The Quintessential Istanbulu Snack
My Turkish friend Erem introduced me to these highly addictive "wet burgers" the minute I got to my hotel near Taksim Square. After a 17-hour flight, the compact burger—a garlicky patty inside a soft bun that's been doused in tomato sauce—...
Sidon Sarcophagi
The Istanbul archaeology museum blows your mind from the moment you step through the door and confront that massive, leering statue of Bes splaying an upturned lamb. But high among its mind-blowing moments are the rooms devoted to anthropoid...
Kurban Bayram Desserts
So as I mentioned before, I was in Istanbul with a Turkish family for Kurban Bayram. For this holiday there is a lot of family time, and many many delicious desserts. The dessert with the walnut is made of some type of acorn based paste, but it is...
Kurban Bayram Food
I was lucky enough to get to be with a real Turkish family during the Muslim holiday of Kurban Bayram, also known as Eid Al Adha. This is the holiday where people sacrifice an animal in the name of God, in honor of Abraham's willingness to...
Authentic Turkiye: "The Bread Man"
Living in Turkiye you definitely get to know "the bread man," as my roommates and I called him. Every morning the "bread man" carries his bread to sell up and down your street, early in the morning, yelling "ETMEK!" the Turkish word for bread....
Authentic Turkiye
This picture was taken outside of Goreme near one of the underground cities. My roommates and I went to one of the famous underground cities, but we were not that impressed. It was overcrowded with hordes of foreign tourist groups. It felt so...
I am the Emperor of Istanbul
It’s was my fourth day in Turkey and it felt like I just walked in.
Having read stories about Constantinople in history books, I’ve wanted to come here since I was eleven years old.
Now I wish I’d come earlier.
Istanbul is a city that has a...
Off the Beaten Path: Best Warning Sign Ever
My roommates and I got really sick of people trying to constantly trying to convince us to go on overpriced tours while living and traveling in Turkiye. At the time we were students, and like most students, we didn't have a lot of money to spend,...
Wander Istanbul
If you want to get off the beaten path in Turkiye, especially in a city like Istanbul, I think the best way is to just wander until you get somewhat lost. There's really nowhere too unsafe in Istanbul, especially in the European side....but if you...
Nazar for protection
In Turkiye people believe in gin, basically genies, which are considered to be evil spirits that enjoy doing terrible things to you. Turkish people are quite superstitious. They are often worried that praising something or someone can often...
Food Tour! Kadikoy Market
A half-day deliciously well spent...Take a food tour of the Kadikoy market on the Asian side. Foodie Banu Ozden was born in Istanbul, college and a little food industry experience in the USA, and back to Istanbul. She takes small groups on a walk...
An Ottoman Culinary Revival in Kadikoy
On the recommendation of AFAR contributing writer Matt Gross, I made sure to eat a meal at Ciya when I was in Istanbul last summer. One afternoon, I dragged my travel companions--a German, a Turk, and two New Yorkers--to Kadikoy, a neighborhood on...
Hagia Sophia Photo Op
I had been wandering around the interior of Hagia Sophia enamored with the amazing architecture and looking for creative photo angles to capture some of the grandeur. Then I noticed this scene of others attempting to do the same thing. What...
Marquise Dance Hall, Istanbul
by Sylvia Kouvali
The artist Mark Van Yetter and his wife, Ayça Odabasi, run this gallery around the corner from Rodeo. Their art exhibitions are always free-spirited. Ali Hoca Sk. No. 4 Kat. 2, marquisedancehall.com
As told to Lawrence Osborne....
Ottoman Opulence
The Dolmabahçe (“dol-ma-bah-chey”) Palace is European through and through. Visting it you’ll forget, for a moment, that you’re in Turkey! The entire time I was walking through the palace, I was gasping in awe….literally. Luckily, everyone around...
