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...
In Conversation with Kate Clow of Trekking in Turkey
Kate Clow, a long-time resident of Turkey, is a renowned sage of hiking in the region. She is best known for heading efforts to build,...
The Byzantine Chronicles: The (Re-imagined) History of Byzantium from Constantine to...
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...
Want to Learn Turkish? Try World Café
It wasn't so long ago that we promoted the first iteration of World Café, a language learning project organized by local university teachers. After...
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...
Sketching Istanbul’s Hans Part 1: Büyük Valide 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...
Finding and Tasting Turkey’s Microbrews: Gara Guzu and Pera
Beer in Istanbul is a touchy subject for a lot of expats, who generally fall into a few camps when it comes to preference....
Learning Turkish: 10 Idioms That Are Sure to Impress
After several years of learning Turkish, I can still find myself stumped in the midst of fast-paced conversations. This confusion occurs especially when an idiom...
Returning to Selçuk Year after Year: Camel Wrestling and Authenticity in...
There are certain constants that one can rely on when attending camel wrestling: The booze is always flowing, the camels are consistently covered in...
More Çays, More Guys (2): Exploring Online Dating & Winter Drinks...
Right before Valentine’s Day, I published a piece here on Yabangee about my online-dating and winter-drinks-sampling adventures across Istanbul. (Un)surprisingly, I received a lot...
How to Donate Blood in Istanbul as a Yabangee
One of the simplest and easiest ways to help others is to donate blood. Back in Barcelona I was a regular blood donor, donating...
Playing Tourist in Istanbul: Where to Find Peaceful and Relaxing Spots
When my family and I moved to Istanbul back in 2001, I had to convince others that Turkey was one of the most underrated...
In Conversation with the Editors of Sofra: A Gathering of Foreign...
Having been one of the contributors to the Tales from the Expat Harem anthology over a decade ago, I was excited to see a...
Rumeli Feneri: Paradise Lost
Feeling as if in a dream, I watched the thick fog swirl around on the forest floor as we raced through a breathtaking canopy...
There’s No Such Thing as a Simple Turkish Wedding
The marriage bureaucrats at the Şişli marriage bureau seem like the unhappiest people in the world. Just a few meters from the miniature theater, where everyday...
The Pursuit of Happiness in the ‘Bul
In this megacity, which delivers stress in seemingly increasing dosages year by year, I’m realizing that it is essential to wear a different pair...
Weekend Getaway: 48 Hours in Sofia, Bulgaria
In a city the size of Istanbul, it’s definitely understandable that sometimes you just want to get away. One place that would normally not...
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...
40 Ways to Make the Most of 2015 in Istanbul
The expat life is a transient one, and for many of us, Turkey isn’t exactly a permanent stop. But for those of you with...
Insider Trading: Dört Kadıköy
“A post-modern neighborhood cafe.” That’s how Neylan Öğütveren, one of the owners of Dört Kadıköy describes it. The coffee shop, which opened in October...
Discussing the Dönme with Artist and Researcher C.M. Kösemen (Part 2)
Dayla Rogers continues her conversation with artist and researcher C.M. Kösemen about the Dönme and their history.
You are a person of Dönme background. A...
Discussing the Dönme with Artist and Researcher C.M. Kösemen (Part 1)
It is well known that the Ottoman Empire was a place of incredible cosmopolitanism. What is often overlooked is the existence of “syncretic” peoples,...
The Dönme: A Profile of a Hidden People
“A Doenmeh friend of mine told me his father had informed him that his father’s mother used to go to the beach every Friday...
Insider Trading: At Origin Coffee
If you are a coffee lover, no doubt you have heard by now of single-origin coffee. It’s all the rage; even Starbucks has joined...