Walk Across Turkey: The Asian Ghost
Friday, 12 October
The next day I woke up early, packed up my stuff, and took a look around the room. Eight hours ago I...
ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Eli Bensusan, Designer-in-Residence
The most recent iteration of the Designer-in-Residence program at ATÖLYE has seen their Prototyping Lab take on new life, where resident Eli Bensusan can...
Bhangra Diwali Festival & Me
Among the highlights of my month was the Bhangra Diwali Festival, organized by the Friends of India Association, and taking place at the Hilton...
Walk Across Turkey: Bozan
Saturday, 22 September
In the morning, early, before anyone was stirring in Çardak, I walked out to the main road and began that day’s walk...
Take 5: Üsküdar (Merkez Edition)
When I moved to Üsküdar 3 years ago it was still vilified as a conservative and religious neighborhood with virtually no social life. Over...
Review: Gaye Su Akyol @ Babylon Bomonti
A snowy Saturday night in Istanbul couldn't be spent any better than with 200-something fellow music lovers at a Gaye Su Akyol concert, courtesy of Babylon Bomonti....
Peace, Love and Turkish Hip Hop: Meeting Ege Çubukçu
I met Ege Çubukçu way back in April, on a day that felt like one of the first definitive spring days of the year....
Letters from Istanbul: The Journey of a Tissue Pack
In the city of Istanbul many poor old women sell packets of tissue in the streets, mostly to passing motorists and the people sitting...
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....
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...
Discussing the Dönme with Artist and Researcher C.M. Kösemen (Part 1)
It is well known that the Ottoman Empire was a place of incredible cosmopolitanism. What is often overlooked is the existence of “syncretic” peoples,...
Lost in Turkey: Artvin Highlands
The Black Sea region of Turkey is somewhat of a misnomer. Better known for its rainforest-like climate, highland pastures and traditional culture, the seaside...
In Conversation with Falling Notes’ Karina Morera
Falling Notes is one of Istanbul's newest up-and-coming bands. The five-piece features Alican Tokdemir on drums, Umutcan Karamahmutoğlu on guitar, Sinan Çalışkan on bass, Yusuf Karaoğlu on both guitar...
Lost in Turkey: Bozburun Peninsula
Jutting out into the Aegean, the Bozburun Peninsula has managed to remain relatively secluded despite its proximity to the wild tourism of Marmaris. With...
Notre Dame de Paris: Timeless for a Reason
“Belle” is the only word I know that suits her well
When she dances oh, the stories she can tell....
She dances naked in my soul...
Midsommar Festival 2019: A Live Music Showcase in the Hazy Solstice...
Nestled in the green folds of the surrounding Maçka, against the backdrop of an Istanbul ripe for summer and buzzing with life in the...
Walk Across Turkey: Fatih and Feridun
On Friday morning, my fourth morning in Horsunlu this time around, I woke up and got ready to begin another day of working my...
Buried Treasure Beneath Our Mind’s Bosphorus: Reflections on Zeynep Beler’s “Beachcomber”
Living as a millennial in a cosmopolitan city, I know I’m not alone in admitting my smartphone is an extension of me. The selfies...
In Conversation with Jeweler Olivia Cummings of Cleopatra’s Bling
I plodded down the hill to Olivia Cummings’s Tophane studio on a rare snowy day in Istanbul, and was happy to shake the snow...
Open Call: Join the Post Social Media Club (Deadline: Apr 26)
We are looking for 25 creatives to imagine the post-social media era. Post Social Media Club brings together young European creatives for a program...
“Girls of Hope”: Education and Gender in Rural Turkey
You might have already noticed that Istanbul is a place that can be hard to comprehend. Thousands of years of history, millions of inhabitants,...
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...
The Fusion Jazz of Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke
On Tuesday night, the Haliç Congress Centre came alive with the sounds of fusion jazz as Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke took to the...
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...