Advice & Info

Sick of leaving Turkish hair salons looking like a 50-year-old, overly done-up newscaster? No matter how much you try to tell hairdressers that you’re...

Learning Turkish while living in Istanbul can be an experience both painstaking and profoundly exciting. There is an undefinable moment in this adventure -...

The task of learning a new language while living in a foreign country can be a fun challenge. But it can also be stressful, and...

Editor's Note: This piece was first published in 2015, and was most recently updated in 2026 by our editor. The response to first-time applications...

There are a number of phrases that Turks use in daily life that you may not find properly explained in your Intro to Turkish...

Yoko Ono has spent more than seven decades making art that refuses to behave like an object. Her work often begins with something almost...

Many foreigners realize that Turkey is not the best place when it comes to communicating with locals. A lot of people here speak limited English,...

Sometimes the grit and grime and non-stop pace of the city just get overwhelming. You need a break from the packed Metrobus and the...

When foreigners move to Türkiye, they usually prepare themselves for the obvious cultural shifts—things like dating customs, family dynamics, or the sheer challenge of...

Whenever I see Özgecan Arın she’s in costume, a long black evening gown complementing her height as she steps elegantly up to the top...

Founded in 1997 by the Kadir Has Foundation, Kadir Has University is one of Istanbul’s leading private universities, best known for transforming the historic...

Head-On by Fatih Akın is one of those films that perfectly encapsulates the beauty and energy of Istanbul, with its flaws and all. The...

In my previous article, I wrote about the more difficult side of navigating Turkish family dynamics as a foreign partner. The constant phone calls,...

Has your luggage ever been delayed significantly? This past summer I found myself in Istanbul without any of my bags. They eventually arrived 3...

So, you’ve been in Turkey for a while and decided that it might make sense to buy a home or maybe you have your...

If you have lived in Turkey for a while, you’ve probably got an account with a local bank. It is easy enough to open...

The work permit process in Turkey is unclear or confusing for many people because of the bureaucracy and inconsistent manner in which information and...

Once you’re officially a resident in Turkey, you can buy a Müzekart (“museum card”) – a handy, money-saving tool for expats keen on visiting...

As you reach into your pocket this week to see if you can afford to hit that pricey New Year’s party, you may have...

So you're visiting or moving to Turkey and you want to bring your foreign mobile phone with you to happily use here. Great! Let's...

So you've decided to move to Istanbul. Hoş geldiniz and congrats on a fantastic decision! We're confident you'll love it here just as much...

If you are in a relationship with a Turkish partner, one of the first things you may notice is not just how much he...

If you want to know how to improve your Turkish, I have one word for you: Bureaucracy. Forget expensive courses and fancy textbooks. Just...

As you walk down the streets of Istanbul, the air swirls with color and unfamiliar smells. Occasionally, you stop and peer into shop windows,...