11 Things You Miss When You Move Away From Turkey

If you’ve lived in Turkey for a while and decide to move away, there are a lot of things you will inevitably miss terribly. From the amazing food to the deep sense of hospitality, here are a few things that a lot of people who have lived in Turkey may miss.

The Bosphorus

If you have lived in Istanbul for a long time, you’ll definitely miss the Bosphorus, which seems to have a different color every day, as well as the old ferries gliding by and the many seagulls that hang beautifully in the air.

Family

Turkish desserts

There’s surely a Turkish dessert that you love that you can’t find abroad. Whether it’s muhallebi or şekerpare, the first thing you do when you go back is to visit a place that makes the best so that you can really indulge in all that saccharine goodness.

Manicure and pedicure

Getting a manicure and pedicure (and other beauty treatments such as hair removal) are quite cheap in Turkey and are all done at the hair salon. Abroad, manicures and pedicures are usually more expensive, and you can’t get everything done at the same place, especially one where everyone knows your name and offers you freshly brewed Turkish tea as soon as you walk in.

Meyhane nights

Sitting with a close friend at a meyhane (tavern) to drink rakı and eat meze for hours while you both pour your hearts out over some very poignant conversation is something very special to Turkey.

Summer by the sea

When the weather gets hot, everyone in the city flees to the summer towns in Turkey, but if you live abroad, you probably miss spending that time just hanging out by the sea getting a great tan and swimming whenever you want.

Turkish hospitality

Turks are known for their hospitality, and if you’ve been away from Turkey for a while, you probably miss greeting and talking to your neighbors, your neighborhood’s bakkal (small market) owner or bakery owner, or even a taxi driver.

Turkish holidays

There’s nothing like celebrating the big holidays, such as Ramazan, in Turkey where you happen upon large communal tables set up outside in every neighborhood or the many Turkish flags hanging everywhere on October 29th (Republic Day).

Fresh fish and meze

Of course, the other summer essential in Turkey is eating fresh fish and meze by the sea, and if you live abroad, you probably already miss watching the sunset over the Mediterranean while you dine on some amazing seafood.

Hamam

Going to the hamam at least once a month is a pretty common occurrence for Turks, and you probably miss that deep sense of relaxation and cleanliness that no ordinary shower or bath can quite match.

Turkish home food

Home-cooked Turkish food is something everyone who no longer lives in Turkey misses. We’re talking about your mother’s and grandmother’s cooking that nothing else can quite beat.

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