Anatolian Travel Archives: Stratonikeia
Aside from the yet to be excavated ancient settlement near my home in Turunç (near Marmaris), Stratonikeia was my first, official, ancient city experience...
Tale from Istanbul’s New Normal
Friday night. A few minutes before midnight. April 20th, 2020. Kaan is in the CCTV room of the luxurious hotel where he works as...
University Guide: Boğaziçi University
Boğaziçi University, commonly shortened to BU, was founded in 1863 as Robert College and is the first American higher education institution founded outside of the...
University Guide: Istanbul Ticaret University
Istanbul Ticaret University is a private university founded in 2001 by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. It is considered as one of the top three private...
Learn Turkish in Your Comfort Zone with Turkish Academy
If you are an expat living in Türkiye, a language enthusiast watching every single Turkish drama, or a university student researching about Turkish history,...
Mountaineering in Turkey: An Introduction
By Gökay Ürk, guest writer for Yabangee
Mountaineering is probably the best outdoor sport for adrenalin junkies, and Turkey’s impressive range of mountains have enabled...
University Guide: Istanbul University
Istanbul University (İstanbul Üniversitesi) is the oldest and one of the most prominent universities in Turkey, having been established in 1453 first as a...
The Heat of Summers Present and Past
I’m pretty sure we hit traffic the first time I visited Ortaköy. I distinctly remember being in a taxi for what felt like ages,...
Giving Birth in Turkey: Choosing the Right Obstetrician
You are pregnant, congratulations! This is most probably the happiest moment of your life, enjoy it for a second! But not too long, because...
Top 11 Foods to Bring from Home
These days more and more imported items can be found somewhere here in Istanbul. But finding these items often involves a wild goose chase...
Reflections: Travelling Round Istanbul – Then and Now
These days travelling around Istanbul has become an anonymous experience for me, the way you would get around any other major city like London....
In Conversation with the Editors of Sofra: A Gathering of Foreign...
Having been one of the contributors to the Tales from the Expat Harem anthology over a decade ago, I was excited to see a...
The Best Hamams in Istanbul
Now you know about the history of hamams and Turkey's public bathing culture, and you've read the expat's guide to hamams. The next step...
Student Life: 8 Tips to Live in Istanbul on a Student...
Is living on a budget a choice or an obligation? In my case, unfortunately, it had to be an obligation. I’ve moved to Istanbul...
How to Get a Müzekart in Istanbul
Editor's Note: As of April 2024, foreigners with residence permits are NOT eligible to purchase a Müzekart. We will update this post again with...
The Respite of Istanbul’s Princes’ Islands
Every time I head out to the islands, I look back on the Istanbul skyline as I imagine the first astronauts gazed down upon...
Seven Organic, Health Food, and Exotic Markets in Istanbul
When I first came to Turkey six years ago for a vacation, one of the first things that enamored me was the food. The...
Cappadocia: Just Go Already!
By Tas Anjarwalla
So, thousands of years ago two volcanoes erupted and created two layers of malleable rock in central Turkey. The rock slowly eroded...
Top 5 Istanbul Tea Gardens
Çay is the traditional black tea of Turkey... and one of my favorite things about day-to-day life in this country. Even if you are more...
In Memory of Barış Mumyakmaz
It's with great sadness today that we've learned of the passing of long-time friend and contributor Barış Mumyakmaz.
A graduate of Galatasaray University and the...
Haydarpaşa Cemetery: A Cemetery with Something to Say
As a long-time lover of cemeteries, I’m often telling people about my trip to this or that burial ground. Most have one question: “why?”...
Kuzguncuk: Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Kuzguncuk is a little slip of a neighborhood whose reputation has a surprisingly wide reach. I had not even left dusty Tarsus in Southern...
University Guide: Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University, commonly known as ITU or Teknik Üniversite, is one of the best universities in Turkey, always ranking among the top three....
Giving Birth in Turkey: Getting Prepared
In our previous piece we discussed choosing your obstetrician - this was the most difficult part. Now it is time for you to relax...