Reflections on the 37th Istanbul Film Festival (2018)
Film festivals require planning and commitment, and these considerations obstructed me from participating in the Istanbul Film Festival in previous years. This year, however,...
Holi Festival in Istanbul: The Indian Festival of Colors
Religious and regional festivals makes up a key part of Indian culture, in a way they give India its vibrant soul. As an Indian...
Expat Life: Bringing Your Baby Home
When we first brought our daughter home from the hospital she was fast asleep in her car carrier. We were home, she was asleep....
An Ode To Turkish Cheese
The experience of moving to another country can be very similar to having a re-birth. A second life where you set to figure out...
In Conversation With Abdulwahed Kabakibou, Co-founder of A Clean Start
During my three years in Istanbul, hiring A Clean Start has been a simple and inexpensive way to take care of my apartment. Let’s...
Discovering Poland: Four Cities, One Love
My serendipitous trip to Warsaw in April 2017 for the Beethoven Easter Festival had introduced me to an entirely new culture and nation I...
Sónar 2018: Istanbul’s Blend of Music, Creativity, and Technology
Of all Istanbul's varied festivals, none carry international name recognition quite like Sónar. The two-day event held at Zorlu PSM - focused on a...
Black Cats and Slippers: Turkish Superstitions
The first time I visited a Turkish home, I got perplexed upon hearing the phrase ''Don't walk barefoot, you'll get a stomach ache.'' Have...
ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Zeynep Gürsoy, Founder of Tara Folks
The world of fashion today is one which offers consumers such a wide breadth of products and brands to choose from, that people are...
14 Vegetarian Friendly Cafes in Istanbul
People often ask me how I manage as a vegetarian in Istanbul, and are shocked when I tell them it's not really that difficult....
Nine Tips for Biking in Istanbul
Although Istanbul is not really a bike-friendly city, nor it does have a vibrant biking culture, it is still a good idea to buy...
University Guide: Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University, commonly known as ITU or Teknik Üniversite, is one of the best universities in Turkey, always ranking among the top three....
Yabangee Instagram Photography Competition #5: Design
The time has come for our fifth Instagram photo competition! After the success of our last theme, “reflecting”, we thought we’d show our enthusiasm...
The Peculiar Case of the Cult of the Renault 12
Did you notice that every Renault 12 in the known universe had disappeared? Are you worried that some black hole had appeared and was...
Volunteering in Istanbul: Istanbul&I’s Unaccompanied Minors Project
About six times a week, unaccompanied refugee minors from a boys dormitory and volunteers from Istanbul&I gather to partake in educational and social programs....
The Contemporary Flood
I keep thinking about waste these days. Why don’t we recycle enough? Why? People at my office prefer consuming water from 0.5 liter plastic...
ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Claire Guillon, Digital Strategy Consultant
The life of digital nomad is as exciting as it is daunting, a delicate balancing act of enterprise and responsibility in lands unknown. Like...
Lost in Turkey: Nemrut Volcano
For those unfamiliar, this isn’t the Mount Nemrut of stone headed statue fame in the province of Adıyaman. I’m talking about the caldera-topped Nemrut...
King of Istanbul Roads: A Dolmuş Interview
Being a foreigner in any part of the world can be a daunting affair. Anything and everything can be different from what you have...
A Mythical Tale of Love: Mimar Sinan and Mihrimah Sultan
Istanbul and its architecture are already mystical but it gets even more interesting when considering the Turkish myth about the famous architect Mimar Sinan’s two...
ATÖLYE Spotlight: In Conversation with Öykü Özgencil, Founder of INCOMPLIT
There's something to be said for the universal affinity of stories and storytelling in our collective childhoods. While this connection may seemingly fade as...
Real Student Comments
In all facets of daily, human life, the divide between what is expressed to others and what is in truth thought in one’s own,...
In Conversation with Jessica Sim and Gabrielle Reeves, Circuit Istanbul
On Tuesday evenings, people from all backgrounds and all over the city gather at a space called Circuit Istanbul in Kadıköy to enhance their creative...
Learning and Growing on a Turkish Organic Farm with TaTuTa
I found myself popping out of a packed dolmuş onto the side of a winding country road. Shortly after, my overstuffed tan hiking bag...