10 Tips for Coping with Feelings of Isolation and Loneliness as...
Being an expat is difficult. You need courage to leave not only your comfort zone and sense of security behind, but also your lifestyle,...
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,...
Open Call: Nadas’a Bırak Fall Art Residency Programme (Deadline: 21 September)
Editor's Note: The application window has been extended through Saturday 21 September.
NADAS Istanbul is excited to announce its upcoming art residency programme, Nadas’a Bırak,...
Arrested as a Spy, Caught in a Major Earthquake, & More:...
We've all been there, haven't we? You are in a foreign country and some strangers approach you.
You immediately think: "Whatever they are they selling,...
Interesting Names, Great Taste: Turkish Dishes to Cook During Ramadan
For over a year, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major factor shaping our lives. This year again, the holy month of Ramadan began...
Diaspolis Temizlik: Professional, Trustworthy Cleaners for Your Home or Office
Those who have spent time living in Turkey will know that hiring a cleaner to visit your home is a fairly common practice. While...
The Istanbul Incident: The Case of the Spinning Dolphins
The day the spinning dolphins appeared in the Bosphorus, Laura understood that Istanbul would never be the same again. Of course, in a city...
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...
Shopping for Unmentionables: Buying Underwear in Turkey
As a young teenager I was a tomboy, so getting my first bra wasn’t something I looked forward to. When the fateful day came...
Everything Wrong with the ‘Limon ile Zeytin’ Bus Etiquette Animations
You barely catch the bus. You jump on, and it’s crowded, of course. But you squeeze your way in. Stuck in between strangers invading...
Life in Lockdown: Married with Kid vs Single with Cat
While regular weekend lockdowns in Istanbul have been a unifying experience in a myriad of ways, so much of our experience is tied to...
Organization Profile: Jasmine Baladi
Editor's Note: Jasmine Baladi is one of the organizations at this year's We Are All Refugees event.
Jasmine Baladi is a Syrian run, non-profit organization...
Awkward Tales from the ‘Bul #1: The Shopkeeper
The man who runs the corner shop next to my apartment building has a very strange approach to business, whereby he literally just changes...
Searching For Orhan Pamuk’s Hüzün in Istanbul
Before moving to Turkey, I read Orhan Pamuk’s autobiographical work “Istanbul”, in hopes of getting to know the city in advance. Let me tell...
A Cat, A Rat, and Two Teyzes
It started with my husband spotting a rat on his way to work.
"Don't get scared, but I saw a mouse on the ground floor...
Film, Folklore, and Displacement: Four Movies That Stayed With Me at...
I have never really been a "film guy" in the traditional sense, but growing up in a small town where there wasn’t much else...
Six Alternative Valentine’s Events for English Speakers in Istanbul
Valentine's Day in Istanbul isn't necessarily for everyone, but it's got much to offer for those in love and plenty of potential for romantic...
Thanksgiving for Expats in Istanbul: A Taste of Home Away from...
Thanksgiving is a beloved tradition, a time for gathering with family and friends, sharing a festive meal, and reflecting on the things we’re grateful...
Looking Back on 2019: Events That Surprised Istanbulites
1) You might have thought it would never happen, but here it is: Istanbul Airport
We knew they were building it. We knew they planned...
Why Turkey? – Reflections on a Former Life in Istanbul
“Where are you from?” “How long have you lived here?” “Where do you work?” “How much do you make?!” and, of course, “Why Turkey?”...
Turkish Destinations: Where Words Fail, Music Speaks
The title of my piece belongs to the aphorism of famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875). Andersen said long time ago “where words...
Outstanding Jazz Songs from Turkey in the 2010s
From the Istanbul Jazz Festival comes a playlist of 100 jazz tracks which shined out in Turkey’s jazz scene through the 2010s. The playlist...
Six Years in, in The Soulful City
Just as you never fully know a person, a subject or yourself, you never grasp Istanbul in its entirety; it’s too big, too complex...
How to Stop Being Such a Yabancı: 23 Resolutions for 2015
Stop ordering on YemekSepeti cause you’re too scared to order over the phone in Turkish.
Stop forcing your friends to call you cause you forgot...