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…
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…
There are many beautiful Istanbul waterfront views. Here are just a few. Sunday in Ortaköy, 2000 The German designed Haydarpaşa Railway as seen from Kadikoy, May 2011 Drinking tea in Üsküdar, April 2012 One of the iconic Istanbul waterfront views, fishermen and boats at Eminönü, November 2000 Kadikoy waterfront, May 2013 Kadikoy waterfront, March 2001…
Here are some of my favourite Istanbul neighbourhood parks on the Asian side of the city. Istanbul is a densely populated city sprawling over both banks of the Bosphorus Strait. It is a metropolis full of high rise apartments and office blocks. Nonetheless, Istanbullu (people who live in Istanbul) value their green spaces and make…
Imagine the time – almost 35 years ago. Imagine the place – Istanbul, Eminönü and the old Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn. “Up on the terrace of the hostel, the six of us ploughed our way through three bottles of reasonable red wine and one or two bottles of remarkably cheap Black Sea cognac,…
For my first Turkish Ramazan I was living in Istanbul. It was November 2000 and I was living in Erenköy, a leafy suburb on the Asian side of the city. At that time there were no natural gas connections so the air was thick with coal smoke from apartment heating systems, darkness fell around 5pm…
This story comes from my book Exploring Turkish Landscapes: Crossing Inner Boundaries. When I was at high school I studied history. Learning dates wasn’t something I was any good at and while I didn’t actually fail, it was a struggle. The facts and figures the teacher wrote on the board lacked colour and excitement and…
Discover the everyday extraordinary of Turkey Who am I? I’m Lisa Morrow, an Australian born sociologist and author and I’ve been living in Istanbul for around 13 years. I came to Turkey by chance but stayed from choice, although making the move permanent was far from straightforward. I started my Turkish adventures as a backpacker…