Classic Turkish night: Istanbul’s meyhane culture and where to experience it
The meyhane is more than a mere place to eat and drink. It is where conversation takes center stage, where hearts are poured out as the rakı flows. Many traditional…
Best bookstores in Istanbul
There are many places for bookworms to shelter and read in this bustling megacity. Around Galatasaray, Homer Kitabevi is an established gem appreciated by book lovers since 1995. Besides academic…
What’s happening now
Event highlights Pera Museum’s current exhibition, Parajanov with Sarkis and The Time Needs Changing, are open to visitors until March 17. Moroccan artist Soufiane Ababri’s first solo exhibition in Turkey,…
Moda’s best kept secret: hidden mansions by Constantine Pappa
The Kadıköy neighborhood of Moda is home to several underrated architectural treasures. Many were designed by one man: the versatile, talented, but little known architect Constantine Pappa. n Moda Caddesi,…
Santa Claus the Turk? Alternative Turkish Christmas ideas
n a country where Christians make up less than 0.2 percent of the population, it is no surprise that most Turks do not celebrate Christmas. The secular alternative of New…
The real story of Rumi and Sufism in modern Istanbul
It may be a surprise that Jalal ad-Din Rumi—the thirteenth century mystic known as Mevlana in Turkey, the Middle East, and Central Asia—is the best-selling poet in the United States.…
Konya: where the dervish began to whirl
Dive into the rich history of Sufism and Anatolia, in a city dedicated to the memory of a great poet and theologian. The history of Konya, an Anatolian settlement known…
Boza and şıra: not-so-innocent drinks of the Ottomans
Food fermentation is a culinary trend around the world, and for good reason. In certain foods, the process of converting carbohydrates and sugars can not only create bacteria-boosting agents but…
A Torah, a Koran, and a Christmas tree: Mario Levi’s Istanbul
While Istanbul’s overall population has swelled from around one million in 1945 to 15 million today, various splits and calamities have caused much of the city’s Christian and Jewish populations…