LIFE IN TURKEY: 5 Things to Keep in Mind
Turkey is a bridge between Asia and Europe, having one of the most strategic location on earth and being the most attractive destination, it is counted the best and healthy regions to live in. Because of its unique position on the globe the country’s territory spreading across Anatolia (Asia) and Thrace (Europe), have great civilizations that have risen in this region throughout history. Wide number of things inside Turkey are a blend of West and the East, the modern and the traditional. Making lives of the Tourists and the International Students far better than their expectations coming from abroad.
With the human advancement from an earlier time, the land Turkey sits on can be portrayed as an open-air Exhibition hall. Turkey, that has carried the marvelous structure of many civilizations until today, draws attention of the world as an extraordinary nation in which craftsmanship and culture are on a constant display.
Some of the basic and most important discussions for International students are given below:
ACCOMMODATION
On arrival to Turkey accommodation is one of the most important and basic of all the thoughts that comes in a student’s mind. Being an affordable destination to live in, almost all the universities offer variety of accommodation facilities like on campus dormitory, near campus housing facility etc. Government owned dormitories are also efficient and highly affordable for International students as the universities are government funded and made especially for deserving students. Students normally consult the University administration for accommodation assistance and the Agency that are responsible for their admission in Turkey. Another option, particularly in main cities is rented accommodation, often shared with other students, there are many who like having their private apartment and choose to stay alone which is also a good option.
FOOD
In all the Universities there are numerous options of good quality food at reasonable prices on campus that consists of fast food and Turkish traditional foods. Bistros, cafeterias and eateries are also available outside campus and can be another alternative. Students after some semesters in University life may lean towards doing their own cooking at their rented apartments. Many colleges and universities have cafeteria where they serve students 2 to 3 times a day. In government universities the cost of food (per dishes) is very cheap since they are sponsored by the state itself. Cost of one meal at a government university can be as less as 0.5$. The meals are full course meals and are heavily subsidized by government and hence are so cheap for students.
Here are some student-friendly meals that are quick and affordable when you stay as a student in Turkey:
- Doner Kebab
- Manti (Turkish Ravioli)
- Corba (Soup)
- Dried Beans and Rice
- Börek, gözleme, poğaça (Pies, pancake, donut)
- Karnıyarık (Aubergine Eggplant Meal)
- İmambayıldı (Roasted Stuffed Eggplant)
- Tas kebabı (Persian Lamb and Vegetable Stew)
- Yaprak sarma (Staffed Grape Leaves)
- Kebap
- Baklava (Turkish sweet)
HEALTH (INSURANCE POLICY)
The atmosphere of Turkey is usually very clean and the Municipality in every city is responsible for their own districts, for daily cleanliness and other weekly/monthly required measures are taken properly. Most of the Turkish Universities have medical centers on their campus where students can have their daily checkups and in emergency situations, the administration is always ready to counter with on-board city Hospitals. The International students are strongly advised to get a valid Health Insurance Policy! This insurance policy will help international students get residence occupancy permit and get high discounts in case of illness or other emergency scenarios.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation is one of the main concerns to think of as well when people go abroad as Tourists or International Students. Public transportation in Turkey is very convenient, provided by buses, minibuses (dolmus), and subways (only in major cities). The tickets to go here and forth are not very expensive especially for International Students after getting admission acquire certain Student bus cards that allows high discounts for in city and intra city travel. There are different districts in big cities like Istanbul having 39 districts, where all of them act as an in city itself, having their own municipality, own bus systems, own cleaning teams etc. giving the country an amazing structure for better transportation.
Entertainment
After long working and tiresome years both local and international tourists get the opportunities to enjoy Turkey’s entertainment sector and precious memories. There are festivals, tournaments, concerts, musical restaurants, old folk music shows, oriental music and dance shows all over Turkey, the country has the best night clubs and famous sira nights in the eastern cities. Students also get a lot of discounts using their student card provided by their university of upto 100% on attending museums, arts shows, operas, symphony, cinema and other entertainment related activities.
- Festivals
Around the coastal regions of Turkey there are many festivals that are ongoing especially in the summer months while rest of the year festivals occur frequently in the big cities. In Istanbul specifically and the other famous coasts you get to enjoy the amazing time while watching movies and attend concerts that take place in many ancient ruins of the region.
- Sira Nights
People who are planning to spend their holiday in the eastern cities of Turkey have to attend the amazing Sira nights. Şanlıurfa is its main origin, these nights have around a century old tradition. This tradition begun as meetings with “saz” (a Turkish instrument) music, singing and chit chat. Today as we see, this tremendous night has been updated and turned into a tourist attraction