Arts, Culture & History

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...

By Bairma Kihoro People have always been crossing borders. Not just geographical, but social, cultural and psychological ones as well. Everyone has their own dramas,...

Türkiye is known for its sigara (cigarette) smoking culture. And while many events have shaped this practice, there is an intriguing tobacco history that...

The Byzantine Chronicles, a new blog by Yabangee contributor Timothy Mottram, sets out to shed light on some of Byzantium’s history through fictitious narratives. Each...

Turkish poetry often tells us stories of love, anger, sorrow, longing, agony, happiness, and excitement... many with a scent of Istanbul. These poems were...

Contemporary Turkish cinema often oscillates between bland, commercial movies (that range from broad comedies to over-sugared romances) and magnificent under-performing films that demonstrate the concerns...

İş Sanat has launched its 20th season, with the Borusan Philharmonic, under the baton of Thomas Rösner and featuring the young virtuoso Demirhan Gokbudak,...

In the midst of all the fairytale magic of Cappadocia, there lies an overlooked jewel embedded in the valley known as Mustafapaşa. Despite its...

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...

“They first need to learn Turkish to be better integrated into their Turkish communities -- namely, their schools,” stressed Anna Tuson, the communication manager...

Writing about the allure of ayran has been on my agenda for over a year now. Every time an expat informs me that they...

Artifacts have been found in Istanbul (previously home to some of the world's largest empires, the city has also been known as Byzantion, Nea...

With the Children’s and Youth holiday coming up on 23 April and warmer weather upon us, many of you may be wondering where to...

Nestled deep in the back streets of Göztepe lies the Istanbul Toy Museum. The lovely white house is guarded by two giraffes ready to...

Beer, one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to mankind, can be very nutritional when consumed in moderation, and therefore has the well-earned name...

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....

A darbuka drum is a Middle Eastern instrument whose structure varies depending on location. They all have a conical shape with a nearly circular...

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...

Born on the 15th of January 1902 in Thessaloniki, where his father was serving as an Ottoman government official; Nazım Hikmet Ran, commonly known...

It is well known that the Ottoman Empire was a place of incredible cosmopolitanism. What is often overlooked is the existence of “syncretic” peoples,...

Yes, I just did that. Referred to the joke-question we all hear from home: Do they eat turkey in Turkey? Well, yes, yes they...

As you walk down the streets of Istanbul, the air swirls with color and unfamiliar smells. Occasionally, you stop and peer into shop windows,...

At a gathering of the elite doctors of the world, speaker after speaker demonstrates a miracle of medical science. An operation able to change...

“Light is more important than the lantern, The poem more important than the notebook” ― Syrian poet, Nizar Qabbani To the general public, Syria has become...