Discover the everyday
extraordinary of Turkey

Who am I?

I’m Lisa Morrow, an Australian born sociologist, author and travel writer originally from a quiet leafy suburb in Sydney, Australia.. I’ve lived in Istanbul for more than 15 years and have travelled around the country for even longer. I first came to Turkey by chance in 1990 but stayed from choice, although making the move permanent was far from straightforward.

I started my Turkish adventures as a backpacker then returned to stay for longer periods to teach English. Meeting and getting to know students from all over the country introduced me to the diverse history, culture and traditions of Turkey, and never failed to fascinate. Throughout I continued to travel, improve my language skills and talk with as many people as I could.

Since becoming a freelance travel writer I’ve been able to build on those earlier experiences and now share what I’ve learned about Turkey and Turkish people on this website, in articles for various travel magazines both online and in print as well as my travel memoir, essay collections and alternative Istanbul guidebook.

I hope you enjoy reading about my travels and they help you create your own wonderful adventures in Turkey.

Here are a few of my favorite posts

The Blue Mosque

A lot of people visit the Blue Mosque for its tiles. Yes they’re gorgeous, but the history of Sultanahmet Camii, to use its proper name, is quite something …

Solo travel in Turkey

Coming to Turkey on your own and feeling a bit nervous? Don’t stress! My post will guide you on everything from what to wear to how to deal with unwanted attention …

Turkish symbolism

The trees, flowers and gravestones in Turkey’s cemeteries are full of meaning if you know what to look for ….

Writing on Turkey

In addition to writing for this website, I have published five books about Istanbul and Turkey, written articles for magazines and internet travel sites, as well as researched and produced an audio tour of Kadikoy.

Listed below are details of my writing about Istanbul and Turkey, including links. To see what I’ve written on other topics, click here. If you’d like me to write for you please get in touch via the contact tab at the top of this page.