Erasmus in Istanbul BAU 2018

Why did you choose to go to Istanbul, Turkey?
I visited Istanbul one year b4 my Erasmus and I found out that it is a great place for Erasmus!  I came up with that idea after I went through Besiktas ( district with many restaurants and cafeterias) 

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

I got 550 e per month

What is the student lifestyle like in Istanbul?

Istanbul is so huge that there is no one student organization which is making for example parties. Also, facebook is dying so it is hard to find new Erasmus friends via Facebook events etc.   I found a lot of nice people because I was living inErasmus house (name: check&chill) and my body on my Uni added me toErasmus group onWhatsApp. So without that, it would be hard to find new friends.  I was only oneErasmus guy on my courses.

Would you recommend the city and the Bau University to other students?

I highly recommend Istanbul is so huge and has so many possibilities! The big advantage of bau university is that that is in a central part, city center of Istanbul next to Bosphorus strait and Besiktas district. The balcony of a university has the amazing view!

What is the food like?

The cousin is different and at the beginning, I didn't felt like it was yummy and delicious. But after some time I Fall in love with their food! Kokorec, Tantuni, kebab I LOVE IT!

And my favorite, the best restaurant I've ever been - NUSRET  - Salt bae is working there!! They have amazing burgers and meat and salads, and amazing service! You have to go there, 
And also restaurant teras camlica http://terascamlica.com/?reload   Place with an amazing view!

Did it cost you to find your accommodation in Istanbul?

House hunting in Istanbul was easy, U can find it in few days, I recommend to find erasmus house so u can have friends from a first day.

How much does it cost to live in Istanbul?

It depends how much you eat outside :) and how much you drink.
prices when 1E was 4.7 Lira
I was renting a room for 230E,
beer in shop 1,50 e, cigis 2,5e  , Beer in bar 4,50 e,
tea cost less than 1 e :) 

taxi and uber is verry cheap, 

cost of living without a rent : approximately: 350e , 

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

Turkish is very difficult I Gave up, I had a Turkish course, I learnt some basics to be able to order a food in Turkish or to order a taxi.

What's the easiest or most economical way to travel within and from Leeds?

Buses ( but they have huge mess with them, there is no time tables on bus stops)  Dolmush, uber and taxi ! 

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

I was partying in Taxim because clubs were for free or for 20lira (5e) Entrance. Club like Beat or Ritim. But turkish people were saying that these clubs are not so good. There is a lot of very fancy clubs but the entrance fee is 20e. 

What good cultural sites are there to visit?

This is the place with hundreds of cafeterias/restaurants with beautiful, breathtaking view and good prices. Prices are low even for people from Poland so if you are from Western Europe it will be very cheap for you. People in Turkey are very friendly. I didn't have any dangerous situation on the street during the night, I mean there was no aggressive drunk people.  I have been to many places in the world and Istambul is amazing, the best city I ever visited. I would recommend to live in Erasmus house I was living in "check&chill".   For sure you have to go on a trip to south Turkey it's amazing! ( Fethiye, and Marmaris google it!)  and if you are a techno fan you should go to "Magic Break festival" ( 150E for 3 days festival, hotel all inclusive) (sic!)

Here is a movie that I made when my friend was visiting me in Istanbul!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQKsSdzsAwA