Istanbul Resources

Context Travel
Context Travel is a tour company with a difference. They offer a wide range of scholar-led walking seminars of some of the world's greatest cities (including Istanbul), making it ideal for the intellectually curious among us.

Easy Expat: Guide for Expatriates
Easy Expat is a guide for expatriates on overseas moving and relocation abroad: passport, visa, jobs, removal, accommodation, international schools, health, services. The website contains a comprehensive section designed for expats in Istanbul.

Eating Ankara:
If you find yourself traveling through Anatolia with a stop in Ankara, check out Eating Ankara to learn how to eat the very best food during your time in Turkey's capital. Written by American Steven Bartus, this blog chronicles the city's myriad of dining options and will guide you towards almost any taste you desire.

Europe Traveler
Die hard travel blogger Ross gives his insights into travel in Europe and beyond. With a collection of interesting articles, reviews, interviews, tips and more, Europe Traveler provides yet more reasons to tackle this exciting continent!

IstanbulEats.com:
Want to get to know Turkish Cuisine from the eyes of some expatriates? Founded by American ex-pats Ansel Mullins and Yigal Schleifer, IstanbulEats.com is a great resource where you can find Istanbul's hidden culinary treasures. As they say on the blog: “We’re talking about serious food for serious eaters, hold the frills.”

News about Turkey:
Keep yourself updated with the Turkish agenda before you come to Istanbul or while you are here! Hurriyet Daily News newspaper provides Turkish news in English.

OnlineTurkish.com
Online courses, books, CDs and free trial lessons. More than 150 pages in order to learn the Turkish language; includes listening exercises recorded by native speakers, free online phrase book, pronunciation guide, grammar, vocabulary, online dictionary and information about Turkey.

Reviews of Hamams in Istanbul:
Hammamguide.com is a blog project, where Turkish and non-Turkish contributors review ( and rate) each bathhouse and provide important information on the address, hours, costs, cleanliness and general clientele. The project is being carried out by the 2008-2009 fellows of the Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations and 2008-2009 Fulbright fellows living in Istanbul.

TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® features reviews and advice on hotels, resorts, flights, vacation rentals, vacation packages, travel guides, and lots more.

Turkey's For Life:
Turkey's For Life are a young English couple who left the UK in 2003 to start a new life in Turkey. They live in Fethiye in the beautiful South West of Turkey and write about their life in the area. The good thing about the Turkey’s For Life blog is that it concentrates on all of the positive things about Fethiye and the surrounding areas and gives great tips for the best places to visit and see – lots of which you won’t find in any of the guidebooks....yet!

Wizard Istanbul
Founded by a self confessed 'Istanbul Lover', Wizard Istanbul is an innovative, volunteer-run website which provides a 24/7 service answering any questions you may have about Istanbul. Queries can be asked via Facebook, Twitter or through the site.

ARA GULER's Istanbul Photos:
Ara Güler has been documenting his home city's cultural and domestic life since the 1940s. His images of Istanbul similarly demonstrate his deep love of the city and its inhabitants. Check out his website for the most impressive Istanbul photos.

Photographer YILDIRIM INCEALEMDAROGLU:
YILDIRIM INCEALEMDAROGLU is a multi-award winning professional photographer who has worked for leading newspapers and magazines in Turkey. We would like to thank him for his Istanbul photos in our album. You can see more of his work on his website.

Photographer CELALETTIN GUNES:
CELALETTIN GUNES is another great Istanbul photographer who likes to take pictures of historical and archaeological sites, but this is definitely not his only interest. Please see his scenic photos on his website, or on his Flickr profile.

Photographer MISTA RIGGS:
Mista Riggs works towards a diverse assortment of photographs such as landscapes, portraits, slices of life, urban shots, and events. He finds photography not only as a source of expression but also as a way of documentation while creating an artistic statement.

Photographer AYDIN SERTBAS:
AYDIN SERTBAS describes himself as an amateur photographer, although it is not fair to say so. He loves travelling and taking pictures of historical sites. You can visit his photo album on Trekearth to see some of the most beautiful photos of Istanbul.

Photographer ALI BASARIR:
ALI BASARIR takes photos of Istanbul from a different angle. His themes vary from historical sites to children, from reflections to shadows. You can see some of his valuable works on his profile at Trekearth.

Many Thanks to All Photographers:
My Destination Istanbul has used some photos from the following photographers, who have unusual and beautiful photos about Istanbul. We believe their photostreams are definitely worth visiting to have a sense of Istanbul prior to a visit. We owe all of the below photographers a big thank you for their permission and contributions. Here are links to their personal photo websites and photostreams on Flickr.

Philippe Bouvat, John Walker, Will Dwinnell, Anastassiya Lukyanova, Eni Turkeshi, Frank Kovalchek, Darrin O'Brien, Francesco Cilione, Helen Simpson, Michael Chung, JediNinja, Elena Fidanovska, Invicto, Alexis Basson, Ekaterina Nosenko, Wajahat Mahmood, Bob Mercer, Simona Mimmo Lilly Obino.