Istanbul Basics & Guides

Who rules Istanbul? If you have been here for longer than a day, you already know the answer is obvious: CATS. They are everywhere...

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

Summer just won't seem to quit, and we all know how the heat tends to stifle any imagination when it comes to finding ways to...

Getting your residence permit can seem like a massive undertaking, especially if you're unclear of certain steps along the way or have your own...

The residence permit application process in Turkey is an ever-changing and often complicated process. While we stand by the belief that a thoroughly compiled...

Istanbul sure does have a lot to offer when it comes to the world of books - there are boutique retailers, hidden stores, retail...

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...

IMPORTANT NOTE: As of Friday 07 October, the Interior Ministry has made the decision to close several districts in Istanbul entirely to any new...

If you’re anything like me, or the average Istanbul resident, you probably spend a larger percentage of your life commuting than you’d like to...

Although Istanbul is not really a bike-friendly city, nor it does have a vibrant biking culture, it is still a good idea to buy...

One of the simplest and easiest ways to help others is to donate blood. Back in Barcelona I was a regular blood donor, donating...

Unpredictable Spring showers can put a real dampener (pun intended) on one's social calendar. But even if you have exhausted the city’s museums 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...

Long ago, great explorers traversed huge bodies of water with little more than the stars to guide them. And now? Well, you just need...

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

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...

We live in a great time to be stuck in traffic! Especially if you live in Istanbul, you’ve been given the greatest gifts of...

While eating healthy might not normally be a top priority, if you have kids like me, that opinion will likely change as you probably...

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

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

One of the many seemingly incessant complaints I hear from other yabancılar is a disdain for Turkish wines. Navigating the wine scene in Turkey...

I’ve been in this crazy, lovely city for two years now, and although I cannot claim to know all its secrets, I have in...

Well, hello there. Chances are you are leaving Turkey with your pet, and you’ve stumbled upon this page looking for advice. Don’t worry, we're...

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...