An Expat Talks about Living in Antalya, Turkey

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Antalya

How long have you lived there?

One year

What activities, clubs and organizations would you recommend to newcomers to help them meet others?

There are many activities in which you can meet new people, like dance lessons, sport clubs, etc.

The university has a lot of programs and many european students on erasmus exchanges. They are always eager to meet new people and share experiences.

In terms of religious, racial, economic and cultural diversity, are the people of this city or town diverse? Are they accepting of differences? Describe.

Turkey is mostly islamic, but very open to other cultures, religions, ways of life, etc. And the west of Turkey even more. Antalya, as touristic city full of europeans and russians visiting, has accepted other cultures and other beleifs, and is very open and welcoming to foreigners. They love people coming from abroad that come to visit their country. For example, in Antalya not many women wear headscarves, and they are not discriminated wether they wear it or not. But, speaking with many turkish friends and strangers, there is one thing that I reckon happens in all Turkey. They are quite homophobic, so, if you are gay, do not show it, unless you know the people and you trust them.

What are the main industries in this city? What types of career opportunities commonly exist? How do most people find new jobs?

Most job opportunities come from Tourism. Hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, rent a car... apart from that, there is not much industry.

In general, what are peoples' priorities in this city? For example, do lives revolve around work, family, socializing, sports, etc.?

In general, Antalya is a very touristic city, and a modern one, compared with other cities around Turkey.

Turkish people, and especially people from the west coast of Turkey like to socialize, go out to restaurants, bars with live music (they love live music here!) and so on, but they are, like turkish, very familiar. For example it is very rare to see a group of girls going out to bars, and sundays is a normal day to spend on family going to take breakfast (we would call it brunch).

Like Turkey itself, Antalya is a mixture of cultures, ideas, feelings and tastes.

If a friend of yours was thinking of moving to this city or town from far away, what other advice would you give them.

I would say, come to Antalya! It is a great city full of places to visit in the sorroundins. People are very warm and open. Life is easy in Antalya, the streets are safe, the weather is great and there are many activities to do.

But not all is good, of course. You have to get used to the Turkish way of living. The "problem yok" (no problem) philosophy, where everything is ok, never seeing problems, is sometimes comforting and sometimes frustrating. Things are slower than in Europe or USA. You will need patience and adaptation to their culture and way of living.

All in all, Antalya is a great place to live.