The expat guide to Valentine’s Day in Istanbul

Celebrating Valentine's Day in Turkey is not done exactly the same way that we do in the U.S. in which classmates, coworkers and even relatives are given Valentine's Day cards and candies. In Turkey, it is a day reserved specifically for those in a romantic commitment, and should that be the case, then they can certainly go all out for their beloved. However, whatever your relationship status may be, Istanbul is guaranteed to have exciting events where you can play cupid on Valentine's Day, which is next Saturday, Feb. 14.

The biggest production in town for Valentine's Day will undoubtedly be the "All You Need is Love" party hosted by Time Out Istanbul at KüçükÇiftlik Park in Maçka. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for this evening of performances by electro-swing outfits White Mink, The Roustabouts and Swing Zazou, joined by dancers and acrobats. There will also be fine dining stalls, a huge pillow fight, speed-dating tables and a special treasure hunt by Escape Planet, Istanbul's pioneers in the escape room concept.

Another major contender for the crowds; Babylon presents "Love & Reggae" at the Volkswagen Arena in Maslak for Valentine's Day. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for this evening of reggae featuring U-Roy and Big Youth straight from Jamaica as well as Sattas, Turkey's first reggae band, who are in one word awesome, and perform their own Turkish lyrical reggae revelations in addition to Bob Marley classics. There will also be a number of popular in-house Turkish reggae DJs, such as Ras Memo, Mahi, Da Frogg Eyez and Firuzaga.

The biggest expat-heavy event will be the "Do You Wanna Funk" party at Turuncu Pan Pan in Taksim. Entrance is free to this event, which will have resident expat DJs Ray Mac and Dodgy Knees spinning funk at this cafe by day and party venue at night. Doors open from 9:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. so get your booty shaking boots on to dance the night away whether you are with a date or not.

For the more student-Erasmus party scene there will be not one but two "Anti-Valentine's" parties. The first is on Friday, Feb. 13, at Beat, a dance hall off of İstiklal. Hosted by Istanbul Student Life, entrance is fee and doors will be open from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. On Saturday, The Best Party Life hosts an "Anti-Valentine's Party at Eski Beyrut, a venue popular with students and expats alike.

You can join Istanbullu hipsters at Nublu's newest Istanbul location now on Sıraselviler for a performance by the popular and playful Turkish alternative band Büyük Ev Ablukada. Well-loved musical performer and television personality Ayhan Sicimoğlu and his Latin All-Stars will be performing at Babylon in Asmalımescit at 10:00 p.m.

The Suma Beach team will be setting up at The Hall with a trio of German, French and Turkish DJs, namely Henrik Schwarz, Chloé & Aliço, bringing electronic music and a beach party vibe to this 145-year old former church-turned dancehall on Valentine's night.

For fine dining and dancing, "Valentine's Day" at SupperClub Istanbul will be serving a surprise Valentine's Day menu accompanied by house music DJs, MCs and performance artists in this more upscale setting in Ortaköy. Reservations are required for this event that starts at 10:30 p.m.

For a more intimate option to celebrating coupling, Chef's Table Culinary Academy will be offering a very special Valentine's Day dinner cooking course from 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.

For a unique experience to make your night unforgettable why not try "Dinner in the Dark" at Karanlıkta Yemek in Levent. They say "love is blind," so why not try your hand at love in a pitch-dark restaurant to experience a night with all of your senses other than sight and where the servers and live music performers are themselves visually impaired.

For a more mellow date option to ring in this romantic holiday you could also check out one of the three most romantic films this festival season, which are running at the Cinemaximum Fitaş on İstiklal as part of the !F Istanbul International Independent Film Festival. Showing on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the romantic comedy-drama "The One I Love" starring Mark Duplass and Elizabeth Moss follows a married couple who take a retreat to revitalize their relationship but experience so much more. Showing at 9:30 p.m. is "The Last Five Years," a romantic musical comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan that tells the story of a relationship from both sides at differing points in time, only to meet with a duet somewhere in the middle. At 10:00 p.m. is "Love is Strange" starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina in a touching drama about a gay married couple that has been together for nearly 40 years being forced to move into separate homes.

To buy the perfect gift for your loved one or to shop for it together as part of a way to celebrate your love, there are a number of pop-up markets on the Asian and European side, respectively, which showcase unique designs by local artisans. The "Kadıköy Pop-Up Market" will be held this Sunday, Feb. 8 between 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Arka Oda, located on Kadife Street. Also on Feb. 8 will be the "Black Sunday Valentine's Day Sale" held from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Old Java coffee house in Galata. On Valentine's Day weekend, from Sat to Sun, Feb. 14-15, the "Souq Karaköy" pop-up bazaar will set up shop at the art space Külah Karaköy. This being the most popular of the pop-up marts, has a rotating display of Turkish designers and artists and is a fun option to combine with one of the neighborhood's ultra-hip cafes to while away the day. At all of these markets, expect to see original designs in the form of jewelry, bags, clothing, personal care and home décor as well as many other one-of-a-kind items that could make for the perfect Valentine's gift for him or her.

Ciceksepeti.com and Cikolatasepeti.com offer a wide variety of bouquets and chocolates, including personalized chocolate bars and even chocolate perfume, which they will deliver to you or your loved one's door.

Splurge on that special someone with a chocolate or couple's massage at the wide variety of luxurious spas on offer in Istanbul, including but certainly not limited to Therapia Spa at the Grand Tarabya overlooking the Bosporus, the Angkor Wat Spa located inside the Keban Hotel on Siraselviler, the Puri Spa in the Divan Hotel in Şişli. For pure decadence enjoy a gold massage at Titanic Hotel's Holistic Spa in Taksim or a rose or jasmine massage at the Gaia Spa in the Grand Hyatt in Harbiye.