How I came across Mehmed Sokullu Camii When I started writing about Turkey, it was with the idea of sharing my thoughts and experiences. When I moved to Istanbul, I hoped to give people an idea of what everyday life is like for an expat here. Many of my posts have made people laugh, and…
Where to begin? My Turkish is largely self-taught, acquired on a need-to-know basis. As a result my experience of learning Turkish has been a largely hit and miss affair. I learnt by talking to doctors, real estate agents and assorted government personnel. These situation were fraught with tension and nerves as I had to get…
Normally I’m too busy trying to make sense of the things I see, do and experience in Turkey, to write about places. However, after a wonderful holiday in Selimiye, in the Marmaris region of Turkey, I couldn’t resist putting pen, and photos, to paper. Well beyond the pink and white assault of English and Russian…
At least once a month I set off to explore Istanbul’s lesser known streets and sights. Armed with a vague plan to see at least one specific place, I often come across unexpected delights. The day I headed to Nısancı Mahallesi with my husband and two friends, was no exception. This time I discovered an…
Teaching English in Turkey seemed like a good idea before we arrived in the country. Once there, dealing with the students was the least of our worries. We’d already been at the government university in Kayseri for a week, and despite numerous meetings with our director were still no further along in discussions about what…
Come explore the Asian side of Istanbul! One day it’s business as usual at the local market, and the next day life’s a party with singing and dancing in the streets. Welcome to my neighbourhood, welcome to Goztepe Istanbul … Planning to come to Istanbul or Turkey? Here are my helpful tips for planning your…
Getting a Turkish residence permit has always been complicated. As a resident of Istanbul I’ve lived through the days of queuing all day for a ticket (to get another ticket) to the new online appointment system. However the system is configured, there are always hoops to jump through, making it a nervewracking experience. “I walk through…
One of the things I love about Turkey is the way objects are displayed. It was clear to me the first time I came to Turkey back in 1990 that when it comes to Turkish display style, Turks believe there is no such thing as too much when it comes to showing off what they…
There are many good books about Turkey, and after reading most of them (and writing one or five of them), here are some I’d like to recommend (updated May 2024). Happy reading! FYI I’ve reviewed the books about Turkey marked with an asterisk and you can read what I thought by clicking on the title….
Istanbul is well-known for its many beautiful mosques as well as architectural marvels from the Ottoman Empire. Under their reign, peoples from many different ethnicities and religions flourished in Istanbul. Pockets of this diverse past remain in richly decorated Istanbul churches and other religious buildings still in use today. There are hundreds of Armenian churches…