13 Things You Didn’t Know About Indie Rock Star Mac DeMarco
Salon İKSV’s one daylong festival Gezgin Salon, in which concerts are spread all over the city rather than taking place at only Salon İKSV,...
9 Tips to Know Before Visiting a Turkish Home
One day, after having heard our neighbor's son practicing his guitar almost daily, I went to her door and asked in piecemeal Turkish if...
Five Beloved Turkish TV Series from the 2000s
Every New Year's Eve, Turks reminisce about the early 2000s and its classics. Rightly so, if there was something special about the 2000s, it...
The Olive Tree: Turkey’s Past, Present, and Future
“Zeytinyağı gibi üste çıkma!” or “Don’t stick out like olive oil!”
This time last year, my husband and I were sipping olive oil at a...
An International Linguistic Puzzle
My wife and I visited Konya, May 2023. Never having been to Konya before, we decided to hire a guide for an all-day walking...
10 Reasons Why Living in the Deep West Isn’t So Bad
Why make such a list? Because after each two hour journey home from Taksim in the early hours of the morning, I have to...
Aziz Nesin: Author, Humorist, Activist
At a gathering of the elite doctors of the world, speaker after speaker demonstrates a miracle of medical science. An operation able to change...
Live Music in Istanbul: 9 of the City’s Best Venues
There's nothing like a great concert, especially when life is stressful. The catharsis of listening to a live band and perhaps even dancing has...
Sketching Istanbul’s Hans Part 2: Rüstem Paşa Han
Emilie Varlet and Gabrielle Reeves began exploring Istanbul's hans in the summer of 2014, when they first started their sketching adventures in the city. They have...
CRR’s New Season in Full Swing
Cemal Reşit Rey launched the 2019-2020 season on Wednesday October 9th with the CRR Symphony Orchestra and Choir performing all-time favorite arias and lieds....
Famous Turks: The Mysticism of Mevlana Celaladdin Rumi
In this month’s ‘Famous Turk’ article, we’re looking at Mevlana – known more popularly in the English-speaking world as ‘Rumi’ – the Anatolian philosopher...
Zululuzu, Portuguese Theatre’s Turkish Debut
They spoke to me of people, and of humanity.
But I've never seen people, or humanity.
I've seen various people, astonishingly dissimilar,
Each separated from the next...
Insider Trading: Cook’s Corner for Expats in Turkey
I discovered a great passion for cooking when I started traveling around the world. I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing! I wanted to...
Ibrahim Tatlıses for Beginners
It started as good a time as any – on a dolmuş to Hasankeyif with a crate of live chickens on my lap. I...
Take 5: Karaköy (Shopping Edition)
Karaköy is a unique neighborhood with a mishmash of art, culture and food all packed into a zigzag of tiny streets and alleys. Although...
A Glimpse at the Magic of Turkish Tea
When you traverse the streets of Turkey you can see it all around. Everyone is sitting around consuming it. It’s red, it’s hot and...
An Expat’s Guide to Hamams
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...
Foodie Frolics: Gourmet Adventures in Istanbul with Sally McDonald
The first time I met Sally McDonald of Foodie Frolics I asked her what had brought her to Istanbul. I'm always curious about what...
Review: Spoken Word Istanbul @ Arsen Lüpen
Three years ago, Merve Pehlivan, an art and writing enthusiast, decided to create a friendly environment where writers, poets, singers and performers of all...
Müslüm Gürses and The Rise of Arabesk
“Çilesiz bir günüm olmadı gitti
Bilmedim ömrümün suçu ne usta
Allah'ın gücüne gider mi bilmem
Verdiği bu candan ben bıktım usta
My carefree days never came
I don’t know,...
Istanbul’s Hidden Architecture: The Camondo Stairs
Strolling through Istanbul requires two basic skills: a good sense of direction and a strong pair of legs. The steep hills and windy streets...
Archaeology Spotlight: In Conversation with Archaeologist Dr. Asil Yaman, director of...
Phoenix Ancient City near present day Taşlıca lies far from the touristic bustle of Marmaris. This semi-isolated site is a treasure trove of archaic...
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?”...
Smoke on the Water: Istanbul’s Vapurs
With its long and colourful history, its unique geographical position, its collection of characters, cultures, and creeds, Istanbul has no shortage of laudable attributes....