May the halay live on

The halay is a symbol of everything that is right with Turkey. It’s a dance. A simple dance. It is equality. It is equality because anyone can participate — young and old, Turkish and American, Kurdish and Armenian. It’s equality because it is a circle: no one dominates. It…

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My Turkish Engagement Ceremony

The salty Turkish coffee. The cutting of the rings. Requesting the bride’s hand in front of the whole family. Getting engaged in Turkey (nişan) is more than just popping the question in a romantic spot. We made the video below to help shed some light on this modern version …

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8 ways Portugal and Turkey are alike

We crave you, we miss you, we yearn for you Your eight legs of heaven Portuguese octopus! Jump in some rice or olive oil for us –Zeynep & Ezra Seems like we ate octopus in some form every day during our recent vacation in Portugal: usually chopped up in bit size [&helli…

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How to Marry a Turk

Editor’s Note: This post is intended for Americans marrying Turkish citizens in a belediye nikah salonu (municipal wedding hall) in Istanbul. For other nationalities, other cities in Turkey, or if you want your wedding officiated offsite, kolay gelsin, I have little experience, b…

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The Frontier Carnival

A blazing effigy of the Carnival Tsar, parades of floats and costumed troupes serenaded by blasting techno and Euro pop, fireworks, and walking around stumbling drunk with a water bottle filled with tsipouro. Oh, Yes. Istanbulus don’t have to go to Brazil to enjoy Carnival season…

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