expatriate-turkey

An expat who explains Turkey to you

  • Welcome to my blog!
  • Welcome to my blog!

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

Turkey News

In Turkey, this miracle plant (silphium) was believed to have been extinct for 2,000 years

Very popular in the Mediterranean basin during Antiquity, silphium disappeared 2,000 years ago to reappear in Turkey. Nevertheless, a Turkish researcher thinks he has rediscovered this plant with many medicinal…

read more
October 11, 2022
Traveling to Turkey

Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace Guide: Ticket, Tour & Entry The Topkapi Palace is one of the main landmarks of Istanbul. For more than 400 years, The Ottoman sultans lived in the palace…

read more
January 21, 2022
Traditions in Turkey

In Turkey, hospitality is a rule of life

In Turkey, hospitality is the basis of social relationships, whether they are at home or away from home, it is a real rule of life. Every opportunity is good to…

read more
May 16, 2022
Life in Turkey

Occupational Health and Safety (ISG) in Turkey

If you are planning to work or hire in Turkey as an expatriate, understanding local occupational health and safety regulations—known as ISG (İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği)—is essential. These rules are…

read more
May 3, 2026
Turkey News

PCR test in Istanbul

Corona PCR test in Istanbul: old town, airport & hotel A COVID-19 PCR test is required for the return flight to UK. This is possible in state hospitals, private clinics,…

read more
January 17, 2022

Archives

  • May 2026
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022

Categories

  • Life in Turkey
  • Tips to have in Turkey
  • Traditions in Turkey
  • Traveling to Turkey
  • Turkey News
  • Turkish cuisine
  • Life in Turkey

    The Kapalı Ҫarşı, Scents and Colours of Istanbul

    July 4, 2022 /

    Today I want to escort you to one of the most evocative places in Istanbul in my opinion, if not Turkey.  It is  the Kapalı Ҫarşı. A mysterious, enchanting place, filled with scents and colours, the Kapali Carsi is undoubtedly worth a visit. When I say visit, I would like to point out that it is almost impossible to get in and out within a couple of hours. It has the magical power of attraction to all who enter. Kapalı Ҫarşı represents the centuries-old tradition of trade, which in Istanbul, has always been lively and intense. Why Istanbul? Why in Istanbul and nowhere else? Istanbul straddles two continents and has…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    Let’s get to know turks

    November 14, 2022

    The Turkish flag: Its History & Meaning

    September 19, 2022

    Turk Kahvesi (Turkish coffee): Preparation, Origin & History

    July 25, 2022
  • Life in Turkey

    Hagia Sofia, Witness to history at the Crossroads

    June 27, 2022 /

    When we were first introduced, I was little more than a child visiting the city of Istanbul with her family. Majestic, imposing and resplendent, from that moment onward, Hagia Sophia entered my heart forever. How is it possible to feel so close to a monument? The more I look at her, the more I see myself reflected in her, I begin to appreciate this mix of cultures that represents every one of us. Every year I visit Hagia Sofia and every year I understand it more and more. What is now a mosque appeared to me as a universal monument. As a monument located in Turkey (Fatih Istanbul), but which…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    The Best 14 souvenirs from Turkey

    December 5, 2022

    The Maiden’s Tower in Istanbul, Mysterious and Enigmatic

    October 24, 2022

    The survival advice of a couple in expatriation in Turkey

    December 12, 2022
  • Life in Turkey

    Istanbul Hammam Guide: Price, Procedure and Rules

    June 20, 2022 /

    A visit to a hammam is part of a trip to Istanbul. Before visiting one of the traditional Turkish baths, however, you might have many questions. How much does it cost? What does a visit to the hammam look like, and what are the rules and customs that I need to adhere to? Here are the answers to your most basic questions, along with a few insider tips, recommendations and online tickets. What do I need to know about visiting a hammam in Istanbul? A visit to a hammam starts with your registration. This takes place a few hours before the planned visit, ideally in the morning. This is required…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

     Tips on buying a Caydanlik (Turkish tea maker)!

    September 26, 2022

    The Maiden’s Tower in Istanbul, Mysterious and Enigmatic

    October 24, 2022

    Hagia Sofia, Witness to history at the Crossroads

    June 27, 2022
  • Traveling to Turkey

    7 Extraordinary Stories from Ancient Turkey

    June 1, 2022 /

    Was he betrayed by Amazon women warriors from Anciant Turkey ? Is it true that Julius Caesar was kidnapped? And where did the flame from the first Olympic Games come from? I will tell you seven true, extraordinary facts from Ancient Turkey 1. Pirates kidnapped Julius Caesar on the Aegean coast The young Gaius Julius Caesar was kidnapped before his great career as a field  marshal for the Roman army. Sicilian pirates attacked his ship on his way to Rhodes. They kept him prisoner in a small cave along the Turkish Aegean coast. The pirates sent a ransom note to Rome. Caesar’s response to the ransom demands wounded the pirates.…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    The Blue Mosque

    January 21, 2022

    Istanbul in winter

    January 21, 2022

    Simena

    January 24, 2022
  • Traditions in Turkey

    Oriental hair removal with thread

    May 30, 2022 /

    Who among you has not heard of the oriental hair removal technique using thread? In Europe it is fashionable to shave one’s moustache and eyebrows with this technique, to obtain a longer lasting result.  Did you know that it has been used in Turkey for centuries? It is clear that not everyone knows how to put it into practice, it is often handed down from generation to generation. In my case, since I am one of the few in my family who knows how to do it, it went a little differently. It wasn’t my mom who taught me, but a neighbour of my cousin’s. Every summer we spent three…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    In Turkey, hospitality is a rule of life

    May 16, 2022

    The oriental charm of the Hamam, the Turkish Bath

    March 21, 2022

    Turkish tea, a drink of culture and tradition

    February 14, 2022
  • Traditions in Turkey

    Nicknames in Turkey between spouses, a splendid custom

    May 23, 2022 /

    I would like to tell you about a splendid custom, that of using nicknames in Turkey between spouses. It is clear that it is not a general gesture for all Turks, but the custom is very widespread, certainly among the young, but also in more mature people such as my parents, my uncles…. Nicknames in Turkey : Too close to call you like everyone else Here, it is precisely this … Among the Turkish spouses, nicknames are often used to call each other, avoiding using the proper name, which is left to all those outside the couple. Everyone will call your spouse by his name, but I will call him…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    The Pestemal, the traditional Turkish towel

    March 28, 2022

    Love for the rose (Gül) and for the tulip (Lale)

    April 18, 2022

    The five things to avoid when traveling to Turkey

    May 9, 2022
  • Traditions in Turkey

    In Turkey, hospitality is a rule of life

    May 16, 2022 /

    In Turkey, hospitality is the basis of social relationships, whether they are at home or away from home, it is a real rule of life. Every opportunity is good to help others. If you get lost in the immensity of Istanbul, and ask for help, it is very likely that they will not only give you directions, but will accompany you directly to where you want to go. In this article, I will focus on Turkish hospitality when entering a Turkish home. Hospitality should not be taken lightly, it is a very important aspect of Turkish culture, as I told you it is a rule of life and must be…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    Let’s discover the secrets of Turkish beauty

    February 8, 2022

    The Turkish wedding and the magical night of henna

    March 14, 2022

    Love for the rose (Gül) and for the tulip (Lale)

    April 18, 2022
  • Traditions in Turkey

    The use of bey, hanım, abla … in the Turkish language

    May 16, 2022 /

    There is a great sense of respect in the Turkish language and they express it every day through a series of titles that are used to call each other. They are often added after the person’s name. It is not easy to get to know them all, especially if you do not have the opportunity to frequent Turkish friends on a regular basis. Who doesn’t remember sweet Sanem addressing her boss with “Double Check Can Bey“? Yes, despite the obvious attraction between Can and Sanem, she must still call him Bey as a sign of respect since he is her boss. Formally, hanım and bey in the Turkish language Formally,…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    The Turkish wedding and the magical night of henna

    March 14, 2022

    The Turkish lullaby E bebegim e

    April 11, 2022

    The five things to avoid when traveling to Turkey

    May 9, 2022
  • Traditions in Turkey

    The five things to avoid when traveling to Turkey

    May 9, 2022 /

    The five things to avoid when traveling to Turkey. Each country has its own code of conduct, whether written or not, and there are gestures or attitudes that are best avoided when visiting a country, in order not to fall into misunderstandings  sometimes you will find yourself in an uncomfortable and embarrassing situations. . Here are five things to avoid when traveling to Turkey Some things will make you smile, others will leave you perplexed or surprised. Here are the 5 things to avoid: 1. Atatürk and the Turkish flag are sacred Atatürk, literally “The Father of all Turks“, is the Turkish hero par excellence. He is the one who…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    Nicknames in Turkey between spouses, a splendid custom

    May 23, 2022

    Turkish Coffee, origins and method of preparation

    February 11, 2022

    Turkish breakfast, explosion of colours

    February 28, 2022
  • Traditions in Turkey

    The importance of yogurt in Turkish cuisine

    May 2, 2022 /

    Today I will show you the importance of yogurt in Turkish cuisine, its origins and the Turkish preparation technique. I will tell you about some of the many dishes that can be prepared with yogurt or that yogurt can accompany. Memories of yogurt in Turkish cuisine with traditional technique Every Sunday evening my mother prepared yogurt according to tradition. She had learned it from her mother, and her turn, she will have learned it from her mother and so on. Yogurt is one of those basic ingredients of Turkish cuisine that can never be missing. Of course, many of us, here in Italy, but also in Turkey, now buy it…

    read more
    expatriate-turk

    You May Also Like

    Let’s discover the secrets of Turkish beauty

    February 8, 2022

    Turkish tea, a drink of culture and tradition

    February 14, 2022

    In Turkey, hospitality is a rule of life

    May 16, 2022
 Older Posts
Newer Posts 

Recent Posts

  • Turkey Tax Incentives 2026: A Practical Guide for Expats 
  • Occupational Health and Safety (ISG) in Turkey
  • How to prepare Baklava ?
  • How to prepare Biber Dolmasi ?
Ashe Theme by WP Royal.