Reflection on the student's period abroad and what they ...socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/collegeofsocial... · abroad to explore Istanbul with them or to visit

Reflection on the student's period abroad and what they have gained from it, together with a guide for

other students visiting the same institution

Felix-Christopher von Nostitz Learning Log Final Student ID No.: 580026922

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Contents

I. Introduction p. 2

II. The Erasmus Intensive Language Course p. 2

III. Going to Istanbul p. 3

IV. Life in Istanbul p. 4

V. Where to live p. 7

VI. The University p. 9

VII. Getting a Residence Permit p. 10

VIII. What to Eat and Where to Find it!! p. 11

IX. Conclusion p. 15

Appendix A and B p. 17

Picture References p. 18


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Studying abroad is a multi-dimensional experience. It not only allows you to discover

a new country with all its aspect but also to gain a more critical and comprehensive

understanding of your own country and Europe in general. My Erasmus year in Istanbul

provided me with the opportunity to explore the culture, the politics and the society of Turkey.

Beside this, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles during my year abroad I had to

overcome. These reached from integrating into the new culture and city to finding a flat and

handling the complicated and extensive Turkish bureaucracy. All this positive and negative

experiences completed my year in Turkey but also contributed to my personal development

and understanding of our world.

The following paper tries to provide a guide for future Erasmus students in Turkey. It

tries to provide useful information how to minimize bureaucratic stress, unpleasant

experiences (illness, misunderstandings, etc.) and, of course, to overcome the culture shock.

All this and further information such as where to eat, live and what to see should help future

students to enjoy their year abroad as much as I did and make it an unforgettable and

educational experience. In addition, to providing useful information I will also highlight my

personal development during the year. To do so I will divide the paper in various sections. In

each section I will try to link my personal development and experiences with the provision of

useful information to reduce the challenges and obstacles in a new country for future student.

I will support my explanations and suggestions with photos, maps and other kind of

illustrations where possible. Over all, I hope the paper will provide future students with a

useful guide for their Erasmus year in Turkey and also highlight my personal development

over the year.

II. The EILC

Before I went to Istanbul I travelled to Antalya to attend the Erasmus Intensive

Language Course (EILC). It is more than just a language course but a crash course in

“Turkish culture, life and costumes”. Thus I can only recommend to every future Erasmus

student to do one of EILC in Turkey. It is not only a great opportunity to overcome the first

culture shock but also to meet other students who are all in the same situation as you. Most of

them will later go to Istanbul or Ankara and thus, there is a great chance that you will see all

of them again. Personally, I kept in contact with many people from my EILC during my year

abroad to explore Istanbul with them or to visit some of them in different cities such as

Ankara or Izmir. Such a network makes it easier to overcome the culture shock. In addition


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the EILC feels more like holiday and so makes it easier to explore the new culture without the

stress of finding a place to live and university. Although many students, like me, did not stay

in the accommodation provided by the course but moved into a flat in Antalya’s Meltem area.

This gave us the chance to discover the daily life in Turkey more intensive way. Also, it gave

us an opportunity to try out our basic Turkish vocabulary during shopping in the supermarket,

in the market or in one of the many little corner stores (Turk: Bakal).

In addition the EILC also consisted of cultural lesson, mainly

visits to ancient historical sights like Perge and Phaselis, but also

more contemporary events like Mustafa Kemal’s (Ataturk’s)

house in Antalya. During the whole four weeks in Antalya, we

had tutors who helped us in every kind of situations. During the

course, I also found the time to travel along the Turkish

Mediterranean Coast. During these weekend trips, we

discovered many great Turkish towns and villages like Kas,

Kekova and Cirali, close to the famous burning stones of

Chimaera, and Olympus. Throughout the trips we only used

public transport so it was a great opportunity to get used to the

chaotic and complicated world of Turkish public transport. This

includes haggling or the price or sitting in a completely overcrowded bus with no air-

conditions for six hours.

Overall, it can be seen that the EILC was an excellent experience to prepare me for my

life in Istanbul and Turkey in general. It provided me with many tools and skills to overcome

and manage many challenges I faced during my year. But most importantly, I meet many

people in the same situation and so it was a possibility to exchange our feelings, experiences

and expectations for and during the year and so help each other to make it truly an

outstanding and amazing experience.

III. Going to Istanbul

If you, like me, attended an EILC you have two possibilities to go from Antalya

directly to Istanbul: either by plane of coach. Both option cost roughly the same but the

experiences are completely different. The plane journey is very short and comfortable but

otherwise like any other plane journey. The coach trip on the other side is a 12 h ride through

the Turkish countryside covering all from its lovely seaside, high and narrow mountain

Amphitheatre in Phaselis

Beach of Criali


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valleys, large flat farmland and finally Istanbul and crossing the Bosphorus (Turk: Boğazı). It

is one of the most amazing and beautiful bus rides I have made so I can only recommend it. In

addition the seats are very comfortable, there is constantly free food and drinks and all

coaches are perfectly air-conditioned. So it is worth the 12 h trip. (List of Bus companies see

Appendix A)

But if you arrive form the UK there are two airports: Sabiha Gökcen and Atatürk the

former on the Asian side and the latter on the European side. If you live on campus or on the

Asian side, I would always recommend flying to Sabiha Göken as there is a free shuttle to the

university and public transport to Kadiköy. If you live on the European side, the time form

Atatürk or Sabiha to Takism is approximately the same. The only advantage of Atatürk would

be the public transport to Taksim by bus or metro and tram.

IV. Life in Istanbul

As the paragraph above already outlines Istanbul can be divided into two main areas:

Europe and Asia. Europe can be further divided in the historical centre, Sultanahmet and

Fatih, and the shopping and nightlife district around Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu better known as

Taksim. The Asian side is mainly associated with Kadiköy and Moda. All of these areas have

very distinctive features and characteristics, which I would like to highlight by inviting you to

join me on a walk through Istanbul.

Red: Sultanahmet and Fatih

Pink: Taksim and Besiktas

Green: Kadiköy and Üskudar


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A good starting

point is the famous old

Grand Bazaar (Point

A). Here you can buy

traditional Turkish

items like jewellery,

cloth and water pipes

but also counterfeit

products of all kinds.

We continue our way

through the narrow

streets of Sultanahmet.

Each street specialises in one product. So you will find streets just selling cloth or all kind of

thing made from metal. After a while, you will reach Sultanahmet Park (Point B). It is the

historical heart of Istanbul. On one side of the square

you find the Blue Mosque and on the other side there

is Hagia Sofia and the entrance to the Topkapi Palace.

Thus it unites the worldly and spiritual centre of the

Ottoman Empire and the entire Muslim world: The

seat of the Sultan who

was the Caliph at the

same time. From here follow the tramlines down towards the

Golden Horn. On your way you pass the entrance to the famous

cisterns of Istanbul. Follow the Tramlines until you reach the

famous Galata Bridge with all its fishermen (Point C). Here you

also find the renowned Spice Bazaar of Istanbul, the delicious

fish bums (Turk: Balik ekmek) and an amazing view on to

the Bosphorus. After crossing the bridge take Tünel, the

oldest subway line in Istanbul, up to the lower end of

Istiklal (Point D). Now you reached the biggest shopping

street and centre of Turkish nightlife. Walk down Istiklal

towards Taksim square (Point E), the biggest square in

Istanbul, from here, it is easy to reach other

Below: Blue Mosque

Top Right: Grand Bazaar

Low Right: Galata Bridge


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neighbourhoods on the European side, like Besiktas or Ortaköy or stop for a tea in one of the

numerous little tea houses in the side streets of Istiklal.

Of course, there is much more to discover on the European side but this short walk

gives a good overview of the area. During your way you have various opportunities to take

the boat (Turk: Denis otobus), the best way of transport in Istanbul, to the Asian side. From all

three stations Eminönü, Karaköy and Kabatas you can take a boat to Kadiköy or Üsküdar. The

later is known for its more traditional life style and beautiful Mosques. Kadiköy, on the others

side, is the vibrant young centre of the Asian side. It offers many great teahouses and bars

with roof terraces often with a great view over the Bosporus. On your way to Kadiköy, you

pass the famous Maiden’s Light Tower, featuring in James Bond film “The World is not

enough” and the beautiful historical rain station Haydarpasa starting point of the legendary

Bagdad railway. In the background, the large Military Academy is visible. Beside, exploring

the numerous little streets in Kadiköy it is possible to take a long walk along the seashore in

Moda. The park along the sea is also a great place for pick-nick or barbecue. Also Kadiköy is

a great starting point to explore the Prince’s Island. There is a public boat to four of the nine

islands. The most beautiful to visit are Buyükada and Heybeliada. All of the Island are car

free and offer a great opportunity to escape the busy and polluted life in Istanbul for a bit.

Naturally, there is much more to visit in Istanbul and each neighbourhood has its own

charm, culture and sights. A good example for this

is the so-called Western District with its famous

Cora Church, the city wall and its many Christian

orthodox churches. Although, I hope the brief

walking tour through Istanbul was able to give a

good overview and inside of the great cultural,

religious and social diversity the city offers. This is

one of the main reason why I didn’t travel so much

in Turkey because Istanbul offer so much to

discover and is a micro cosmos of Turkey. The possibility to quickly escape into a completely

different way of thinking and living by just literally crossing the road was one of the greatest

challenges in Istanbul but also one of the most fascinating aspects of this large city. Thus all

of this different influence helped me understand Turkey and its people better and so

contributed largely to my personal development and ability to deal with different cultures and

embrace new and different ways of thinking.

Dome of Cora Church


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V. Where to live?

The small walking tour also illustrated the challenges of choosing where to live in

Istanbul. In general, there are two choices living on campus or in town. Live on campus has

some clear advantages such as short way to classes and easy access to all facilities. On the

down side, the campus is out of nowhere and very isolated so it is harder to explore the real

Istanbul. In addition, rent and food are more expensive than in town. Due to all of these

reasons, I would strongly recommend to live in town.

There are two main areas to live: Kadiköy or around Taksim Square. There are shuttle

buses from both areas to campus multiple times a day. As the walking tour above already

shows there are some substantial differences between the two areas. Kadiköy is quieter, cheap

and close to university than Taksim. But it is also more traditional and the nightlife normally

ends at around 11 pm. Thus most people take the bus to go to Taksim at night to party in one

of the many clubs or bars around Istiklal. The neighbourhood around Taksim on the other side

is a bit more expensive and not as close to the university but offers a lot of cultural and

entertainment opportunities. Sports facilities can be found everywhere in town. There are

sports courts, which can be rented or free public outdoor gym training areas with machines.

Some areas in Taksim are very loud at night so I would recommend living in Cihangir. It is a

great quiet neighbourhood with lots of nice bars, restaurant, shops and beautiful streets but it

is also very close to the best nightlife areas. Furthermore, Taksim is very central in Istanbul

and so it is easy to get everywhere very fast. Taksim square is also one of the main bus and

tube stations in Istanbul. So the perfect starting points for most trips within Istanbul and the

surrounding countryside. Thus overall I would recommend living around Taksim Square to be

able to fully enjoy Istanbul and get the most out of the year. I lived in Taksim and I was able

to explore most of Istanbul. Also, the majority of my friends lived in Taksim and all agree

with me that Taksim is a great place to live and discover Istanbul from.

Even so Istanbul is a very Western city, it was a challenge at the beginning to get used

to the different style of living and how everything work. But thanks to my Turkish housemate

and my friends from university and the EILC I quickly got used to the new way of life. I

learned how to bargain the price on the market, how to use various Turkish kitchen utilities

such as the tea cooker and Turkish coffee pot and to order drinking water in 20 litre barrels.

However, one of the most challenging tasks was to pay for utility bills. Unlike in England or

Germany it works on a pre paid base, like mobile phones. Thus in order to have water and

electricity one needs to find a little shop to load credit on the water/electricity card which then


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has to be inserted into a card reader in front of the apartment door in order to have water

and/or electricity. Consequently, the first time our credit ran out, we were three days without

water before my Turkish flatmate, who was away for a week, explained us the system. At the

end of the year, I got so used to this system and the general way of Turkish life that simple

thinks like drinking water from the tab was very strange to me once I came back home. Thus,

to live in town with Turkish people vastly contributed to my quick integration into Turkish

daily life and my understanding of it.

There are two main ways how to find accommodation in Istanbul. The first is via the

University. Many students offer rooms in their flats. The second way and more common way

is via the internet. A very useful website is Craig’s list:

http://istanbul.en.craigslist.com.tr/

Other friends of mine found their flat via Facebook. Some other even rented a whole

flat for the year and then sublet the rooms to other Erasmus people. Overall there are plenty of

flats in Istanbul but I would recommend visiting them before hand. During the house hunting

you can either stay in a hostel or find a contact on couch surfing

(http://www.couchsurfing.org/) in Istanbul. They might even be able to help you or know

someone who rents a room. Even so I found my flat within a day, it is good to plan for some

accommodation in advance because sometimes it can take longer. Important points to look for

are heating system and hot water. This is very important as Istanbul can get very cold in

winter and normally when you buy the flat it is still very hot and so many people forget to

check.

Finding a place to live is the first great challenge of your year abroad. It is a great

opportunity to get to know Istanbul and its people but is also very exhausting. Thus I

recommend arriving two weeks before the Term starts to really have plenty of time to find a

flat without the stress of university. As previously mentioned my experiences and skills

(language and cultural) during the EILC really helped me and all my other friends during our

house hunt and first days in Istanbul.


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VI. The University

The University campus is approximately 1 h from Kadiköy and 1:30 h from Taksim.

It’s on the Asian side close to a village called Tuzla. The campus is very large with a lake and

an amphitheatre. It consists of numerous schools representing the various subject areas. The

centre of the campus is the University centre. It includes the refectory, supermarket and copy

shop. Behind the University Centre the student accommodation are located. There are similar

in design and standard to Holland Halls on Exeter Campus. The majority of the students do

not cook and so restaurants play an important role on campus. The main meeting place is

around the “Fountain”. Here three restaurants offer various foods reaching from basic Turkish

food to Italian. In addition, there is another restaurant called “Hanger” at the end of the Lake

and a coffee with snacks in side the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS). The FASS

Coffee is the cheapest place on campus for tea and coffee. The campus also offers various

sport possibilities. There is a large gym, a running and fitness trail and two large sport halls.

In addition the university offers numerous sports clubs like football and basketball. Beside the

social facilities the campus includes the Information Centre (IC). It includes the library, study

rooms for groups and individuals and a large collection of multimedia files. During the week

it is open from 8.45 to 21:20. For exact open times please follow the link below:

http://www.sabanciuniv.edu/bm/eng/?calisma/index.php

Map of Sabanci

Campus


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Outside the opening hours there is a 24-h study room and print room. Overall the IC is the

place to study on campus. In comparison to Exeter, it has fewer books, more DVD’s and the

opening hours are shorter. Nevertheless, it provides a good and quiet working environment

with many periodicals and daily newspapers.

The first week of term acts as Orientation week. It provides you with the overview of

the campus, the university system, an introduction lecture about Turkish history and politics

and also includes a city tour of Istanbul. During this week, the staff also helps you with your

learning agreement, residence permit for Turkey and all other necessary administration and

bureaucratic processes.

Overall, the campus is a great place to study but offers little possibility to get in touch

with the real Turkish life and culture. Most of my friends who stayed on the campus at the

beginning of term either moved to the city for the second semester or spend most of their

times in friends flats who lived in town. Thus, I would strongly recommend living in town to

get the most out of the year in Istanbul and gain a real insight into Turkish culture, society,

life, politics and its customs. The majority of the courses I took focused on either Turkish

politics or economics (International Political Economy of Turkey, Foreign Policy, etc.) and

this also greatly contributed to my understanding of the country.

VII. Getting a Residence Permit

The most difficult administration process is getting a residence permit and the

documents required for it. You will need a student visa. You need to get it form your Turkish

Consulate or Embassy in your home country and can take up to six week. Without the student

visa it is impossible to get a Residence Permit. They are only valid together and you need

them to stay longer in Turkey than 6 month (to stay without Visa for 6 month, you need to

leave Turkey after 3 month to renew your Visa) and to get your transcript from Sabanci

University. I had many friends who had serious difficulties leaving Turkey or coming back

due to the lack of having a residence permit or student visa. In the past, this was less of a

problem but during the past years the passport control was digitalised and so more transparent

and tractable. The penalty for travelling without correct papers can reach up to 500 Pounds.

So, as soon as you have your student visa and a student status letter with the round T.C.

Stamp, you should make an appointment with the police. Thanks to recent reform it is not

necessary to go to the main police station but only to your local station. Appointment can be

book on the following web site:


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https://e-randevu.iem.gov.tr/yabancilar/dil_sec.aspx

Overall the process of getting a residence permit can be very long. Even so it is a great

opportunity to gain an inside into Turkish administration and to practice your Turkish as no

one really speaks English (apart of Beyoglu Police Station). Again the EILC really helped me

to master my way through the various administrational challenges. In addition my Turkish

housemate and other friends in Istanbul gave me very useful advice how to deal with the

Turkish read tape. The fist time, it was real difficult and challenging process but, in the end, I

was really proud of me to have done it on my own. Consequently the two renewal of my

permit were very easy and more routine. For me it was an important step to integrate in

Istanbul and really feel part of the Turkish society.

VIII. What to Eat and Where to Find it!!

The world of Turkish food is large and very exciting. Probably the most famous dish is

the kebab even so it is completely different in Turkey than in England. It is either served on a

plate with a lot of salad or in bread with just a bit of vegetables. Thus, there are no chips and

greasy sauce as in the UK. But, the Turkish cuisine has much more to offer. Below I try to list

the most important Turkish dishes and where to eat them. As I lived in Taksim the majority of

the restaurants are also in the area.

Tea or Cay in Turkish is an essential part of Turkish cooking and life. It is normally

free after a meal and also the main leisure activity of Turks: drink tea and play backgammon

A great place to enjoy cay is the small street just opposite the Tünel underground line at the

end of Istiklal. Here you find many small teahouses next to each other.

Another very typical meal is mezze. It is a selection of various small dishes served with Raki.

Mezze is good to share with many people as you can order more

dishes. Two very good restaurants are Ficcin and Imroz:

Ficcin Restaurant

Kallavi Sokak 7, Istanbul, 0212 293 3786

Right: Ficcin Restaurant

Next Page: Typical Meze Plate


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Imroz Restaurant

Nevizade Sokak 16, Istanbul

0212 249 9073 (Reservation recommended)

Ficcin also offers a great breakfast wit freshly backed simits and pogacas

with different fillings. In general breakfast is a very important meal in

Turkey and especially at the weekend can last many hours. It is very easy

to make it your self nevertheless below there is one great breakfast

places:

Van Kavalti Evi

Defterdar Yokuşu 52, Istanbul

As Istanbul is at the sea, fish also plays an important role. There are many great

fish restaurants but the most traditional (and cheapest)

way to eat fish is a fish bun (Turk: balik ekmek). The

best place is on either end of Galata Bridge. On one end

is the fish market and on the other side the floating fish

bun sellers.

Another very typical Turkish dish is Kokorec. It is lamb intestines with tomato and

some spices normally served on bread. Thus it is very

important to eat good quality and clean meat. A good place

is Sampiyon Kokorec in Balik Pazar or Gala Kokorec

(Galipdede Caddesi 111) close to Galata Tower.

Kumpir is also a very famous Turkish meal. It is potato filled with many different

ingredients depending on your choice. A famous place to eat Kumpir is a around Ortaköy

Mosque.

Great for a snack in between is either Dürüm or Lahmacun (Turkish Pizza). There

are many small durum places in Istanbul most of them with offer a good quality. But be

Top: Pogacas

Left: Typical

Turkish Breakfast


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careful not to choose the cheapest option often it is not chicken but sea gull. In general

Dürüm can be filled with meat from a big skew or from a small freshly barbequed skew.

It is important to distinguish between Adana (spicy) and Urfa (normal) Dürüm. An

excellent dürüm place is:

Nizam Pide Salonu

Kalayoncu Culluk Caddesi No: 13

It also serves excellent Lahmacun and Pide. If you

follow the street down toward Tarlabase Boulevard and then

turn right you will find another great Adana and Urfa

Dürüm Restaurant it is open 24/7. In addition they also have

great Lahmacun.

Another vital element of Turkish cuisine is dessert. The two main deserts are

Baklava and Lokum (Turkish Delight). The best Lokum

can be found at Haci Bekir. For the address follow the

link below:

http://www.hacibekir.com.tr/eng/iletisim.html

Further great place for Lokum is Yilmaz in Dudu Odaları Sokak. It is very close to

Balik Pazar. Some shops further down is also the best Baklava Shop in Istanbul. Opposite

the Baklava shop you also find an excellent little Cig Köfte stale. Cig Köfte is bulgur mixed

with various spices.

There are many more exciting dishes in Turkey, like Manti, but I hope the above

gives a good overview of Turkish cuisine and some restaurants where to find it. A very

useful Internet side to find restaurants of all kinds in your area is:

http://istanbul.yemeksepeti.com/AnonymouseDefault.aspx

Lahmacun

Lokum


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It provides you with ranking, details menus and prices of Turkish and non Turkish

Restaurants. Miss Pizza and J’adore are great places to escape Turkish cuisine for a bit:

J’adore

İstiklal Cad. Emir Nevruz Sok.No:22 Istanbul

Miss Pizza

Kılıçali Paşa Mh., Havyar Sokak 7, Istanbul,

It has to be noticed that the majority of the restaurants in Turkey do not serve alcohol.

Normally restaurants, which serve alcohol, are more expansive.

Great Bars and Clubs for the night are: Pyote, Babylon, Araf, 360 and Bronze. Each

of them can be found online. In addition there are some smaller

bars. On of my favourite places is:

Limonlu Bahçe

Tomtom Mh., Yeni Çarşı Caddesi 74, Istanbul

It has a great garden and is an excellent escape from the busy life on Istiklal and Taksim. In

addition Hydar, a rock bar, and Papillon Bar are also great place for a drink. Both are in the

same building

Balo Sok 3, Beyoglu, Istanbul

Hydar is on the first floor and Papillon on the fourth floor.

Besides going out Istanbul offer various possibilities to do your own shopping. The

main supermarkets are: DiaSA, Sok, Migros and Carrefour. The later two are normally more

expensive and have a large selection of European goods.


15

In addition, Istanbul offers numerous great markets to

do shopping. There are normally cheaper then the

supermarket and provide fresh seasonal vegetables.

The two markets I regular visits are Tarlabase and

Besiktas market. Tarlabase Market is every Sunday on

Kurdela Sok. And Besiktas Market is Saturday on

Nüzhetiye Caddesi in a Parking deck. Both markets

are also fun when it rains because most of it is covered either by the parking deck’s roof or

rain covers.

The long list of food, restaurants and shopping possibilities clearly outlines how much

I got to love Turkish food. Since I am back from Turkey I have cooked many of my favourite

dishes for my family and friends. Of course, it was a challenge at the beginning to get use to

the new spices, techniques of preparations and ingredients. But with my housemates and

friends I quickly discovered the fascinating world of Turkish cuisine. This is not surprise as

cooking and eating is an integral part of Turkish culture and people are very proud of it.

IX. Conclusion

The vast amount of information above clearly illustrates that during my year in

Istanbul I really embrace Turkish life. All aspect reaching from cultural to culinary

contributed to my understanding of Turkish culture. Furthermore, my courses at Sabanci

provided not only the underlying knowledge needed to understand Turkish society, economics

and politics but also helped me to gain a more critical and comprehensive perspective of my

areas of study in general. Beside the daily

life, there were certain highlights but also

negative experiences, which challenged

me. Probably the most challenging event

was the suicide attack on Taksim Square or

the mass protests on Istiklal often ending

in fights between protesters and the police.

Another negative point is the constant

traffic and cultural misunderstandings.

Thanks to the help of my friends and my Firework on the Bosphorus


16

own development, I quickly get used to most of the negative sides and developed techniques

how to handle such situations. One of these is to avoid the use of irony during a conversation,

as it is not part of Turkish culture. Despite this, the positive experiences predominate. The

great evenings with friends and enlightening lectures and debates at Sabanci University all

contributed to make my year truly amazing. The Republic day on the 29 October was surely

one of the absolute highlights of the year with its amazing firework display. Also the end of

Ramadan or Kurban Bayram (literally means: Sheep killing holiday) are events which

positively contributed to my understanding and integration into Turkish culture, traditions and

customs. Overall, my year abroad was an amazing year, which not only contributed to my

understanding of politics and economics and the improvement of analytical tools and

techniques but also to my personal development. The challenges I faced helped me discover

and develop new personal skills, such as patience, improved my teamwork and

communication skills. In conclusion, my Erasmus year has a big impact on my academic and

personal development. It continuous to impact my life and will help me in future to manage

my life in a more efficient, calm and organised fashion. I hope the above guide of Istanbul and

reflection of my Erasmus year will help and inspire future students to spend a year in abroad

Istanbul or another city.

Word Count: 5097


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Appendix A

List of Bus Companies:

- Metro www.metroturizm.com.tr

- Kâmil Koç www.kamilkoc.com.tr

- Pamukkale www.pamukkale.com.tr

- Truva www.truvaturizm.com.tr

- Ulusoy www.ulusoy.com.tr

Appendix B

Useful links:

General Information:

http://www.mymerhaba.com/

http://www.istanbultrails.com/

Transports:

Public Transport:

http://www.iett.gov.tr/en/index.php

Boats/Ferries:

http://www.istanbul.net.tr/istanbul_ido.asp

Dolmus and Minibuses:

http://www.superpool.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44&Itemid=5

Planes:

http://www.flypgs.com/en/

http://www.turkishairlines.com/

Events and Tickets:

http://web03.biletix.com/anasayfa/TURKIYE/tr

http://www.metroturizm.com.tr/

http://www.kamilkoc.com.tr/

http://www.pamukkale.com.tr/

http://www.truvaturizm.com.tr/

http://www.ulusoy.com.tr/


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Picture References

(In order of appearance)

Cover: Ortaköy Mosque during the four seasons (all accessed on the 25.09.2011)

Top Right:

http://www.turkishtravelguides.com/tours/private_SmallNiceAndStrangeMosquesOfIstanbul.a

spx

Bottom Right:

http://www.netuse.co.uk/clients/salawaat/mosques-turkey.htm

Top Left:

http://www.photos4travel.com/travel-guides/turkey/pictures/istanbul

Bottom Left:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/istanbul/images/ortakoy-mosque-istanbul$26132-11

Essay (all accessed on the 23.09.2011)

1. http://www.geziantalya.com/bilgi.asp?id=90&BilgiADI=Phaselis%20Antik%20Kenti

2. my own picture

3. http://www.istanbultrails.com/2009/02/overview-of-the-main-tourist-areas-in-

istanbul/

4. Screenshot Google Maps: http://maps.google.co.uk/

5. http://www.architectureoflife.net/?p=2450

6. my own picture

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. http://www.sabanciuniv.edu/eng/?kampus_hayati/kampus_plani.html

10. http://www.exploreristanbul.com/property.asp?Istanbul=Meze

11. http://www.neredekal.com/ficcin/foto-galeri/1

12. http://www.turkishbakery.com/

13. http://istanbulpedia.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/kahvalti-breakfast/

14. my own picture

14. http://carpetblog.typepad.com/carpetblogger/2007/05/kokorec.html

15. http://www.surf2istanbul.com/where-and-what-to-eat-in-istanbul/lahmacun-

turkish-pizza

16. http://www.hacibekir.com.tr/eng/urun_lokum.html


19

17. http://www.urbanjunkies.com/london/what-s-for-supper-archive-09/0921-

Istanbul-2.html

18. http://joshberer.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/tarlabasi/

19. http://www.wittistanbul.com/magazine/public-national-and-religious-holidays-in-

turkey/

Documents

Reflection on the student's period abroad and what they ...socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/collegeofsocial... · abroad to explore Istanbul with them or to visit