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...
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...
Istanbul Street Names: The Stories They Tell
Having only laid claim to most of their monikers since the declaration of the Republic, Istanbul’s street names often go unnoticed (highly due to...
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...
Exploring the Princes’ Islands: The Kınalıada Mosque
The Princes' Islands (Adalar) are a chain of nine small islands in the Sea of Marmara, about 20 km east of the center of...
6 Permanent Istanbul Collections Worth (Re)visiting
What comes to your mind, when you hear the word Istanbul? After living here for almost four years, there are many words and associations which...
Exploring “Correspondences” by Yunus Emre Erdoğan & Clemes Wolf at Sanatorium
25 October - 1 December, 2019
Artists: Yunus Emre Erdoğan, Clemes Wolf
Curator: Domenico de Chirico
"With power to expand into infinity,
Like amber and incense, musk, benzoin,
That...
Insider Trading: Journey
Being English, one of the foods I miss most from home is a good scone. A good scone, baked to perfection, served with butter, jam...
Yabangee Recommends: “Where can I find the best köfte in Kadıköy?”
“Where can I find the best köfte in Kadıköy?”
Ekspres İnegöl Köftecisi should be your first and only stop. Centrally located in Kadıköy right...
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....
Weekend Getaway: Lake Sapanca
Like many places in Turkey, there's a story behind Lake Sapanca's name. In fact, it derives from a myth that many locals apparently still...
Introducing ATÖLYE: A Community for Creatives
Istanbul lends itself to being a city of infinite potential and countless ideas, reinforced by the numerous creatives one comes across focused on turning...
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...
The Lazy Olive: Book Your Mountain Getaway Near Olympos and Lycia’s...
We created the Lazy Olive (Tembel Zeytin) as our special getaway from living in the heart of Istanbul’s concrete jungle. It’s a spacious four-bedroom...
Leaving Turkey with Pets 101
Well, hello there. Chances are you are leaving Turkey with your pet, and you’ve stumbled upon this page looking for advice. Don’t worry, we're...
First-Time Residence Permit in Türkiye Guide: Essentials to Know for your...
Thinking of staying in Türkiye for a while and want to file a first-time residence permit application? That's lovely to hear! Before getting too...
University Guide: Sabancı University
Sabancı University is a private institution founded in 1994 with a focus on education, research and design. The university is known for its...
Ten Things I Have (and Have Not) Gotten Used to about...
I have been living in Istanbul for four years. Just writing that sentence makes me dizzy.
As a Spanish expat living in this amazing city,...
Awkward Tales from the ‘Bul #5: Döner Kebab
Three weeks ago, I was taking the metrobüs with my brother from Şirinevler, on a very rainy day. Being as crowded as it was...
Underneath Istanbul
The timeless column feels cold and rough to the touch. I like to visit things that are a lot older than I am. It...
A South Asian’s Guide to Eating in Istanbul
South Asians love spice in everything – life, movies and of course, food. South Asian food is truly so spectacular; the complexity of flavors,...
Dispatches from Cappadocia: Are We the Legal Aliens in Türkiye?
If I am driving, I am the one in charge of the playlist. No negotiation! In my car you will either listen to R&B...
The Interwoven Worlds of Yaşar Kemal and Slim Memed
Before Orhan Pamuk came to prominence in the West and launched Turkey once more into the international literary scene, Yaşar Kemal was Turkey’s best-known...
In Conversation with Ray Cullom, Executive Director of the Zorlu Center...
I am a concert nerd. And the Zorlu Center Performing Arts Center has been a new paradise found. It has only had one season...