Ramazan Dos and Don’ts for Yabangees
The Holy month of Ramadan aka Ramazan has started here in Turkey and over this thirty day period devout Muslims fast during daylight hours....
A Moment for Istanbul
This weekend has seen the country suffer yet another senseless terror attack, leaving 5 dead and 39 injured in the heart of our beautiful,...
Five Must-Visit Istanbul Streets After Coronavirus
Walk. Breathe. Eat. Drink. Consume. Repeat.
Wasn’t life nice and easy in Istanbul before coronavirus? We didn’t realize how fortunate we were back then. Thankfully,...
The Art of Solitude
It comes on suddenly. One moment you’re experiencing an exciting roller coaster of new experiences, emotions, thoughts, and people. You’re learning to become more...
Remembering Bowie: An Occidental Ode to the Original ‘Space Oddity’
My first memory involving David Bowie is from when my Aunt took me, at age 4, to a screening of “Labyrinth”. The details are...
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,...
Open Call – ‘We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues’ Speaker Suggestions
We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues is a new monthly series showcasing the inspiring contributions being made by Istanbul’s diverse international community to the...
Broke and Lost in Istanbul
“Habitash! Habitash!”
The unfamiliar deckhand appeared as a silhouette, repeatedly emphasizing this made-up word as though I would finally understand what it meant the sixth...
Istanbul Healthy Eating Tips on a Budget
It's been a long day in Istanbul, and here you are, going back from work, school, or an anime world portal. In addition, you're...
Finding and Following Your Way
“If you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you,...
Fires Across Turkey: Relief Organizations You Can Support
We recently made an open call to our community for suggestions and have since compiled a list of organizations that are currently taking part...
“Longing for Istanbul”: An Expat’s Love Letter to the City of...
Longing for Istanbul doubles as a sociological reflection on modernization processes in Turkish culture and a personal memoir that articulates what it means to...
My Turkish Neighbours Who Taught Me What ‘Korkma’ Means
In Turkish, the word ‘korkma’ means ‘don’t be scared.’ How I learned this makes for an interesting story—one which strengthened my belief that people,...
I Wake Up Torn
“If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in...
Expat Life: Why I chose to give birth in Turkey
Finding out that I was pregnant came as a complete surprise, my husband actually found out before I did, but that's a whole other...
Istanbul Productivity: Six Cafes to Head with Your Laptop Near Taksim
Taksim Square is a place that is planned into almost every trip to Istanbul, one way or another. The name “Taksim” means “division”, from...
Istanbul Z
The gas mask is definitely too tight. When the three soldiers fly over Istanbul aboard the camouflage helicopter, the condensation almost stops Cem from...
Istanbul: What I Remembered, What I Forgot
Memory is a funny thing. As much as it keeps record of reality, it also creates a reality of its own. As expats, we...
Eton Academy: The Gateway for Accredited Homeschooling by Cambridge Assessment
Your child deserves a better future, and nothing can help them change and improve quite like a high quality education that meets international standards....
Useful Tips For Road Trips in Turkey
The Winter of 2018 experienced a 'train crisis' in Turkey as a large group of travel enthusiasts found themselves refreshing the website of the national...
Escapist: Real Escape Room Fun for English Speakers in Istanbul
I'd be hard pressed to think of a more wholesome group activity I've taken part in these last few years, than when a group...
Awkward Tales from the ‘Bul #5: Döner Kebab
Three weeks ago, I was taking the metrobüs with my brother from Şirinevler, on a very rainy day. Being as crowded as it was...
Istanbul Welcomes the Yellow Bouncy Castle
Istanbul attracts all sorts of heroes and magnificent freaks. And I am not talking about Sean Connery or Liam Neeson.
Meet Thomas, who calls himself...
16 LGBT Friendly Cafes and Bars in Istanbul
With so many rapid changes happening in Turkey and the world, along with all the changes in our personal lives, the LGBT community needs...