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...
EVO Sports: Istanbul’s Premier Paintball & Laser Tag Experience
One afternoon in late April, some of the Yabangee team decided to partake in a team bonding activity and venture on a laser tag...
Ways Out from the World: The Cappadox Experience 2017
For the third year running Cappadocia played host to Cappadox Festival, a three day music and arts extravaganza, featuring workshops on food and craft...
Bach is in the Spring Air
There are certain themes that just can’t go wrong: Among them are “Bach ve Bahar,” ie, “Bach and Spring.” Since all the way back...
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...
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...
Music in Bloom at Warsaw’s Beethoven Easter Festival
What is your dream travel destination? Rome? Paris? Bruges? L.A? How about Warsaw, Poland… It is now my favorite city in the world. I had...
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...
Come what may, Spoken Word Istanbul is here to stay
“There are just three rules: No Racism, no sexism, and no homophobia.”
Rules? I thought this was an open-mic event. There shouldn’t be any rules.
“You...
The Away Days Return Home @ Salon IKSV
The Away Days don’t sound like your average Istanbul band, but then again, how does an “average Istanbul band” even sound? With a city...
Büyülü Fener: A Magic Lantern to Istanbul’s Past
A middle aged man passes under a vivid yet rustic sign that reads BÜYÜLÜ FENER, which fits like a puzzle piece among the colors of...
BaBa ZuLa’s Good Time Vibes at Salon IKSV
I’m going to let you in on a little secret. It has taken me over two years of wanting but failing to make proactive...
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...
Running the Istanbul Marathon
I never liked running. I grew up playing tennis and to me, the long and painful sessions on the track were part of the...
3rd Istanbul Design Biennial: An Evening at Galata Greek School
Are we human? That is the main question surrounding the 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial which debuted on Saturday 22 October.
“The 3rd Istanbul Design Biennial...
Review: Michael Franti @ Babylon Bomonti
Michael Franti was in Istanbul last week to perform again for the first time in over a decade. While his full band Spearhead wasn’t...
Halloween Discount – Introducing Mitra Costume Shop: Meeting All Your Costume...
Mitra Costume Design Vintage Shop has been providing costumes (both rental and sales) since 2010 and with a constantly evolving selection of over 2,500...
Review: Selda Bağcan @ Babylon Bomonti
I finally had my very own Selda Bağcan moment that I've been waiting for for so long. Thanks to Babylon Bomonti for their dope...
Review: Buika @ Cemil Topuzlu Open-Air Theater
Summer of 2016 has been a sad one for those of us who waited so long to see some of our favorite artists live...
Review: 23rd Istanbul Jazz Festival Opening @ Cemil Topuzlu
Imagine a night that Damon Albarn opens the 23rd Istanbul Jazz Festival at Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre and then the Arabic ‘Ada Sahillerinde Bekliyorum’...
Persian Play is Highlight of the 20th Theatre Festival
As we transition into summer from spring, so have begun the series of IKSV Festivals: the just over Theatre Festival, the ongoing Music Festival,...
For all the barefoot dancers: Patti Smith in Istanbul
“The artist seeks contact with his intuitive sense of the gods, but in order to create his work, he cannot stay in this seductive...
Review: A Photographer’s Evening with PJ Harvey
"Fifteen keys, fifteen keys hang on a chain..."
These were the first words the fuzzy audience heard from Polly Jean at Zorlu PSM on Wednesday...
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...