The month of September will be a busy one this year, starting off with the biggest holiday season of the year in Turkey, the Qurban Bayram (Feast of Sacrifice) holiday. Expect the cities to be empty, transportation bustling and tourist spots buzzing in the first week of the month. What follows, will be a busy few weeks filled with a wide range of interesting activities to get mingling with the expat scene as we wrap up the end of summer.

The following is a curated mix of events that are of special interest to and or are organized by members of Istanbul's expat community:

Sept. 5 - Spoken Word Istanbul's weekly open mike event

Spoken Word Istanbul, a weekly open mike event in which anyone and everyone inclined is given the opportunity to take the stage for six minutes, is one of the best opportunities to be introduced to the city's colorful and talented expat crowd. These weekly events, held on Tuesdays from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Arsen Lüpen, located on Mis Street in Beyoğlu have even been featured in The Atlantic. Be there or be square, but know you will certainly be inspired whether watching or performing.

Sept. 7- Kolektif After Work with Monality

On Thursday, Sept. 7, the collective working and event space Kolektif House in Levent, will be hosting an open-house after work get-together that will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. with live music by Monality, the newest electro collaboration by Allen Hulsey, Turkey's resident blues and rocker, who hails from New York.

Sept. 7 to 8 - Swedish Research Institute's Autumn Lecture seriesBased in Tünel in Beyoğlu, the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul will be holding a two-day lecture series titled "Achaemenid Anatolia: Persian Presence and Influence in the Western Satrapies." From Sept. 7 to 8, there will be a full schedule of 14 different presentations by international academics scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Entrance is free but registration is required to attend.

Sept. 8 - Syriasly, A stand up special!

Syriasly, aka Othman Nahhas, is a 22-year-old Saudi-born Syrian expat, who began his stand-up career at the age of 18 in Belgium, where he was doing a bachelor's in computer science when he suddenly had to drop out to move to Istanbul, as his family was forced to leave their homes in the Syrian civil war to seek shelter here in Turkey. Othman is now a prominent figure among the expat comedy scene performing stand up with the Take Me Up the Bosphorus Crew and The Clap as well as is a regular in Istanbul's active Spoken Word scene and also works with the Happy Days Theater, a group that puts on an English-language travelling theater show in Istanbul. Othman also has a podcast, titled "Istanbul Syriasly," where he shares his musings on topics related to philosophy, science and social issues and also has a blog called "Syriasly," where he posts poetry and short stories.

On Friday, Sept. 8, Othman will perform his own stand-up comedy show: "Syriasly: A Stand-up Special," in which he shares personal stories on dating, social issues and about growing up in Syria with six siblings. The show will take place at the Yota Sahnesi located on 16 Atıf Yılmaz Street off İstiklal Avenue. Doors open at 8 p.m., the performance starts at 8:30p.m. and entrance costs TL 20 ($5.8) at the door.

Sept. 9 - Swedish Supper by Pop-up Dinners IstanbulPop-up Dinners Istanbul, run by a multicultural expat born in Singapore, who came to Turkey an odd 25 years ago from England, who opens up her home in Cihangir to a select number of expat-heavy guests who get to experience her delicious and unique cuisine. For her Swedish Supper, which will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 8:30 p.m., she will be dishing up pancakes with elk salami, salmon gravlax and a slow cooked beef cheek topped with elderflower ice cream and a cardamom bun for dessert. Check out the Pop-up Dinners Facebook page to stay afloat of her wonderful dinner series that has inadvertently connected many expats in the city.

Sept. 9 - Rojos, Verdes !Viva MExico! At Los AltosLos Altos, Istanbul's premiere Mexican restaurant equipped with a terrace roof and spectacular views of the Bosporus, will be celebrating Mexican Independence Day early over the weekend of Sept. 9-10. If you book a table on one of these evenings, you will get to enjoy an authentic Chile en Nogada and Horchata to the accompaniment of Mariachis joined by vocalist Cielito Lindo.

Sept. 12 - Yabangee Presents: Trivia Night #6 at Bunk RoofYabangee, the expat events and advice website, resumes their Trivia Night series held at Bunk Roof, a trendy top-floor terrace venue situated atop the 170-bed luxurious hostel of the same name in Harbiye on Tuesday, Sept. 12. A great opportunity to mingle with other expats while testing your knowledge and possibly even winning a prize; teams consist of maximum six players each and you must be 18 or over to participate. Entry is TL 10, doors will open at 7 p.m. and the trivia begins sharply at 8 p.m.

Sept. 18 - AIESEC's Istanbul Introduction Meeting

AIESEC, the global platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential, while positively affecting society first formed in 1948 and active in 127 different countries, will be holding an Istanbul Introduction Meeting, on Monday, Sept. 18 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at AIESEC Turkey, located in Beyoğlu's TomTom neighborhood. This free event in which potential members will have the chance to apply to join, will be broken down into three different sessions, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m. to 3: 30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., respectively. Those who pass the initial interview will then be asked to take part in follow-up meetings that will take place from Sept. 19-23.

Sept. 26 - Expat Spotlight #5: Istanbul as home

Expat Spotlight is a monthly talk series that showcases the inspiring contributions being made by Istanbul's diverse international community to the city's cultural, sporting, humanitarian, and business spheres. On Tuesday, September 26, the series resumes and will be centered on the theme of "Istanbul as Home". Held in collaboration by Yabangee and at Atölye, a transdisciplinary innovation platform and performance venue, located in the historical Bomonti Beer Factory. This talk series has a half-dozen or so expat speakers, who share moving stories, reflect on personal experiences and participate in a resourceful dialogue. The event is free and will take place in English and starts at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m.