Baltalimanı Japanese Garden: Spring in Bloom
Cherry blossoms on full display at Istanbul’s Japanese garden. In a few skillfully crafted words, this haiku by Edo-era poet Masuto Basho embodies what spring in Japan is famous for: sakura, or…
Weekend plans: Sunday in Yeniköy
Looking to make the most of an exciting day in the city without time and energy lost in Istanbul traffic? We’re going to show you how! Let’s start with the…
Celebrating Istanbul’s women
International Women’s Day—held on March 8 every year—is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and is a call to action for gender equality.…
Five love stories from Turkish culture
Drawing on different cultures, Turkish literature has many great love stories that stem from legends, told and retold over centuries. These dramatic tales became something for people to hold onto…
Beykoz Kundura: from factory to creative hub
The opening of Beykoz Kundura’s cinema not only offers cinephiles a unique selection of movies, it also brings the former leather and shoe factory a step closer to becoming a…
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. By Lorenza Mussini…
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.…
Unfolding the city: Lale Apa and her Istanbul
Since The Guide Istanbul was first published in 1991, the city has no more secrets, says Lale Apa, the magazine’s founder. Having guided others through Istanbul’s narrow streets and picturesque…
A Turkish gothic tour: Istanbul’s most haunted mansions
By Joshua Bruce Allen n Istanbul, fragments of history are revealed by the slightest scratch of the earth. Having grown from a Greek fishing village to a global metropolis over…