Look Familiar? Five Movies Set in Istanbul
People say that cities have a personality. I disagree. For me, a city has a genre. A category of literature or movies that jumps...
Anatolian Travel Archives: Hattusha/Hattuşa
Once there was a time when Hattusha was reached by foot, through a dense forest that flourished near the Red River or Kızılırmak and...
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...
How Bazaar: Istanbul’s Best Markets
When one thinks of shopping in Istanbul, there’s one particular place that usually springs to mind. The city’s most famous market, the Grand Bazaar,...
Insider Trading: Fahrenheit 451 Recycling Store
You can walk into any chain bookstore in Istanbul and find stacks of neatly ordered books. Normally, they have the recently published stuff, and...
Take 5: Cihangir (A Morning on Başkurt Sokak)
Istanbul arguably doesn’t really have one central district, like a downtown or a city center. It is a city of many centers, each with...
The Iron Church: Bulgarian Heritage in Istanbul
I’ve often passed in front of this church and wondered at its brilliance because it does actually look like a source of light. Maybe...
And Now the Good News @ Pera Museum (April 13 –...
Pera Museum is currently hosting a thought provoking exhibition exploring critical issues in science, culture, and politics in the last 150 years, curated by...
Gold Day Recipes: Delicious Eats for a Day of Socializing and...
Like every other Turkish kid who grew up in the 90s, I have been to many “gold days” (altın günü) hosted by my mother...
Book Review: Mark Wyers’ “Wicked Istanbul”
Fun Fact: There are around 60 state-run brothels in Turkey. This may be surprising given Turkey’s reputation as a conservative, rather religious country. So,...
BLOK art space: Empowering Istanbul’s Contemporary Art Scene
Gallery spaces can too often reflect a highbrow approach to art which can be off-putting to the more casual art enthusiast. This is where BLOK...
Arter & Antrepo 5: Architectural Monuments Hosting Contemporary Art in Istanbul
That Istanbul is a force to be reckoned with in the contemporary art world is undeniable. You just need to look at spaces like...
Tipping in Turkey
Certain things that are second nature at home can be a minefield abroad. Etiquette in all of its various forms is especially tricky. Despite...
Ani: A Timeless Beauty on the Edge of Turkey
I remember walking down the large avenues and neatly perpendicular streets of Washington, D.C. not too long ago, longing for old buildings and crooked...
Resources for Learning Kurdish in Istanbul
Maybe you’re thinking of traveling to eastern Turkey. Perhaps you want to get on better terms socially with Kurdish-speaking friends. Or maybe you just...
The Top 5 Yeşilçam Films
Yeşilçam, which translates to “Green Pine”, is a shorthand for Turkey's old film industry. The name comes from Yeşilçam Street, an area of Beyoğlu...
Anatolian Travel Archives: Çatal Höyük (Fork Mound)
Sometimes it’s the unseen that is the most fascinating. The imagination can drift back to a time far before we existed to wonder about...
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Turkish Fortune-Telling Culture
After observing several overturned coffee cups with increasing curiosity during my first few months here, it became apparent that one does not simply sip...
Top 5 Bookshops in Istanbul
Istanbul sure does have a lot to offer when it comes to the world of books - there are boutique retailers, hidden stores, retail...
Republic Day: A Last-Minute Guide
Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) is this Wednesday, 29 October, and the holiday officially begins Tuesday afternoon. Republic Day commemorates the declaration of the Republic of...
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...
A Guide to Traditional Turkish Herbal Remedies
Being a proud plant mother and a witch-in-training, I couldn't find a better place to live than in Istanbul. The city thrives with spice...
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...
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...