I’m Lisa Morrow, writer, sociologist and author, but more importantly I’m someone who has a real passion for Turkey. I’ve lived in Istanbul and other parts of the country for more than 12 years and counting, after first travelling in Turkey in 1990. I was surprised to learn, after reading a comment on a social…
Anyone who’s spent any time in Turkey is likely to have caught a long distance bus. And if you’ve only ever had to use the Esenler bus station in Istanbul you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s chaotic. Compared to what came before, it’s a oasis of calm. Here’s what I experienced the first time I…
I’ve lived in Turkey for about 15 years now, and have almost completely adapted to the way of life. I’m no longer surprised if I’m offered a piece of stinky cheese direct from a goat skin and can use even the most basic of squat toilets without needing to hold my nose. I’m so assimilated…
The Holy Month of Ramadan has started here in Turkey and over this thirty day period devout Muslims fast during daylight hours. This means not eating, drinking, smoking or even chewing gum, from early in the morning until the evening. Once it’s no longer possible to distinguish a piece of white string held up to…
The photo of three year old Aylan Kurdi lying dead on the beach in Bodrum, Turkey, in 2015, provoked a storm of emotion and galvanised people around the world into providing help for Syrians who had been forced to flee their country. However, those of us who lived and are still living in Turkey and…
This pocket size guide to the essential customs and culture of Turkey is a must read whether you’re coming to Turkey for the first time or plan to live here for a while. Unlike the usual guide book or personal travel narrative, Culture Smart Turkey contains a carefully thought out wealth of information about the…
“… I was living in Kayseri in central Turkey for my next Turkish Ramadan. It was 2002, and winter once again. The cold made me permanently hungry so food was of paramount importance. Knowing most of my colleagues and students would fast, I took a sandwich with me to work on the first day. Used…
Behind the mundane route of the Istanbul Metrobus system lies another world. Find out more in this extract from my story “Metrobus Dreams”. “At Uzunçayır, I envisage the long fields to which the name refers. Fully grown sheep and brilliantly white newborn lambs dot meadows covered with long blades of grass swaying gently in the…
Living in Turkey for almost ten years, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to participate in the Turkish life style. I am fascinated by what I see and always want to learn more. I read everything I can get my hands on and pepper my Turkish friends with numerous questions. I’ve absorbed and learnt so…
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…