Those of you who live in Turkey will know that brunch is almost an institution. Lazy Sunday mornings that stretch into endless afternoons where you eat too much, gossip a lot, and just enjoy yourself. Then “…after everyone has eaten enough and drunk their last glass of tea, it’s time for coffee. Coffee is drunk according…
“… of all the traditions that say Turkey to me, the use of lemon cologne is the earliest and strongest memory I will always have. When I first came to the country back in 1990, I took long road trips on buses stinking of cigarette smoke. Despite the nicotine fug I always came out smelling…
Living in Turkey for many years I’ve learned about a lot of different Turkish wedding traditions. Here are just a few. “Some years ago I lived in central Turkey. It was at the beginning of the 21st century and Kayseri, the regional capital of Cappadocia, was equipped with all the modern conveniences you would expect…
Unlike popular stereotypes about women, I am not a great fan of shopping. True, I will go to great lengths to track down the perfect shoe or boot, but when it comes to other items of apparel, I am far less interested. Particularly when it comes to buying an outfit for a special occasion. It’s…
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…
There are many things I love about my life in Istanbul, in particular the way the locals prepare for traditional Turkish celebrations. Whether the special event is a wedding, Christmas, New Year’s Eve or Ramazan, they approach it in their own truly unique style. Here are some photos I’ve taken over the years that give…