Welcome to Istanbul! We love having visitors here, but as someone who rides metros daily, I need to address a frustrating trend I keep seeing: tourists handing out cash to beggars.

I know you mean well, but for the sake of everything holy, please stop doing this. Here is why giving to beggars in Istanbul actually harms the community, and what you should do instead:

No one is left to starve here Turkey has a massive network of social support. Between state programs, municipality resources, government charities, and deeply ingrained neighborhood support systems, there is a near-zero chance that someone genuinely goes hungry or lacks shelter. If someone is truly struggling, at least the local neighborhood steps in to take care of them.

It is a "professional" day job The people you see begging in tourist hubs, on the Marmaray, and in the subway lines are almost entirely "professionals." This is their daily hustle. By handing them cash, you are not helping the vulnerable; you are funding a lucrative, organized industry that discourages them from actually contributing to society.

Where your money actually makes a difference If you want to do charity, give sadaqah, or just share your holiday budget with locals, there are much better ways to distribute your money:

• Tip service workers: Leave generous tips for restaurants, cafes, hotels etc.
• Support local musicians: Give your spare change to the performance artists at the stations - they are mostly university students trying to make ends meet.
• Help low-wage earners: Pass your extra cash directly to the hardworking people keeping the city running on minimum wage.

Enjoy your visit, and please spend your generosity where it genuinely helps the working class rather than funding the professional begging rings.

"Fener Rum Patrikhanesi ile aynı cadde üzerinde bulunan okul, Rum cemaat için bir sosyal merkez işlevi de görmekeydi. Öğrenci sayısının 10'a düşmesi üzerine kapandı. 1901'de inşa edilen neo-klasik üsluptaki okul yapısı, 2021'de restore edilmiştir."

kitabe yunanca yazısıyla: Πατριαρχική Ελληνική Σχολή Μαρασλή / Patriarkal Elliniki Scholi Marasli
3. fotoğraf restorasyondan öncesine ait.

Anadolu Yakası'nda birlikte ev tutabileceğim ev arkadaşı arıyorum. Kişi başı bütçem 20-25k civarı. Kafa yapımız ve hayat tarzımız uyuşursa birlikte ev tutabiliriz.

24 yaşındayım, bilgisayar mühendisliği mezunuyum ve özel sektörde çalışıyorum. Benzer yaşlarda, uyum sağlayabileceğim birini arıyorum. Düşünen varsa yazabilir, tanışıp konuşabiliriz.

I would like to find a new home for my cat because I have gotten married, and my spouse does not want a cat in the house. The cat is quite low-maintenance, even when left alone for long periods; due to the nature of my job, I have often had to leave it by itself, so it is accustomed to being on its own. You can even leave it at home while you go away on vacation. It has not been spayed/neutered, but this has not caused any significant issues. I am looking for an adult living in Istanbul who will provide a home for the cat.

Edit: Cat is 5 years old and female. And I also have to add since I changed a job i can't give it enough time it deserves, And my wife did give it a try but they didn't worked out together.

I have a flight on Tuesday and would love to buy some. Haven't managed to find any around. Anyone got tips?

Hello

I will be travelling to Istanbul tomorrow and I saw the massive floods that had happened there. I was reaching out in regard to the aftermath of everything and if it's safe or "worth it" to travel.
For reference, my hotel will be near Taksim square

(28M) 4 yildir amerikadaydim yeni geldim istanbula. Kimse kalmamis… yeni insanlarla tanismak ve yeni arkadaslar edinmek istiyorum. Bos olaniniz varsa gelin bi cay kahve biseyler icelim, dertleselim. cok bunaldim…

I'm honestly really scared about having to walk around Istanbul alone as a foreigner. I need to take care of my residence paperwork while also dealing with some embassy appointments, and I'm worried about getting lost in such a huge city.

I don't speak any Turkish at all, and English is the only language I can rely on. It's going to be my first time handling all of this on my own, and to be honest, it's pretty overwhelming.

Please pray for me. I really hope everything goes well and that I can get through this safely. 🙏

Kadınım ve kadın ev sahibi/kiracı oda arkadaşı arıyorsa buna talibim. Düzenliyim, sigara-alkol içmem. Kedi-kopekle iyi anlaşırım, yoksa da sorun yok. Bir odaya ihtiyacım var. 26 yaşındayım.

I’ve been here almost 2 weeks and honestly the one thing I love about here is cats everywhere. And they are so comfortable.

Hello! I have been traveling through Turkiye for the past month or so, and need more 35mm film for my camera. I am not picky on the film but kodak gold 200 or something relatively similar is preferred. Will absolutely take recommendations on other types if cheaper and decent quality :)

I bought some a few weeks ago at a film lab in Karakoy, but it was extremely expensive!! Like double what I pay at home. Im assuming its so expensive because its imported, but I am just wondering if there is anywhere cheaper to get it? It was around 850 lira a roll. I would like to get 3-5 rolls if possible as I am going to a few other countries where I am assuming it will be even harder to acquire.

One of my Turkish friends suggested Kadikoy, but if anyone knows of any specific film shops/retailers where it would be more affordable please let me know! Thank you so much😊😊😊

Orange sunset. Minarets

Ortaköy. Beauty in detail

Urban contrasts of history

time spares no one. Istanbul. Bahçeköy

Hey all, my mom is in Istanbul right now. But the wifi router I set up for her a couple years ago seems to have stopped working.

I tried diagnosing it remotely but doing tech support remotely with someone who’s older is pretty hard haha.

Any way does anyone know of a company (preferably speaks English) that can go factory reset the router, and set up wifi again? And if router is faulty replace it.

I can pay remotely with PayPal, bank transfer, or have my mom pay cash on site.

If you have any recommendations for someone who can do this, and for a reasonable price let me know!

Current router is a tpnlink E4R, and a TP link m3w mesh Access point. It’s connected to a turkcel modem which I don’t remember any information… when a device connects to the wifi the connection just drops.

Thanks for any help! I really want to avoid flying to Istanbul just to fix my moms wifi 😂

Forgive our ignorance when we planned the trip, but we didn't know we'd be there during Republic Day when we booked the trip many months ago. None of us have been to Istanbul at all before. We planned out what to see before we realized what would be occurring next week and how that could impact the trip.

How much busier will the city be next week versus normal weeks? Specifically for the typical tourist sites.

Besides government building closures and road closures for parades, are there any other things we need to plan around as tourists?

Are there any local tips for navigating the week you wish tourists knew?

We plan on trying to stay out of the way of residents who want to enjoy their national holiday without foreigners getting in the way. Of course, we are honored to be there and want to respect locals, but we would like to see the Bosphoros light show and other events, if possible. We want to be as respectful as possible of your beautiful city during such a big holiday.