etiquette

If you spend any time in Turkey, you will quickly notice that families are everywhere: three generations sharing a table, cousins celebrating together, and relatives calling each other constantly.

When you travel through Turkey, you will notice blue glass beads hanging everywhere, strange phrases spoken after compliments, and rituals that seem to come from another age.

If you are visiting Turkey for the first time, gift-giving customs may seem mysterious, but they are actually simple once someone explains them.

Turkish society is famously warm, but it also follows rules that can be hard to read at first. The family comes first, the elders are honored, and the hospitality can be overwhelming.

If you spend any time with young people in Turkey, you will notice their phones are rarely out of hand.

If you are in Turkey during a holiday, you will notice that the whole country changes rhythm. The shops close, the streets fill with families, and the sweets and greetings flow freely.

Turkish street food is one of the great pleasures of visiting the country, and also one of the most intimidating for first-timers.

If you have heard anything about Istanbul before visiting, you have probably heard about the cats. They are everywhere: on tram seats, in café corners, on mosque steps, and in the laps of delighted tourists.

If you are visiting Turkey, the neighborhood barbershop is an experience you should not miss, even if you usually avoid barbers.

As a visitor, walking into a Turkish hamam for the first time can feel both exciting and intimidating.

Turkey surprises many visitors with the depth and complexity of its religious life.

Among all the treasures of Turkish culture, few fascinate visitors as much as the whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi tradition.