Unlike the people I come from, Turks don’t plan much in advance. Faith in inşallah (if Allah permits) and the reality of a bureaucracy that is simultaneously archaic and ever changing, means it isn’t usually worth the effort. Any plans that are made in advance are done so on an ad hoc basis with little…
Teaching English in Turkey seemed like a good idea before we arrived in the country. Once there, dealing with the students was the least of our worries. We’d already been at the government university in Kayseri for a week, and despite numerous meetings with our director were still no further along in discussions about what…
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…
Read on to find out what happened on my Eastern Turkey tour with 52 students who sang, danced and ate the whole time. There was very little sleep to be had! “… We were headed for Harran, a small town in famous for its beehive shaped houses made from dried mud. Disappointingly, when we arrived…
Back in 2004 I worked at Erciyes University in central Turkey, Cappadocia. When some of the final year students approached me to be a chaperone on a four day three night trip touring Eastern Turkey I jumped at the chance. This is an excerpt from a longer complete story. “As instructed, we arrived at the…
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…
Those of you who have been on holiday on the west coast of Turkey may never have experienced the magic of a Turkish winter. Although it may be cold, the scenery is often breathtaking. Here’s a selection of my favourite scenes from Turkey in Winter. On the road to Antalya, February, 2004 On the balcony,…
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. Istanbul churches to visit There are…
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…
Although the exact year of his birth is still disputed, the brilliance of Turkish architect Mimar Sinan, which translates as Sinan the architect, is not. Fathered by a stonemason, Mimar Sinan became a military engineer in the Ottoman Empire where he rose through the ranks to become first an officer and finally a commander in…