Erasmus Experience in Istanbul, Turkey by Daniel

Why did you choose to go to Istanbul, Turkey?

Istanbul is where West meets East, and it shows. I've heard positive things about Istanbul before I went, and many people recommended it. I was personally interested in Turkey and Turkish culture as well.

How long is the scholarship? How much money do you receive to help you with living costs?

I'd say it's pretty standard. You can get an Erasmus scholarship which gives you roughly 200 eu per month for half a year.

What is the student lifestyle like in Istanbul?

It's great. Universities are a big deal in Istanbul, and most of them are in beautiful locations and have really nice campuses. There are students from all over the world, and people are very open minded and outgoing.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Istanbul to other students?

Yes, I definitely would. It's a place where you are not really in the Western part of the world anymore, but not the Eastern part either. The experience is unique.

What is the food like?

The food is awesome, and very easily affordable. The Turkish cuisine has something for everyone, except people who are just in love with pork for some reason. If you can live without pork, the cuisine is full of great and tasteful dishes.

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Istanbul?

Yes, but if you come from a Western country you should be able to easily afford an accommodation due to the favorable exchange rates and the fact that Turkey is just cheaper than the Western world.

How much does it cost to live in Istanbul?

That entirely depends on what you do and where you live. You can probably find an apartment starting from 300-400 TL per month which is equal to 150-200 euro. Really, you should just expect the prices to be same the as in Europe, number wise. Of course, once you factor in that one euro gets you 2.5 TL at the moment, you can do twice as much with the same money as you would've been able to in Europe.

Is the language easy to get to grips with? Are there language courses available at the University?

The Turkish language is a very logical language. There are no tricky pronunciations, and it is a phonetic language i.e. what you hear is exactly what you write and what is written is exactly how you pronounce it. There are no cases where two letters are pronounced differently depending on the word or their location within a word. That being said, it is nothing like a Germanic language and there are very few common words to be found. Grammar and pronunciation is very easy to pick up, vocabulary might take a bit longer than with other languages though.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel to Istanbul from your city?

A plane ticket, I don't think there's a point in any other form of transport unless you live within Turkey or near the western border of Turkey.

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Istanbul?

There are dozens of places you can go. You can play it safe and go to the Taksim square and the Istiklal street which is directly linked to it, which will lead you to many small cafes and bars where live music is played and a handful of clubs as well. You could also go to Ortakoy, where you will find the more luxurious clubs for the people with higher standards. You can go to Tophane to enjoy the hookah bars over there, and much more. You won't run out of things to do.

And for eating? Can you recommend some good restaurants in Istanbul?

Basically everything in Istanbul tastes good. A personal recommendation would be Sultanzade near the square in front of the Eyup mosque. Their specialty, which is named the same as the restaurant, is a very unique combination of flavors. Other than that, try out the foods on the street. The fish sandwiches in Eminonu, the jacked potatoes and waffles in Ortakoy, and so on.

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

Istanbul is rich with cultural places to visit. There are dozens of mosques which were built during the era of the Ottoman Empire. You will find many more buildings linked to said Empire such as palaces and hamams. Due to the way Ottomans treated the city when they conquered it, you can also find a lot of old Christian/Byzantine architecture and points of interest. The Aya Sofya museum shows this by showcasing how this building has been a church and a mosque during different periods in history. You will find Islamic scripts, but also Christian mosaic in there. It is truly amazing.

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Istanbul in the future?

My advice would be, open your mind, get out of your comfort zone and explore the city as much as possible. Go to the cultural sites, experience the restaurants, go to the beach, go to various clubs, go to a football game of the big Istanbul clubs, and just walk around like a stray during your spare time and you will find dozens of pearls in this beautiful city. You should also be able to get cheap trips to other cultural sites in Turkey like Canakkale and Kapadokya from Istanbul.