NSLI-Y 2025 Turkey – Week 1

NSLI-Y Bursa Turkey 2025 July 9, 2025

NSLI-Y 2025 Turkey – Week 1

It can be hard to know what to expect when traveling somewhere for the first time. Excitement and anticipation are often accompanied by nervousness and apprehension: What adventures are in store? What challenges await? What new relationships will form? Our students arrived in Chicago with these questions and more. We spent a few days together going over the basics and trying to prepare the group for their first foray to Türkiye, but some things just have to be experienced first hand. After a lengthy application process and many months of waiting, the students were eager to begin their journey.

Our flight over to Istanbul went off without a hitch, although everyone needed a little R&R after so much time spent in transit. The hotel breakfast was the first real Turkish delight. Turks are known for their elaborate breakfast spreads, and the students weren’t disappointed. Piles of warm simit and pogaca were accompanied by tomatoes, cucumbers, and dozens of varieties of cheeses, olives, and jams. After several glasses of piping hot tea and more than a few overflowing plates, the students were fortified for a tour of the historic district in Istanbul.

We began the day outside of Topkapi Palace, the first Ottoman palace built following the 1453 conquest. From the palace, it was a quick jaunt over to the Ayasofya (Hagia Sophia), where we were able to look out from the gallery at one of the great architectural wonders of Late Antiquity. Our guide, Gamze, was a font of knowledge and a friendly face in the crowds of tourists from all over the world. She deftly led us through the Blue Mosque, aptly named (in English) for the thousands of Iznik tiles that adorn every possible corner, and from there through the Hippodrome, former site of Roman chariot racing. After a quick lunch of traditional Turkish meatballs, we continued our tour with a visit to the underground Basilica Cistern. The cool, dark interior was a welcome reprieve from the hot day, as was our next stop, the famed Gülhane Palace Gardens, where students appeared to be as captivated as much by the sunbathing cats as by the roses. We ended our guided tour with a visit to the Spice Bazaar, where students were able to practice their bargaining skills with eager vendors hawking everything from saffron to olive oil soap. After so much walking, a boat ride up the Bosphorus seemed like just the thing to cool off and see more of the vast city, which stretches seemingly without end across both the European and Asian side of the narrow strait.

We departed Istanbul as the sun set, headed for our home for the next 6 weeks. Only a few hours distance from Istanbul by bus, Bursa is worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of the cosmopolitan metropolis. As the students were soon to find out, however, Bursa offers plenty of its own excitement and sites of interest. Host families were eagerly waiting for us as pulled into the city, ready to whisk the students off to their new homes for some much-needed rest at the end of a thrilling day.

Our first week in Bursa didn’t disappoint. Students quickly settled into the classroom routine, enjoying after-school activities during the week, including daily lunches together and Turkish practice with our peer language partners. We capped off the week with a tour of the city, visiting many of the most important historical sites. Students were able to admire the 20-domed Grand Mosque, where the soft burbling of the shadirvan and the central skylight give a sense of calm even after a busy Friday prayer. From there, we ventured on to the Bursa City Museum, where students could see artifacts spanning the 2,000+ year history of the city and enjoy a special exhibit of stage costumes from one of Bursa’s most famous sons, Zeki Müren, sometimes referred to as “the Turkish David Bowie.” Our tour led us across the 500-year old Irgandi Market Bridge into the Yeşil district, where we were able to see the legendary Green Mosque and Tomb, so-named for their spectacular turquoise tiles. Bursa is known for its importance as the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, and our tour provided ample evidence of the lasting Ottoman influence on the city. Students departed from the Green Tomb with host siblings, equipped with a better understanding of Bursa and ready for their first full weekend with their host families.

After one week, there is still plenty to see and learn in Türkiye, but now that our journey is well underway, the students’ anticipation seems to have been more than rewarded. Haydi gidelim! Let’s go!

Group photo at our pre-departure orientation in Chicago