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I came to Istanbul almost by default. Though I became determined to leave the US the instant my job allowed me to work remotely, the realities of the pandemic meant that there were very few places an American could escape to. Istanbul was the most attractive destination available despite the fact that I knew nobody in the city and had time to learn only the most basic Turkish. Two weeks into my stay and I don't know that I ever want to leave. That's not to say that Istanbul is perfect, far from it. As the title of this thread suggests, walking anywhere means navigating insanely steep streets that will grind your legs into submission. Scammers are persistent and prevalent, especially around the main tourist attractions. The traffic is ridiculous and the crowds are inescapable. Rent is so sky-high that I can only afford a one-room flat even with a salary that goes a long way when converted into Turkish Lira. I love it here despite all of that. I love that I can walk twenty minutes in any direction and be on the doorstep of a great cultural site or a world-renowned museum. I love crossing the bridge over the Golden Horn and relaxing on one of the many boats that cruise up and down the Bosphorus. I love the food, I love the stray cats that rule the streets, I love losing myself in the crowds that pack the squares and the markets and the dense, twisting bazaars. So, I thought I'd make a thread where I can share pictures and stories of my experiences here. I'd also be happy to answer any questions folks might have about the city, limited as my knowledge is given that I haven't been here very long. For brevity's sake I won't go into everything I've done so far, but I will leave some of the best shots I've snapped since coming here. Hope you enjoy them!                   
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Oct 26, 2020 09:54
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 17:21 |
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istanbul more like constantinople
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Oct 27, 2020 06:18
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constantinople more like byzantium
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Oct 27, 2020 17:15
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Very politically loaded to make this its own thread instead of putting it in the Europe thread! Real question though, aren't you going to have to leave after 3 months, or is there some nominal "investor's visa" or something like some countries do, where you can stay indefinitely as long as you can prove you have your own $$?
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Oct 27, 2020 21:44
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God's honest is that I didn't even think about the Europe thread (since the city's almost as much Asian as it is European) until after posting. Then I look at said thread and see that practically all the posts on the last page are about Istanbul. Oh well! And yes, you're correct in that I can only stay for ninety days on a normal visa (I don't know if Turkey offers a special rich guy visa but I super duper wouldn't qualify if they do). I'm planning on going home for Christmas (which will coincidentally be about two and a half months after I first arrived) so I can return with new documents. I'd rather not go back to America every three months, but that unfortunately might have to be the case until borders start opening back up. Hopefully then I can take weekend jaunts into Bulgaria or Greece instead, both of which would be great places to visit in their own right.
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Oct 27, 2020 22:13
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take lots of photos of cats
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Oct 27, 2020 23:08
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Barry Bluejeans posted:And yes, you're correct in that I can only stay for ninety days on a normal visa (I don't know if Turkey offers a special rich guy visa but I super duper wouldn't qualify if they do). I'm planning on going home for Christmas (which will coincidentally be about two and a half months after I first arrived) so I can return with new documents. I'd rather not go back to America every three months, but that unfortunately might have to be the case until borders start opening back up. Hopefully then I can take weekend jaunts into Bulgaria or Greece instead, both of which would be great places to visit in their own right. Just uhhh... FYI, going to America or Bulgaria or whatever doesn't reset your 90 days, it simply pauses it. The rule for Turkey, and the EU and the USA, is 90 days out of 180. So you could go to Turkey for 3 months, then Bulgaria for 3 months, then Turkey for 3 months but you can't go to Turkey for 3 months, the US for two weeks, then back to Turkey for 3 months: you'd have to wait a full 3 months before applying for your next e-visa. https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/info/th...ntil-i-reapply/ Once upon a time "visa runs" were a thing, but Turkey switched to e-visas a few (5?) years ago. If you have two citizenships, I guess you could do a visa run and swap your national identity every 90 days which might work, although this also might be illegal, so double-check with a lawyer before doing that if you're eligible. If you plan on going back after Christmas, you need to actually get a residence permit / visa somehow, or you will get a nice big fine and an up-to-5-year ban from the country the next time you try to leave it. This depends on how long you overstayed, and the mood of the immigration officer. I would absolutely 100000% not overstay a visa in Turkey or try and try to innocently do a visa run that hasn't been possible in years. It looks like overstays of up to 15 days are OK (minor fine) but after that it's straight to gently caress You Up County, which is a part of Turkey I would never want to see. I was curious so I looked into it a bit more. Here's a much more detailed FAQ, not sure how up to date it is, but it's post-COVID and it is well-cited with actual laws. https://residencepermitturkey.com/faq-101-questions-answers-residence-work-permit-visa-turkey/ It looks like you only need a bank statement for $1000 per month that you want to spend in Turkey, so $12,000 in the bank would be enough for an annual permit, if I understood the "RESIDENCE PERMIT FOR TOURIST PURPOSES;" section correctly. Saladman fucked around with this message at 14:19 on Oct 28, 2020 |
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Oct 28, 2020 14:00
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Well, poo poo. I don't know how I missed that when I was making my plans, but I'm extremely glad I found out now instead of while trying to re-enter the country illegally! Thanks very much for the breakdown - I'm definitely not going to overstay my visa but I also don't think I'm going to apply for a residence permit, as it apparently takes three to four months to get one done in Istanbul. So, uh, after I go home for the holidays maybe I'll just go somewhere else for the other 80 days or so. In the meantime... Ortaköy Mosque (Büyük Mecidiye Camii), Beşiktaş      Basilica Cistern, Fatih   Sultan II. Mahmut Tomb, Fatih    Cats    Those are two different black cats, I swear. I saw a few others while out today but I unfortunately came across them in crowded areas, i.e. where I would be immediately identified as a tourist if I stopped to take a picture. Maybe that happened anyway with the two I stopped to pet, but in that case it's a risk I'm willing to take. Barry Bluejeans fucked around with this message at 20:56 on Oct 28, 2020 |
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Oct 28, 2020 19:10
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Barry Bluejeans posted:Well, poo poo. I don't know how I missed that when I was making my plans, but I'm extremely glad I found out now instead of while trying to re-enter the country illegally! Thanks very much for the breakdown - I'm definitely not going to overstay my visa but I also don't think I'm going to apply for a residence permit, as it apparently takes three to four months to get one done in Istanbul. So, uh, after I go home for the holidays maybe I'll just go somewhere else for the other 80 days or so. I have a friend that escaped Hong Kong for Istanbul near the start of the pandemic and China's crackdown on Hong Kong. He married a local girl... so... think outside the box? (They'd already been together for like 5 years though.) Hopefully plenty of options for you to go to by then. Europe seems like it's committed to yo-yoing through lockdowns until there's a vaccine, so likely borders will be open again for around a month at Christmas, then closed again for 6-8 weeks, then open again at Easter, then closed again until June, then open again in summer, but I think most other countries have given up and decided to go for herd immunity, so you'd likely be able to hang out in Cairo and in Skopje and in wherever. Sounds kind of tricky but not impossible.
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Oct 28, 2020 21:05
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Thank you for the guidance - I'm a beginner globetrotter so I'll take all the advice I can get, especially with COVID making things so complicated. After doing some initial research I'm leaning towards Malta - mild climate, widely-spoken English, lots of stuff to see and do, and it's fairly close to Turkey so it'll be easy to get back should I decide to return here. The only downside is that it'll cost much more to stay there, but I'm saving enough money living in Istanbul that I should be able to swing a three month excursion. I'll also have to return to Istanbul for at least two weeks before going there (which means spending just as much time in the US beforehand), as Americans have to spend that much time in an approved Corridor Country (of which Turkey is one) before they can be let in. Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Mausoleum, Eyüpsultan        Cats    
Barry Bluejeans fucked around with this message at 13:27 on Oct 30, 2020 |
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Oct 30, 2020 13:25
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Barry Bluejeans posted:Thank you for the guidance - I'm a beginner globetrotter so I'll take all the advice I can get, especially with COVID making things so complicated. After doing some initial research I'm leaning towards Malta - mild climate, widely-spoken English, lots of stuff to see and do, and it's fairly close to Turkey so it'll be easy to get back should I decide to return here. The only downside is that it'll cost much more to stay there, but I'm saving enough money living in Istanbul that I should be able to swing a three month excursion. I'll also have to return to Istanbul for at least two weeks before going there (which means spending just as much time in the US beforehand), as Americans have to spend that much time in an approved Corridor Country (of which Turkey is one) before they can be let in. Enjoy! Sounds like a solid plan although that COVID stuff can always change last minute, especially I think island countries are likely to get suddenly more strict, since they have the actual hope/chance of eliminating COVID. One other thought would be northern Cyprus, although Malta might be more fun and easier to integrate since it's English-speaking. I've kind of done what you've done, now three timesi.e. taking off 4-6 months between jobs to travel around. I even did that this year, although COVID cut out the last third of the travel. It's a ton of fun, but also by the end of it I'm really psyched to get back to work and lose my tan. Saladman fucked around with this message at 20:11 on Oct 30, 2020 |
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Oct 30, 2020 20:08
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Saladman posted:Enjoy! Sounds like a solid plan although that COVID stuff can always change last minute, especially I think island countries are likely to get suddenly more strict, since they have the actual hope/chance of eliminating COVID. One other thought would be northern Cyprus, although Malta might be more fun and easier to integrate since it's English-speaking. Why are you suggesting someone visit an illegally occupied territory as some sort of vacation retreat? Where are you from?
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Nov 5, 2020 13:18
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Velisarius posted:Why are you suggesting someone visit an illegally occupied territory as some sort of vacation retreat? Where are you from? You're posting in the wrong subforum. I think you're looking for https://forums.somethingawful.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=269
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Nov 5, 2020 18:56
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Cyprus is a major holiday destination regardless of the border dispute. As for illegal occupation - welcome to history, it is illegal occupation all the way down
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Nov 7, 2020 17:26
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That place looks cool.
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Nov 14, 2020 23:39
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You should try exploring throughout Turkey -- domestic flights on Turkish Airlines are incredibly cheap, and it's a gigantic country.
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Nov 21, 2020 20:57
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Also take note that Schengen visa has similar restrictions of 90 days max in a 180 day period, except it applies to all countries at the same time. So you couldn't stay for 3 months in Malta and then wait in say Greece for another 3 months before going back. Make sure to keep that in mind when country hopping.
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Nov 22, 2020 15:51
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Barry Bluejeans posted:Thank you for the guidance - I'm a beginner globetrotter so I'll take all the advice I can get, especially with COVID making things so complicated. After doing some initial research I'm leaning towards Malta - mild climate, widely-spoken English, lots of stuff to see and do, If you're still around in this thread*, what'd you end up doing? I talked to my friend who escaped to Istanbul earlier in lockdown, and he said it is both awesome and bizarre being legally a tourist in Turkey since the 30 November lockdown, when ONLY tourists are allowed outside of their house on Saturday and Sunday a bizarre world where every museum and tourist site belongs to you and a handful of Russian tourists, and everyone else has to strictly follow rules and has to scan their identity card even to go grocery shopping. He has been going out in Istanbul regularly on the weekend to do photography and has really enjoyed it, even if it is bizarre that he is not bound by rules and his wife is, since she is Turkish. They 'broke' the rules one time to go on a weekend trip to Bursa, where they used her foreign residence permit and explained in Turkish what they were doing and had no trouble, but he said there were quite a number of checkpoints. Such a weird system, where tourists are king even more than tourists who are usually above locals in countries like Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, etc. I guess it kind of makes sense, as tourists have to get a negative PCR test and will have little to no close contacts with locals, so might as well take their money. *Too bad Something Awful hasn't been updated in 20 years and doesn't give notifications when people reply to your posts.
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Jan 14, 2021 12:00
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Strategic Tea posted:Cyprus is a major holiday destination regardless of the border dispute. North Cyprus (and to an extent the south as well) experienced extensive ethnic cleansing. Meaning it isn't just "bad army sitting around in place it doesn't belong" it means "many of the places you might stay or inhabit belonged to very possibly still living refugees who can't really return". I don't really think visiting North Cyprus is a bad thing in general, even (before Covid) Greek-Cypriots did cross the border for various reasons. I don't even blame Turkish-Cypriots for wanting to use buildings on their side of the border. But I do really really think there's something kind of very hosed with wealthy enough foreigners actually moving in and deciding to live there on such contested grounds. You have a choice, and you don't have to choose to maybe move into a house that could be the subject of a UN court case about "right of return".
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Feb 24, 2021 20:08
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Saladman posted:Just uhhh... FYI, going to America or Bulgaria or whatever doesn't reset your 90 days, it simply pauses it. The rule for Turkey, and the EU and the USA, is 90 days out of 180. So you could go to Turkey for 3 months, then Bulgaria for 3 months, then Turkey for 3 months but you can't go to Turkey for 3 months, the US for two weeks, then back to Turkey for 3 months: you'd have to wait a full 3 months before applying for your next e-visa. anyone have experience doing this? https://e-ikamet.goc.gov.tr/ i have already applied for an e-visa for me and my wife, who has a chinese passport. because her stay is only 30 days (as opposed to the usual 90), i have been trying to get a short-term residence permit before I go, but it actually appears that you cannot apply before your passport has been used to enter the country. anyone can confirm, deny? any other tips on getting short-term residency here?
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Apr 4, 2021 19:42
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going in may, any cool local spots to rec? best places to draft mtg?
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Mar 17, 2023 15:20
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atrus50 posted:going in may, any cool local spots to rec? best places to draft mtg? I wish I understood what you were talking about
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Mar 18, 2023 11:37
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Haramstufe Rot posted:I wish I understood what you were talking about "Any cool spots to recommend, anywhere I can play a game of magic the gathering". But for OP, without knowing what you like hard to recommend. Fancy dining? Holes in the wall? Good views? Nice cafes? Hip cafes? Cats? The general suggestion is to stay in Galata because there is something for everyone in and nearby Galata. Sultanahmet has cool museums and the grand bazaar and stuff but in terms of daily life more dull. Places like Bebek are nice and upscale but kind of far from tourist sites. The Asia side of Istanbul kind of sucks although it has some nice spots and things of interest. Basically stay in and walk around Galata, or give much more specific info about what you like doing. No clue about magic. I am sure Istanbul has a good nerd culture and I imagine that nerdier Istanbulians also tend to speak English. I also suspect that cards sold in draft tournaments will be printed in Turkish language there so that might make drafting hard unless you know all the cards just by picture, which I guess you might since I definitely did back in like 2001 or whenever it was I last played. But anyway for where to stay the only answer is Galata. I stayed in Sisli last time I was there, with friends, and it was annoying to have to Uber to get anywhere, since traffic is godawful. The metro is good if you do need to stay further out to save $$, but if so make sure youre right next to a good metro stop. Saladman fucked around with this message at 17:51 on Mar 18, 2023 |
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Mar 18, 2023 17:46
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Saladman posted:"Any cool spots to recommend, anywhere I can play a game of magic the gathering". thanks, ended up stayin in fatih/Aksaray, and def interested in good food. looking for legendary grill spots, im on keto
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May 14, 2023 13:59
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Truely, they hate our freedom here https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/istanbul/istanbulites-barbecues-go-up-in-smoke-after-ban
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May 26, 2023 12:00
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i made travel decisions to come here (that i somewhat regret) because i was drunk and decided i should go see what a russian diaspora concert in 2023 was like, despite there being one where i live literally the same week i suppose i should also check out architecture stuff
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Oct 21, 2023 01:26
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