Turkey
Istanbul
The only city that has ever been center of the world twice
Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents. It has been capital of three empires — Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman — for over 1,600 years. The layers of that history are not in a museum; they are the city itself.
Lessons
Essential Phrases
Çok güzel
Chok gew-ZEL
Very beautiful
High praise — use freely for food, views, or anything that genuinely impresses
Afiyet olsun
Ah-fee-YET ol-sun
May it bring you health (before/after eating)
Said before eating and in response to thanks for a meal — equivalent to 'bon appétit' and 'you're welcome' simultaneously
Maşallah
Ma-sha-LAH
What God has willed / Wonderful
Expresses admiration without inviting the evil eye — said when admiring someone's child, work, or good fortune
Quick Facts
- Language
- Turkish
- Currency
- Turkish Lira (₺)
- Population
- 15.5 million
- Best season
- April–May, September–October
- Former names
- Byzantium, Constantinople
- As Byzantine capital
- 330–1453 AD
- As Ottoman capital
- 1453–1922 AD
- Bosphorus width
- 700m at narrowest
Ask anything about Istanbul — history, customs, what to know before you go.
Start a conversationBefore You Go
☕Turkish coffee is a ritual
Turkish coffee (Türk kahvesi) is served unfiltered in small cups. Let it settle before drinking. The grounds are sometimes read for fortune-telling. It is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
🛁The hammam
A traditional Turkish bath is a social institution, not just hygiene. The ritual involves a steam room, a marble slab massage, and exfoliation. Allow 2–3 hours; tipping the tellak (bath attendant) is expected.
2
lessons
21
minutes
2
quiz Q&A