“Merhaba ve hoş geldiniz,” or, hello and welcome! I have lived in Istanbul for three months, and my experiences here have been the greatest gift. Turkey is an incredible country, with picturesque landscapes, rich cultural traditions, gregarious citizens and a fascinating, albeit intricate, history.
My first impression of the country naturally occurred from the airplane window, after we were fortunate enough to fly over Istanbul during the golden hour. Several moments spent peering at the barges floating below in the glinting Sea of Marmara produced just a single thought: “I’m home.” Below is a recap of the months I’ve spent here, in hopes that you, too, will someday be able to visit and experience the warmth and charisma offered by Istanbul.
February: Feline Friends and New Beginnings
February in Istanbul was characterized by adaptations to the new environment at Boğaziçi University, a general embrace of the touristic lifestyle — and time spent with arguably the most important residents of the city: its cats.
The spring semester at Boğaziçi starts in February rather than January. Many classes are on the smaller side, and grades are largely exam-based. However, the professors have been incredibly gracious and are always willing to answer questions or assist students during office hours.
Boğaziçi is frequently assigned the moniker, “Hogwarts of Turkey,” due to its gorgeous ivy-covered architecture and verdant main lawn, both of which are located within the South Campus. For all of the Harry Potter fans (or Gilmore Girls fans who always wanted to live out Rory’s life at Yale), Boğaziçi is a great option for you!
When I wasn’t finalizing my course schedule and studying, I chose to explore as many areas within the city as possible. Some of the neighborhoods I visited on the European side included Şişli, Nişantaşı, Beşiktaş and of course, Taksim. Taksim is perhaps the most well-known district of Istanbul, with Istiklal Avenue bridging the gap between Taksim Square and the famous Galata Tower. One of the best parts of walking down Istiklal Avenue — aside from squeezing between huge crowds and the iconic red street car — is seeing all of the “indirim,” or sale signs, in storefront windows.
While all of these neighborhoods are walkable, Istanbul also has a remarkably efficient public transportation system. The Istanbul metro system is elaborate, with a new line having recently opened directly near the university. You’ll know that you have assimilated when you can proudly recite your bus number (teşekkürler, DT2 and 55T!).
Also, Istanbul would not be complete without its feline population. Cats are ubiquitous throughout the city, and they nobly serve and protect its citizens with only a small payment of kibble and petting required in exchange. Each community prioritizes the care of its pets, and restaurants or neighbors will often leave out scraps or kibble so the cats remain well-fed.
March: Café Culture and New Friends
March arrived rather quickly. I spent the month drinking lots of coffee and fresh orange juice at various cafés, building routines and learning about the city’s traditions. The longer days were accompanied by chromatic sunsets and slowly growing pear blossoms. One of my favorite activities during this time was visiting my local neighborhood park to study and journal.
March 11, 2024, marked the start of Ramadan. Many of my classmates fasted until Iftar, the evening meal, and crowds began queuing at dusk for cafés, restaurants and ice cream parlors. I learned about the tradition of breaking the fast with dates and nuts and also for the first time tried “pide,” a light and doughy bread that can be sweet or savory and is sold predominantly during the month of Ramadan.
March was also a month of café-hopping (although to be fair, every month is a month of café-hopping in Istanbul). On weekends, friends and family generally flock to cafes to enjoy leisurely and massive Turkish breakfasts, consisting of “menemen,” an egg dish with or without onions, copious amounts of bread and cheese, olives, various spreads and always, “çay,” or tea.
The city is so cosmopolitan that there are always opportunities to meet individuals from other countries. For example, one of my favorite memories was meeting the delightful owner of a café who was only a few years older than me and had moved to Turkey from Iran. She was incredibly gracious, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to converse, particularly as an American.
After taking the ferry to Kadiköy, I discovered some exciting shops and cafés in Moda, one of which was Breaking Bad-themed. Having never watched the show, the references were regrettably lost on me, but it was still fun to discover this small Easter egg in such a vast city. It was also nice to practice some of my hobbies from home — for example, attending a ballet one night or making a habit of walking home after church.
April: Tulips and Lent
Boğaziçi’s spring break commenced at the beginning of April. I traveled for a little over 10 days in the Balkans and then returned home to continue studying. April showers brought April flowers, and the tulips were gorgeous.
One of my friends and I visited Emirgan Park and were able to experience its full bloom, which was very special. I grew up near the tulip fields in Washington and have always associated tulips with the Netherlands. It was delightful to discover their origins in Turkey.
During this time, long walks at night became one of my favorite pastimes. I enjoyed returning home from school and eating dinner before heading out the door to listen to an audiobook or podcast on my way up the coast. My routine was to walk from one bridge to another and then back again, which was particularly beautiful as the sky slowly turned to dusk and then nightfall.
There is truly no body of water like the Bosphorus (Strait, which forms a continental boundary between Euope and Asia), and it is always a joy to pass by the fishermen reeling in their catches or to see jellyfish illuminating the water near the docked boats. At night, the bridges near Ortaköy and Bebek are illuminated in red as gentle waves near the shoreline turn a deep velvet. It was lovely to watch friends and couples sit and talk on benches lining the coast — a perfect and peaceful opportunity to gain clarity.
The second part of April constituted Lenten services and the observance of the fast. While Lent actually began in March, the entirety of April fell under its observance. My weekly routine on Wednesday and Friday was to attend Presanctified Liturgy at the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the morning, buy a Turkish bagel and then take the bus to the university.
Turkish simit is essentially bagels, though classic simit is more akin to sesame-filled rings than New York boiled bagels. If you are from Izmir, however, the name is “gevrek.” After church on Sundays, I would walk over to the neighboring area of Balat and explore the neighborhood’s many eccentric shops and cafes.
Thank you so much for reading along. Wishing you all a beautiful adventure in Turkey, and “teşekkür ederim,” or, thank you!
This post was contributed by Molly Dugan, a Global Ambassador for May Term 2024. Molly is a junior economics studies major studying abroad in Istanbul, Turkey.
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