The Underground Sancaklar Mosque in Istanbul
It took us around two and a half hours to reach Sancaklar neighborhood, which lies on the outskirts of Istanbul Metropolitan City, to check out...
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...
Review: Wye Oak @ Salon IKSV
If you’re curious about Wye Oak’s impression of Istanbul: “I feel like we’ve been tricked into being on some reality TV show where they...
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: Kaan Düzarat, Todd Edwards and Julio Bashmore at Babylon Bomonti
One rainy, windy and rather cold Friday in early February, I spontaneously decided that an electronic show at Babylon Bomonti – conveniently within walking distance...
Dreaming the Future: The Russian Avant-Garde Exhibition
Visiting the Sakıp Sabancı museum has been on my mind since I got to Istanbul, more because of its aesthetics than anything else. The...
Clash of Cool: Pete Doherty @ garajistanbul
“Shall we give him the egg now?” I panicked.
“I don’t know,” Sam replied, half reaching into his satchel, “I just don’t know.”
The evening up...
Ha Ha Hanımlar: All-Women Comedy Show
Even though Istanbul is a beautiful city most of us love living in; it can also be chaotic and stressful and tiring, leaving most...
Turkish Films II: Classics, Skeleton Suits, and Lesbian Vampires
This piece is a follow-up to Turkish Films: Four Istanbuls and a Golden Fleece.
“You Can’t Win Them All” (aka “Soldiers of Fortune”), starring Charles...
Review: Anish Kapoor @ Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Of all the materials known to be used by artists, stone is one of the most impressive and foreboding. This is what ran through...
The Blaze and Label Project Light Up Istanbul at Volkswagen Arena
The level of production value that went into Label Project's preparation for The Blaze performing at Volkswagen Arena (Saturday 29 January, 2022) is still...
Review: Iron & Wine @ Babylon Bomonti
The southern United States is quite a distance from Istanbul, but that didn’t prevent Sam Beam, better known by his stage name “Iron &...
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...
Reflections on the 2018 Istanbul Theater Festival by IKSV
Navigating the theater scene in Istanbul is certainly a challenge at times, especially if you need English subtitles. As a New York theater kid,...
Seven of the Hottest Summer Music Festivals in Istanbul 2019
The summer heat is upon us, which means that our favorite part of the season also draws near... music festivals! Every year in Istanbul,...
Review: Dismantling the Archive @ SALT Galata
The years between 1900 and 1940 were more than a little eventful for the Turks. The period saw numerous wars fought on many fronts,...
Benim Çocugum (My Child): A Must-Watch LGBT Documentary for Istanbul Pride...
It’s LGBT Pride Week in Istanbul, and with celebrations cropping up across Istiklal Street, I thought I’d review a very interesting documentary dealing with...
Witty Thriller: Borusan Goes A Capella with Soli-Tutti
The terms “Soli-Tutti,” “A Capella” and “Borusan” seemed interesting enough of a trilogy to entice me to attend an evening of musical discovery on...
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....
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...
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...
Dancing for Haydarpaşa
Sunday, 8 December had Haydarpaşa Station hosting a danceathon like no other. The tango, swing and salsa communities of Istanbul staged what can only...
How Bazaar: Istanbul’s Best Markets
When one thinks of shopping in Istanbul, there’s one particular place that usually springs to mind. The city’s most famous market, the Grand Bazaar,...
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...