Advice & Info

Many will be quick to share the story of how prophet Mohammed cut his robe as to not disturb the slumber of a cat...

Well this isn’t technically an ode seeing as poetry intimidates me. What it is though, is a giant shout-out to all you Yabangee-ers out...

As an animal lover, one of my favorite aspects of life in Turkey can also be one of the most challenging: seeing cats and...

All of us - single or in relationships, with or without kids - need help at home from time to time. It can be...

We Call It Home: Istanbul Dialogues is a new monthly series showcasing the inspiring contributions being made by Istanbul’s diverse international community to the...

There’s a moment in The Time Regulation Institute, the novel by acclaimed Turkish author Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, where the protagonist Hayri Irdal explains the...

“Where can I have a leisurely breakfast and not be elbow-deep in my neighbor’s menemen?” There are few things more satisfying than waking up late...

  Three years ago building of a new mosque began on one of the highest hills of the city, where roosters still crow and visitors...

After observing several overturned coffee cups with increasing curiosity during my first few months here, it became apparent that one does not simply sip...

Those traversing the crumbling walls demarcating the boundaries of old Istanbul may find that amongst the equally-as-crumbled residential buildings between Chora Church and Tekfur...

“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,...

The day the spinning dolphins appeared in the Bosphorus, Laura understood that Istanbul would never be the same again. Of course, in a city...

On warm nights in Istanbul everyone is out. Restaurants open their doors onto the sidewalks of back streets, creating a maze of tables and...

We raced against the sun to reach the spring before all light had gone, Seçkin at the wheel and me biting my nails with...

What’s left behind becomes a faded memory, one that will be carried long distances no matter how tough it gets. Life becomes what’s packed...

Having lived in Istanbul going on a decade, I have seen a lot of people come and go. It becomes almost like clockwork. Every...

Who said there was something wrong with megalomania and narcissism? Antiochus I Theos Dikaios Epiphanes Philorhomaios Philhellenos of Commagene certainly did not think so....

Thus with a text, I die. If any spark of life be yet remaining amongst Dumbphone owners in this developéd world, it will by...

Pairing in Spanish means “maridaje”, which can also be translated as "marriage". So when we pair drinks with food we are metaphorically marrying a food...

There are several reasons why residents of Istanbul need a Turkish bank account - the most obvious being that it is required for most...

After a few years in Istanbul and a very yabancı life, it is time for us to go on a big adventure in 2020!...

“Where do I take my vegan friend out for brunch?” Long-time residents of Istanbul have without a doubt been introduced to the joy of a...

Perhaps there is no word more loaded and simultaneously mythologized yet scorned than the term “gypsy”. From Fleetwood Mac to Cher to Lady Gaga...

“Where can I find the best köfte in Kadıköy?” Ekspres İnegöl Köftecisi should be your first and only stop. Centrally located in Kadıköy it’s...