Things to Do

Events, places and people to get you in-the-know

Things to do

Gaziantep Food Festival

Gaziantep flavors are only a few of the items you’ll find on the menu of Shangri-La Bosphorus’ restaurant IST TOO during this month’s Gaziantep Food Festival.

Things to do

From Crafts to Design at Istanbul Modern

The first project by the Istanbul Modern Platform for Crafts, Art and Design, 'From Crafts to Design' focuses on five materials: bone, copper, wood, glass and mother of pearl. This new initiative highlights nearly forgotten handicraft customs by bringing together craftspeople with artists and designers to put a modern spin on materials that have been shaped using traditional methods thus far. What makes the project even more fascinating is that the artists used materials they hadn’t worked with before. In theory, furniture designer Adnan Serbest teaming up with master woodcarver Sezgin Yalçın makes sense, but the result of their collaboration is far from predictable: the wooden bowl designed by the duo, 'Fraxinus', is an impressive piece for a designer with no prior experience creating decorative objects. Perhaps the most notable member of 'From Crafts to Design' is Fatma Ayran, the only female mother of pearl crafter in Turkey. Despite her young age, Ayran has already mastered the art of working with both mother of pearl and bone. Her contributions to the project include the mother of pearl cufflinks created with painter Ekrem Yalçındağ as well as the bone shaving brush named 'Blackcrow' created with fashion designer Hatice Gökçe. Other must-see works include the glass napkin rings created by Camekan Glassworks cofounder Gamze Araz Eskinazi and sculptor Seyhun Topuz as well as the copper tray crafted by designer Atilla Kuzu and coppersmith Battal Yakut. These items will rem

Things to do

Layer by Layer Excavating the Anatolian Side of Istanbul

If your knowledge of historic Istanbul is limited to the Topkapı Palace and the Hagia Sophia, you won’t want to miss this exhibition, which highlights the cultural wealth and diversity of Istanbul’s suburbs in the Late Antiquity, Late Byzantine and Early Ottoman eras.

Film

Istanbul’s best outdoor cinemas

We usually associate outdoor cinemas with summer and even though there aren’t that many in the city we have listed the best ones. Here’s to hoping more open up…

Shopping

Istanbul’s best tattoo parlors

The dozens of tattoo artists in Istanbul, each with their own style, create portable works of art that last a lifetime. Perhaps it’s time to finally get that tattoo you’ve been thinking about for years.