Ancient Ishak Pasha Palace in Eastern Anatolia This is it – the last part! This series was created to explore and highlight, as much as possible with one article at a time, the cuisine of the seven regions of Türkiye. (Parts 1-6 are already posted on this site.) Türkiye’s culinary culture is renowned as one of the world’s best. Because of the variety of its recipes and flavors, Turkish cuisine ranks among the top of the world’s cuisines, right next to Chinese, French and Italian delicacies. But always at the heart of the cooking culture of Türkiye is its fresh, local, and seasonal produce. As ..read more

This is Part Six of a seven-part series exploring the cuisine of the seven regions of Türkiye. (Articles covering the first five parts of this series can be found on this site.) The culinary culture of Türkiye is renowned as one of the world’s best. Along with Chinese and French cuisine, it is considered one of the three main cuisines of the world because of the variety of its recipes and flavors. Fresh, local, and seasonal produce are at the heart of the Turkish cooking culture. As a domestic chef and lover of all foods and cuisines, it has been an exciting adventure to discover the rich cui ..read more

by Dr. Patti Feuereisen A closer study of Season 1 Aile translated to ‘Family’ is written by Hakan Bonomo along with a team of 4 male writers and one female writer, and is directed by Ahmet Katiksiz. It stars Serenay Sarıkaya and Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ in the leads and premiered on Show TV in March of 2023. Since then, it has broken records at Cannes Film Festival 2023, with 80 countries buying the foreign rights, and has been up for several awards including best actor, actress, and director.   Aile is described as an action crime story about a major Izmir mafia family, their trials and tri ..read more

by Mary Bloyd, Culture Writer Street Scene – Constantinople in Ottoman Times This is the final piece in a three-part series designed to showcase ten historically important Ottoman-era sites in Türkiye. By no means should these ten sites selected be considered the “only” important sites restored and/or preserved for posterity. Many additional locations throughout Türkiye could rightfully be included in such a list. However, that would require copious research and the compilation of a very long, complex, and scholarly book – i.e., a “tome”. Maalesef, I am neither qualified nor motivated to take ..read more

Written by: Carrie Harberts Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy Length: 13 Episodes Lead Actors: Kerem Bürsin, Hafsanur Sancaktutan Rating: 9/10 The experiences and traumas we experience in childhood have a deeply profound effect on us as we go through life. However, it’s when we finally face those traumas that we can actually grow, heal, and uncover our true selves. This is one of the key themes of Ya Çok Seversen, which explores the many layers that make us human, the meaning of family, the effect choices we make in life have on us and what happens when we love so much. A family drama told with ..read more

by Mary Eileen Hare A sweet summer installation, Make Me Believe is a touching romance that captures a couple through the ages, as they move past their childhood wounds to find each other again. After a break from the screen which left her fans starving for her next project, Ayça Ayşin Turan has returned to play the starring role in this feel good romance.  It premiered on Netflix on July 23, and it performed well not only in America but internationally as well.  The Plot Make Me Believe brings us Sarah, played by the versatile Ayça, a magazine editor in search of her next big story ..read more

Many of us have had the opportunity to travel to Türkiye to visit its beautiful cities and the special sites preserved for posterity. Modern-day Istanbul seems to possess a special draw and allure for visitors and tourists alike. Perhaps it is the mystique of its former, ancient name of “Constantinople” that stirs and sparks the imagination. I know it had that effect on me. When I was able to travel to Türkiye a few years ago to experience Istanbul and other locations and sites for myself, I was not disappointed. The lure of this beautiful country is still calling me back. Someone must have t ..read more

By Patti Feuereisen Ph.D. and Vinita Templeton Esq. Dizis, Turkish films, Turkish daily series, with their deep emotional stories bring people together and create international communities through social media. The following essay is a collaboration between two women who “met” through one such community of the Turkish daily series Kan Çiçekleri, otherwise known as Blood Flowers, produced by Sevda Kaygısız leading a team of at least 8 skilled writers, mostly women, on Kanal 7, a nationwide Islamic TV Channel.           Vinita, an established human r ..read more

by Mary Bloyd History has always been an interest of mine, whether learning about the development of a nation, the meaning of certain words and phrases in different languages, the evolution of a cuisine or culture, or the chronology of a country’s royal family. In my opinion, if you want to gain an in-depth understanding, the most important thing you can learn about any country is the story of its history. For the purposes of this article, and specifically regarding the history of the Republic of Türkiye, from countless hours of research (which I happen to love to do), I have learned about a ..read more

by mh musings Terzi (The Tailor), centers around the intermingled pasts of Peyami, his childhood best friend Dimitri and Dimitri’s fiancée Esvet. Peyami, a famous tailor, begins to sew the wedding dress for Dimitri’s fiancée he is yet to meet, but all three have dark secrets that shatters the known balance in their lives. The Plot Peyami, played by Çağatay Ulusoy, is an accomplished designer, who has a sizeable establishment in Istanbul. Hailing from the eastern region of Kars, it is obvious when he comes back for his grandfather’s funeral that he hasn’t been home in a long time. He is force ..read more