11 Things You Miss When You Move Away From Turkey

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.

If you’re a Turkish person who lives abroad, you definitely miss your family because, in Turkish society, families are usually very close. You probably talk to your mother quite often on the phone to get the latest gossip and miss sharing every meal with your parents in your cozy little family home.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.