Kedi: An Evocative Portrait of a City and Its Cohabitants
“If you want to be a psychological novelist and write about human beings, the best thing you can do is keep a pair of...
Off The Beaten Path: Rumeli Hisarı
Although the Bosphorus is the real star of Istanbul, its beauty is accentuated by the city’s monuments, those sturdy shapes that mediate between the...
Transcending decades and genres with Erol Evgin
Friends and family were surprised when I announced that I had tickets for the Erol Evgin concert at the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre...
IKSV Music Festival: Opening Night @ Lütfi Kırdar Sarayı
The classical season is officially over. The 2013-2014 season in Istanbul was one of the greatest seasons I have ever experienced. It was a...
Arter & Antrepo 5: Architectural Monuments Hosting Contemporary Art in Istanbul
That Istanbul is a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary art world is undeniable. You just need to look at spaces like...
Star-studded Chamber Music with Kopatchinskaja, Gabetta, Leschenko
Among all the fine music and impressive artists that are and have been part of the 43rd IKSV Music Festival this month, there was...
Patricia Kopatchinskaja and More @ İş Sanat
This season has been one of the finest and most bountiful of classical music Istanbul has ever witnessed. Over the course of the past...
Zorlu Center is a Jellicle Cat
Zorlu Center recently opened its doors to the world as an international center for business, shopping, and, above all, culture and art. It is...
Looking for Love at First Sight Speed Dating in Istanbul
As soon as I exit the Taksim metro station and begin my walk to the event location, I begin to panic. Why am I...
An Evening with Popist Supper Club: Istanbul’s Newest Pop-Up Dining Experience
There is an old Turkish saying stating if you are bored with Istanbul, you are bored with life. Although Istanbul is rarely boring there...
Midnight at the Pera Palace
A young journalist travels back in time to 1919 Istanbul, accidentally disrupting the natural flow of history. She must act quickly to prevent the...
The Next Frontier: A Barbershop in Bebek
"You look like a rye guy?" I hesitate, almost declare for single malt, and then change my mind. When in Rome as they say...
I’m...
Review: Dhafer Youssef @ Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theatre
Perhaps he is not the kind of musician you hear about that often; you won’t see his pictures on billboards, nor can you watch...
Review: Sutra Visits Zorlu Performing Arts Center
One of the highlights of my incredible solo backpacking trip around China in the winter of 2012 was seeing a traditional kung fu performance...
Review: The Act of Killing
Joshua Oppenheimer’s remarkable film, The Act of Killing will screen at Istanbul’s !f film festival for the final time on Sunday 24 February. The...
Review: Alberto Giacometti Retrospective @ Pera Museum
Although not overwhelming in its content, the Pera Museum's retrospective of Swiss artist, Alberto Giacometti (1901- 1966) is both impressive and comprehensive. Expertly curated,...
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...
8000 Years of Istanbul: Review of ‘Again, and New: World City...
Artifacts have been found in Istanbul (previously home to some of the world's largest empires, the city has also been known as Byzantion, Nea...
Chinese Man Brings their Sound Back to Babylon
Chinese Man dropped by Istanbul on Saturday as part of their international Shikantaza tour, which has included shows in Mexico, Canada, China, and Europe...
Review of ISTrapped: Turkey’s First Room Escape Game
Istanbul is a city of countless sights and activities, which makes getting locked up in a room for an hour seem like a strange...
The Last Round: Boxing, Martial Arts, and a Social Conscience
In the dead of this past winter, I ran into a friend in Cihangir who seemed uncharacteristically ecstatic. I told him as much and...
It’s All Fun and Games with the Harlem Globetrotters
Even though I do enjoy an occasional soccer match or basketball game, I am not a big sports fan. However, I was miffed three...
Marking the Season with BIPO and the Salzburg Bach Choir
The Borusan Philharmonic is one of the most popular of orchestras in Turkey. They take the stage every month or so at the Lütfi...
Review: Medeski, Martin & Wood – Wide Open @ Babylon
It’s Friday night, and I am at our usual hangout for all good things jazz - Babylon Club in the heart of Asmalı Mescit...