped for a concert in Istanbul that we had all been looking forward...

“Longing for Istanbul”: An Expat’s Love Letter to the City of...

Longing for Istanbul doubles as a sociological reflection on modernization processes in Turkish culture and a personal memoir that articulates what it means to...

Review: Joan Miró @ Tophane-i Amire

Editor's Note: This exhibition has been closed down until further notice.  Like many artists born at the turn of the century, Joan Miró lived and...

Retrospective – Expat Spotlight #15 – Technology

In collaboration with ATÖLYE, Yabangee continues with a new season of Expat Spotlight - a monthly series showcasing the freshest, most inspiring contributions being...

Walk Across Turkey: Greater Middle East Project

Thursday, 20 September The next morning when I woke up, I went back out onto the square and found Eren and Özgür at the büfe....

Big Burn Istanbul: A New Hope in this Fiery Festival

Music festivals are essential to the very fabric of a quality Istanbul summer -- a yearly reminder of the city's appeal to international artists,...

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...

Review: The Bastard of Istanbul @ Zorlu PSM Drama Sahnesi

I can't think of a better way of reconnecting with the city after a few days of roadtripping among the nature of the Eagen region than by...

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...

Through the Lens: 100 Faces 100 Countries

For best results, click to enlarge images. I wanted to combine my passion of photography with the airport I worked at. I was encountering hundreds...

Weekend Getaway: Bozcaada

Where can you feel like being on a Greek island without leaving Turkey? Look no further than the beautiful Aegean island of Bozcaada (known...

Magical Encounters with Turquerie: The Ottoman Magic

Among the impressive list of twenty-six concerts, the evening of “Turquerie: The Ottoman Magic” was the evening that I had been looking forward to...