My Ancestors’ Legacy

I was born in Austria. A part of my childhood was spent there, and another part in Izmir. My youth unfolded in Izmir, followed by Antalya—those were my most fiery years, to say the least 🙂

Then came Istanbul. Marriage, motherhood, and all the familiar chapters.

Looking back at my roots, we come from a third-generation immigrants on both my maternal and paternal sides. My ancestors, who migrated from Crete, Bulgaria, and Crimea, were settled in Izmir by state decree in the early 1900s.

Does that make us from Izmir? I honestly don’t know. But one thing I do know is that my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins who were born there are Izmir through and through. The city’s unique essence is woven into their bones. It has its own distinct dialect, its own culinary and family culture, its own signature tables, and its own traditions.

To put it simply, my dear Izmir is effortlessly cool, and easily the best city in Turkey. Period.

When people ask me where I’m from, I tell them I’m from Izmir, simply because my family, my ancestors, and consequently I, have taken on its air, its water, and its spirit. But am I truly from Izmir? If not, where do I belong?

The truth is, I have never felt like I belonged anywhere. Maybe that’s exactly why I’ve always adapted to new places so easily. Moving across cities, homes, and boundaries never intimidated me; on the contrary, it always filled me with a deep sense of excitement.

Lately, this feeling of not belonging anywhere has peaked. I feel completely ready to tune into somewhere new. Even though I don’t consider myself an Istanbulite, I’ve spent the vast majority of my life here. Yet, do I feel a sense of belonging to this city? No. I have many friends around me who truly belong to Istanbul, who see its chaos and beauty through a completely different lens. All of them are far more connected to this city than I could ever be.

I suppose I’m not actually from “anywhere.” And I genuinely believe there is something incredibly liberating about that. Not rooting down suits me. I’ve lived in Istanbul for exactly half my life, and if it weren’t for my current business setup, there wouldn’t be much keeping me here—aside from my dear friends, of course.

We shouldn’t confuse this lack of spatial belonging with family belonging, though. Mind you, I’ve lived away from my root family (my parents) for a very long time. This distance eventually detaches you from the very concept of longing. Compared to most families, we are well-accustomed to not seeing or missing each other constantly. There is absolutely no lack of love in this. On the contrary, my family is anchored in immense love and support. But the core theme was always freedom. My father considered being free to be the greatest wealth in the world. He was the one who set our internal compass that way. From a young age, he encouraged us to stand on our own two feet and urged us to explore the world. Longing was simply never our focus. I appreciate the value of this so much more now.

This behavioral pattern, passed down from father to daughter, has now been passed down from me to my son. The depth of our love is matched only by the amount of space I grant him. He grew up profoundly independent, and I believe he could easily adapt to any corner of the world. I am absolutely certain he will never find himself trapped in the restrictive, suffocating boundaries that a traditional sense of belonging often imposes.

Perhaps the very survival reflex developed by my ancestors—that instinct for rapid adaptation and resilience while building a new life—has manifested in me as a blend of homelessness and global citizenship. My roots have taught me that this world is a fluid, moving canvas, leaving me with the ultimate inheritance: the ability to belong anywhere, freely.

Maybe rooting down isn’t about geography after all. Who knows?

To all those free spirits who carry their roots within their own breath and soul wherever they go, and who, by belonging “nowhere,” actually belong everywhere—I salute you from the bottom of my heart. I’m glad we exist.

With love,

Nazan

If These Piece had a Color : It would be ”Rainbow”.