Istanbul Basics & Guides

It hit me a few weeks after moving to Istanbul two years ago. I was stressed and confused by so many things like accommodation...

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...

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...

Living in Istanbul is not for the faint of heart. We face a pretty hefty amount of stress on a daily basis – the hours...

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...

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...

So you’re thinking about getting married in Turkey. If you’re a foreigner, you probably have quite a few questions about the process. I’m a...

To be a true yabancı, there are certain skills you have to master... 1. Become a teaholic. Drinking copious amounts of black tea is an...

When I first came to Istanbul in October of 2014, I was completely bewildered by the recycling system. I found almost nothing on the...

If you have a nine to five job and a lot of responsibilities to handle, you might prefer to stay in after work or...

Istanbul is huge and, a bit intimidating. Finding your "in" can take time. As a foreigner, you'll quickly see that breaking into Turkish friend...

So you’ve found somewhere to live in the urban jungle of Istanbul – congratulations! Opening utility accounts is not that difficult but can be...

When I first moved to Istanbul in 2016, I too experienced loneliness. After all, I was a foreigner in a new country, who did...

Thinking of staying in Türkiye for a while and want to file a first-time residence permit application? That's lovely to hear! Before getting too...

Galata is a beautiful neighborhood in the apex of Beyoğlu district. It used to be a sanctuary for Turkey’s Greek, Armenian, Italian and Jewish...

On Monday 06 February, 2023 two massive earthquakes (7.5 and 7.8 in magnitude) devastated Turkey and Syria, with aftershocks being felt hundreds of miles...

With all the disturbing events in the news recently, it is easy to forget the more mundane, boring threats of life: pickpockets in Taksim,...

It’s the kind of story that sweeps down the gossip chain, becoming so popular that it morphs into an urban legend. The tale retold whenever...

In a heavily built-up city such as Istanbul, green space is at a premium. When I first came here to live, I remember looking...

Gluten is made up of two proteins, Gliadin that gives the baked good the ability to rise during baking and Glutenin which makes the...

It’s amazing how things can change in just a few short years. Three years ago, I accepted a job in Turkey. Six months later...