Merhaba,
I'd like to spend 1 or 2 months in İstanbul this summer.. but I need information.
İs it dangerous for a girl to go there alone?
Are there any turkish courses for foreigners I can join?
well I spent some time in the UK n I'd like to do the same but this time in Turkey..
Şimdilik teşekkürler

Selam Sertab

I googled a bit, if you search on the keywords "Turkish", "foreigner", "Istanbul",... you will find several courses.
I'm going to Istanbul at the end of March for two weeks. I was also asking myself if it wouldn't be dangerous, as I'm going alone as well. I read and heard from different sources and people that it shouldn't be. Of course, you don't have to go out and look for it, you should avoid certain neighbourhoods at night, and shouldn't dress provocative for example (that's all about respect I think). I also read that you'll have to get used to be stared at, as Turkish people don't consider that as being impolite. Rough Guide says that in general, Istanbul is a safer place than many other big cities in Europe.

If anyone here wants to share experiences, please do so. I've never been to Istanbul, so I can only say what I heard and read.

Sevgiler
Elisa

Hello!

I'm also going to Istanbul this year with a friend. Being two girls, we're also thinking if it's going to be safe for us.
But by the information I´ve gathered, it is safe. Like Elisa said, you only have to avoid certain places and to have a low profile atitude... but that's what everyone does in their home town to avoid problems, isn't it?
There's a wonderful site that helps a lot on planning a journey to Turkey and it also has a forum about this topic - Women Travelers in Turkey - and some information about learning turkish while in Turkey.

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com

Hope this would help.

kisses,
aleir

Selam Sertab

I was leafing through the Rough Guide to Turkey and I saw this:
"Language classes: Bosphorus University (www.boun.edu.tr) offers an intensive eight-week summer course for around $300, an a regular two-term Turkish course. For a range of courses throughout the year (and class size usually limited to twelve) try: Turkish Time, in the same offices as English Time, Istiklal Cad 251, Beyoglu (www.turkishtime.com), or the Tömer school, Halaskargazi Cad 330, Sisli (www.tomer.com.tr)"

I'm not affiliated with Rough Guide whatsoever, but I would recommend it as a travel guide. I think it's a great guide.

teşekkürler Elisa!
I'll check all those sites later.
Btw r u going to İstanbul also to study some turkish??
GörüşÃ¼rüz..

omg I've just notices in my 1st post I wanted to write 'ŞİMDİDEN teşekkürler' and not 'ŞİMDİLİK', sorry for the mistake

if u come to turkey u dont need to take a course..
everybody attends to teach you english

Elisa I checked those sites yesterday, they seem interesting, thnx I've found another one, also quite interesting: www.cactusworldwide.com

tömer is the best course to learn turkish for foreign people as far as i know...

At this moment the main reason why I want to go to Istanbul is the city itself. My Turkish is still very basic , I will use what I know if I can/need to, but I still can't keep a conversation going. But I still have three weeks and a half so that might change
Making myself clear won't be a problem I think, as a lot of people speak English, German, and some even speak French I heard. Maybe it will be more difficult in Ortahisar (Cappadocia) where I will be staying a couple of days as well, I don't know.
I would love to be able to speak the language (fluently )already (but then who wouldn't?). But right now it's more important for me to read about the city, its neighbourhoods, its history, so that I don't arrive unprepared. I'm reading this book now that's called "Passage Istanbul", about famous people (like Trotski, Virginia Woolf, Pierre Loti,...) who all stayed in Istanbul for a shorter or longer period. Quite amusing, sometimes boring (if the character is boring), but still, it's an interesting book.

Sevgiler
Elisa

try to speak turkish.. however we could understand...

Hi, Elisa!

Could you please please please give the author and the publisher of "Passage Istanbul"? It really sounds like a great book but I can't find it

Thanks!
aleir

I was about asking the same.. we need the title of that book! btw if u r interested, I've read couple of (v good) books about Turkey, I can give u the titles too.

So Elisa, r u going all alone to Turkey? I bet u r so maceracı (adventurous) as I am

I hate to disappoint you girls, but it's a Dutch book by a Dutch publisher. And as far as I know it hasn't been translated.
But one of the ideas I got from the book is that, when in Istanbul, you have to take a trip to (one of) the Princess Islands. That way you see Istanbul in just the same way as people did in the old days, when there were no planes and they arrived by boat across the Sea of Marmara. I read some beautiful descriptions about the view you get that way.
Sertab, I'd much appreciate it if you gave some tips about interesting books!

istanbul ile ilgili kitap isteyenlere gönderebilirim...

I'm afraid I don't understand... could you translate this for me please?

Elisa

i could send some books about istanbul..
who wants that?

also i could send some information or writing etc as well...

Tabii! Anyone with tips on must-read books, please post them! I would be very grateful!!

Elisa

the main point is how it could be?

elisa,
it is your time to answer my question
.....

I thought I answered your question? About the books? Or am I missing or overlooking something?

iyi geceler
Elisa

the book about istanbul...

Well I answered that, didn't I? My answer was the post where I asked for tips on books. So if you have interesting titles, please post them. I think a lot of people here will be interested.

Thanks
Elisa

i can't post the book in this site..
my prpblem is for exam: how could i send any book to u?
i think i have a problem to understand you...
....

Evet, I think we have a problem!

I didn't mean for you to literaly send me a book! I just meant (in general, for other posters as well) that if anyone knows interesting books, you can post the name of the author and / or the title here. Then we can go out ourselves and look for them if we want to.

Hope this makes it a bit clearer

that is more clear..

Provided your English is good enough, if you like reading novels, have a look at Maureen Freely's
translation of 'Kar' (Snow) by Orhan Pamuk. (Also available in German). It says alot about the modern Turkish consciousness. The quote from Dostoyevsky in satirising Russia's own 'Modernisers' is revealing: "Well then, eliminate the people, curtail them, force them to be silent. Because the European Enlightenment is more important than the people." Pamuk quotes this in the epigraph, and it shows something entirely symptomatic of Modern Turkey: the inherent hypocrisy of trying to dictate a secular, pro-European, democratic 'revolution'. But by no means allow this to put you off visiting, for the average Turk is a good and generous person all too keen to welcome and associate with Westerners. On a more practical note, I find 'Teach Yourself Turkish' (Geoffrey Lewis) in the well-known Hodder and Staughton series, even after 5 years residence here, continues to be a mine of indispensable information.

Guys I've read these 2 books about Turkey.. they're really very interesting, i found them good enough:

* "Travelers' Tales, Turkey" True Stories. Edited by: James Villers Jr.

** "A Fez of the Heart" by Jeremy Seal. Travels around Turkey in search of a hat. (I love this one! and dont worry, it's not about a hat )

Selamlar Sertab!
U wrote in the first post that you'd like to spend 1 or 2 months in İstanbul this summer. How will you get the two months visa? One month is avaiable on airport. Is visa for two months stay also avaiable on airport?

Im curious if anyone knows where one might be able to study modern standard arabic in Turkey on a part time basis. Also, does anyone know whether Tomer is a superior language institute to Dilmer? Thanks for any help.

About the Visa question: after the first one expires, you can just pay a quick visit to a neighbouring country, and then go back to Turkey and get a new one. At least that's what they told me...

Yes I've also heard it, but it's not that easy when u are in the middle of Turkey...That's why I asked for two months visa - I hoped there is aviable sth like that.

[modified by admin] No explicit advertising please.