BY EHSAN SHAREEF (CTIS/III)
Name: M. Shahryar Khan
Department: Physics (M.S. student)
Country of Origin: Pakistan
What were your first impressions about Türkiye?
My Turkish story began in January 2025 when I landed in İstanbul at midnight on a freezing night, because I wanted one whole day in that city before heading to Ankara. After a brief detour when the bus driver dropped me off at Taksim Square instead of where I wanted to go, I finally took a taxi and ended up at my friend’s door, who was gracious enough to accommodate me. The next morning I visited the Koç University campus with my friend and then headed off toward Taksim Square to meet another Turkish friend whom I had met online before coming to Türkiye. She was a law student in İstanbul and had graciously agreed to give me a tour of her city. We walked non-stop for seven hours and managed to visit many of the major attractions, such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, İstiklal Avenue and an art museum, had Turkish kebap in a corner restaurant and then Türk kahvesi near the Sea of Marmara. The next day I took the morning high-speed train to Ankara and reached Bilkent in the afternoon — a new chapter of my academic journey had begun.
What do you like best about Bilkent and Türkiye?
At Bilkent, I love how clean and organized everything is. The sports facilities are also excellent. I am a big sports fan, so everything I want is already here, even martial arts, and I train on the boxing bags in the gym whenever I miss my old fighting days. As for Türkiye, there is never a shortage of new and interesting places to explore for a travel addict like myself. It is very rich both geographically and historically. Wherever you go you see the imprint of older civilizations such as the Hittites, Greeks, Romans and Ottomans, and the government has done a lot to preserve this heritage in the form of museums, which are some of my favorite places to visit.
Are there any similarities between Türkiye and your home country?
Language and culture are what feel closest to home, because of the Islamic, Arabic and Persian influences we share. When I arrived, I could not follow the sentences, but I could catch many of the words, like “çay,” “şehir” and “mescit,” which are nearly the same in my language, Urdu. Even the call to prayer floating through the early morning felt familiar, and it made the faraway place feel a little more like home.
What will you miss most about Bilkent/Türkiye?
The things I will miss the most are all the cool places I never got a chance to visit, and the fact that I wasn’t able to delve into the depths of Turkish language and literature. Two years is a short time, and Türkiye is a very big country. But since my tentative goal is to continue at Bilkent for my PhD, I am aiming to cover all these bases by the time I’m done.
What’s your favorite place on campus, and why?
My favorite place is my dorm room, followed by the gym, because those are where I spent most of my time. A room is such a personal space, with my drawings on the wall, pictures of my cat and more. That’s where I sit down with a warm cup of coffee and just unwind after a long day, so it’s a safe space. The gym is where I pushed myself beyond my limits and set my personal records. There is also a small calisthenics area near the stadium, which holds a lot of memories for me. That’s where I used to train during my first year here. Be it snow, rain or shine, I was there consistently, doing my reps. That’s also where I unlocked my first muscle-up and taught other students how to perform this movement, so it’s extra memorable for that reason.
What’s your favorite Turkish food and why?
My favorite Turkish food is kumpir, a big baked potato mashed up with cheese, and then you can pile on any toppings you like. It’s especially wonderful in winter because it keeps you so warm. Another favorite is tahinli pide, a sweet treat that I first tried on a trip to Kuşadası, and it was simply mind-blowing.
Where do you expect to see yourself 10 years from now?
After 10 years, I am honestly not sure, since AI seems to be coming for us all, but probably leading the rebel forces to take down Skynet. But in case the robocalypse is delayed, I want to continue my journey of trying to understand the universe more deeply through physics, math and philosophy, which has been my goal since my teenage years. I also want to get into the best physical shape of my life by the time I’m in my late 30s. And perhaps most importantly, I want to grow spiritually, achieve greater self-understanding and get closer to understanding and connecting with God.
What’s one thing you learned from Turkish culture?
The loveliest thing I learned from Türkiye is holding the door open for the person behind you. It’s a simple gesture but it impressed me a lot, because we do not do this back home, and here people do it even when you are 10 feet away. I will keep doing it for the rest of my life, and each time, it will remind me of Türkiye.
What places have you visited in Türkiye, and which one is your favorite?
I have been to many awesome places here, such as İstanbul, Pamukkale, İzmir, Ephesus, Zonguldak, Ayvalık, Cappadocia and Kayseri. But Kuşadası was my favorite, hands down. The moment we arrived in Kuşadası, I felt something in my heart, a strange pang of nostalgia for a place I had never been to but felt like I always knew. Every place has a soul, and based on the shape of your own soul, you connect with some places instantly whereas others have no effect. Kuşadası felt like Narnia to me.
What’s an interesting question or comment you hear frequently at Bilkent/in Türkiye?
“Afiyet olsun,” which means enjoy your meal. People say it everywhere here, even when someone is just having a small snack, and it is very important to them. We have nothing like it back home, so I find it a very sweet way to bless someone who is eating.
Describe yourself in three words.
Soldier of Fortune — the name of my all-time favorite Deep Purple song, and it describes me perfectly. It tells of a wanderer who roams from place to place, looking for somewhere to belong, so I feel like a drifter too, a leaf blowing in the wind, always on the way to the next place.
How is the studying experience at Bilkent?
Studying here is quite rigorous, and the teaching is very good. The exams are creative, so you cannot just memorize, you really have to understand. And the library is wonderful, with a lovely collection of physics and math books, so I often go there just to browse the shelves and pick out something new.
What were your reasons for choosing Türkiye?
I actually came here quite randomly. I was meant to do my PhD in the US, but my visa took so long that my admission was cancelled, and two years were wasted. Then a friend mentioned Türkiye, and I applied to Koç in 2024 and got in, but I chose to wait one more semester to apply to Bilkent, since I already had friends here, Ankara was more affordable than Istanbul, and the graduate student perks were very good. It turned out to be the right choice, and now I am planning to do my PhD here too, travel across Türkiye, and learn the language and culture more deeply.
