Category: Turkish Culture & Local Life

Turkish culture is famous for its hospitality, and in this category I write about the living Turkey — the tea gardens, the village markets, the food, the music, the craftsmanship — from the perspective of someone born and raised here. History fills most of this website, but a country is more than its ruins, and my guests always tell me that the cultural moments of their day stay with them as long as the marble does.

Here you will find articles on Turkish cuisine and the dishes worth seeking out along the Aegean coast, on the art of Turkish tea and coffee, on traditional crafts like carpet weaving and ceramics that families here have practised for generations, and on everyday life in Kuşadası and the villages around Ephesus, such as lovely Şirince in the hills. I also share some personal stories from my years of guiding — memorable guests, unusual days, even the migratory birds that pass over our coast each spring — and a few of the press features and interviews, including CNN International and The Jerusalem Post, where I have had the chance to talk about the region I love.

My hope is that these posts help you arrive in Turkey already understanding a little of how we live: why tea appears the moment you sit down, why bargaining is a conversation rather than a battle, why hospitality here is not a service but a value. Travellers who understand the culture simply experience more — they are welcomed differently, because they notice differently.

When I guide, I weave all of this into the day alongside the history, so you meet the real Turkey and not just its monuments. If that is the kind of day you want, I would be glad to be your guide — write to me and we will plan it.

*(~300 words)*