Keep In Mind
A
new city, new people, new culture... We can’t neglect to make some
recommendations that will provide knowledge that you need to know about
Istanbul.
Turkey doesn’t require visas from
every country
> Before departing on your
journey, there is something quite important that we should remind you of:
Turkey does not require a visa from citizens of many different countries. You
should definitely learn whether or not a visa is required for your country
before coming to Istanbul.
> You can enter Turkey with as much as two cartons of cigarettes
and 2.5 liters of alcohol.
Currency and money exchange is
remarkably easy!
> Immediately upon arriving in
Istanbul, your first task will be to exchange your money for Turkey’s
official currency, the Turkish
Lira ( Türk Lirasi). You can find exchange office in the airport,
banks, and currency exchanges that are found throughout the city on major
streets.
> You can acquire information about rates of exchange from the
daily newspapers, banks, and currency exchanges.
Lira and Kurush
> Turkey’s official currency is the
Turkish Lira ( Türk Lirasi, TL). There are 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 lira banknotes, and 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 new
kurush (Kr) coins, as well as a 1
lira coin.
Added Value Tax
> You should definitely request a
bill of purchase or a written receipt of value for every item that you
purchase in Turkey. Furthermore the amount of the added value tax (consumer
tax) that you pay on an item should be indicated on the bill of receipt. It
is either included in the price of an item, or indicated separately.
According to the type of product or service, the added-value tax is generally
between 8 and 12 percent of the price.
> The Consumer Rights Law is in effect in Turkey. In order
to benefit from the rights that apply to you under this law and to receive
compensation for grievances that might arise in relation to services or goods
that you have purchased, we recommend that you shop at legally-recognized
stores.
> Bargaining while making a purchase is, of course, a sort of
tradition for Turks. You are certainly welcome to try your hand at bargaining
in tourist shopping-centers such as the Grand
Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar.
Working hours
> The hours of business for
official establishments, banks and private businesses are generally between 8.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. A lunch break occurs between noon and 1.30 p.m.
> Stores, restaurants and markets often have different hours of
business. Large shopping centers remain open until 9.00 p.m. or 10.00 p.m.,
depending on the season. In Istanbul’s neighborhoods of Şişli, Beyoğlu and Etiler, there are buffets, nightclubs and restaurants that are open 24 hours a day.
Visiting museums
> Do you want to visit some of
Istanbul’s famous museums? Just make sure that you do not choose to do so on
a monday, on which they are closed! Other than monday, museums are open
six days a week, from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
> In the museums, you may or may not be able to take photographs.
In certain museums, you must pay an additional fee in order to take
photographs.
Freedom of religious practice is
fundamental
> Freedom of religion is a basic
tenet of the city and country. Istanbul is also considered to be the center
of the Orthodox Church, and is
home to many Jews and Catholics. Places of worship from all
types of religion, such as synagogues and churches, are located within the
city.
> Although the large majority of Istanbul’s population is Muslim, you will likely be able to
find a church or synagogue in Istanbul where you can participate in the
religious services of your faith, and you can practice your religion freely.
> Although a significant majority of Muslims fast during the
month of Ramadan, all stores
remain open during the day. Restaurants and bars that serve alcoholic
beverages also remain open during Ramadan.
> Whether you visit Istanbul’s mosques as a worshiper or a
tourist, you should follow certain specific rules when entering a mosque.
• Take off your shoes before entering a mosque.
• As women must cover their heads
in mosque, you should either bring a scarf with you or borrow one from
the mosque attendants.
> You should try not to visit a mosque during the time of prayer,
which occurs five times each day. Select another time before your
visit.
Official holidays
Like in every country, official and religious bairams are celebrated with
great enthusiasm. Special ceremonies are also held to celebrate.
Therefore, in Turkey, both
official and religious holidays are vacation days. These holidays
include:
• New Year’s Day, 1 January
• The Feast of Ramadan, 12 - 14 October, 2007 (3,5 days)
• The Feast of Sacrifice, 20 - 23 December, 2007 (4,5 days)
• National Sovereignity, 23 April
• Commemoration of Atatürk,
Youth and Sports Day, 19 May
• Victory Day, 30 August
• Republic Day, 29 October
Attention to internet addicts!
> The Internet has become an
integral aspect of daily life in Istanbul. At many different locations in the
city, you can log on to the Internet at an internet cafe for a fixed price.
Most of these establishments are open late into the evening, and also function
as cafes.
> You can also connect to the Internet at many hotels, where you
can find internet rooms or, sometimes, wireless connections.
> Many of the larger shopping centers and shops on major avenues
such as İstiklal Avenue also offer wireless connection services.
> Furthermore, most four and five star hotels and some cafes also
offer wireless connection.
> You can typically acquire information on Internet connections
from one of your tour guides or from employees at the hotel where you are
staying.
Mail
> You can send letters,
packages, and make international, domestic, and local telephone calls at all
post offices. All post offices in Turkey are marked with a yellow sign that
reads PTT (postage, telegraph, and
telephone). You should be able to find a post office in the center of every
district. They are open on weekdays from 8.00
am until 5.00 pm.
> Post offices in major city
centers and tourist areas are open seven days a week, from 8.00 a.m. until 9.00 p.m.
Telephone
> The international code for
Turkey is 90. In order to make
international calls, first dial 00 (double
zero), then the country code, the city code, and finally the telephone
number.
> When making domestic calls
between cities, a three-digit city code is used. After dialing 0, dial the
three-digit city code and the telephone number of the person you are
calling.
> The telephone code for European Side is 212, while the code for the Asian
Side is 216. From one side to
the other, these codes must be used.
Domestic calls between cities:
0 xxx xxx xx xx
City code Telephone number
> Any time that you make a call
from a cellular telephone, you must use a city code, even if the number you
are calling is within the city.
> You can also make telephone calls
from pay telephones in post offices or telephone booths. In order to use pay
telephones, you must buy a telephone card. Pay telephones do not take money.
> You can make your calls for a fee
at establishments known as “call
centers” or “call shops”,
located in many areas throughout the city.
> Cellular telephones are quite
widely used in Turkey. You can easily make cellular telephone calls in all
areas of the country, which is serviced by three major GSM operators. Therefore, don’t forget to have your mobile phones
opened to service for international calls. If your cellular phone is not able
to receive international calls, you can apply to a GSM operator in order to
make calls through an agreed-upon network.
Taxi cab
> All of
the taxi cabs in Istanbul are painted yellow, and have a sign on top reading
taksi/taxi.
> The fee for taxi rides is
calculated with a taxi meter. It begins at 1,73 TL, and increases by 1
TL for each km. The standing-rate is 20 Kr, after five minutes. Keep change on you, as taxi drivers
will often not have change for large bills.
> After midnight (12.00 a.m. / 12.00 p.m.), a fifty percent increase in the taxi rate comes into
effect.
> It is safer to board a taxi at a
taxi stop. If you do board at a taxi stop, it will be much easier for you to
contact the taxi driver, later if you forget anything in the cab, or for any
other reason.
> You can also stop taxis while
they are driving on the streets. The license plate and stop that the taxi
belongs to is written on the top of the cab. If possible, you can take down
this information.
For more detailed information,
refer to our section on transportation.
Tipping
> Although it is customary to
leave tips at restaurants, hotels, and cafes in Istanbul, the decision
whether or not to tip is ultimately yours. No service employee should ever
request a tip from you.
> A tip of 10 percent of an item’s or service’s price is usually
sufficient.
Banks and credit cards
> On
weekdays, banks are open at 8.30 or 9.00 in the morning, and close
at 5.00 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. Most banks are closed for
lunch between noon and 1.30 p.m.
We recommend that you call the bank that you wish to visit ahead of time in
order to find out their exact hours of operation.
> Internationally-recognized credit
cards (Visa, Mastercard) are generally accepted at most types of restaurants,
stores, travel agencies, hotels.
> You can also withdraw cash from
bank ATMs. Furthermore, you can
complete a wide variety of bank transactions at bank offices during business
hours, and at ATMs all hours of the day.
Being a guest
> In most Turkish houses, you
will be asked to take off your shoes at the door and wear slippers while
inside. When you arrive as a guest at a Turkish house, we suggest that you
immediately take off your shoes at the door.
> The Turks are known for their
hospitality. It is a tradition to entertain guests with extraordinary
generosity, to treat them with the utmost respect. Hospitality especially
increases if the visitor has come from a foreign country. Therefore, if you
do enter a Turkish home as a guest, your hosts will probably go to great
lengths to ensure that you are comfortable. You may be offered quite a lot of
food with great insistence, as is traditional.
Offering one’s seat on public transportation
> On public transportation, it
is customary to offer one’s seat to the elderly, to women, and, especially,
to pregnant women and women with children. Infact it is an indication of
respect.
Minibus and dolmuş
> While you are traveling by
dolmuş or minibus: People in the back of such vehicles typically pass
the boarding fee forward to the chauffeur by handing it to the passengers in
between. If someone passes you money, they tell you their destination and the
number of passengers being paid for. If you are directly behind the
chauffeur, you should pass the money to him; otherwise, you should pass the
money to the next person in front of you.
> If you are sitting in the back of
a dolmuş or minibus, you should give your money to the person ahead of
you. Tell them where your destination is, how many people you are paying for
(if you are traveling with friends).
Standing in line at bus stops
Often, a large number of people will be waiting at bus stops. Passengers who
are waiting for the same bus should form a line behind the person ahead of
them at the stop. If the people at your bus stop are waiting in line, ask
where the line for your bus is in order to be sure you are not mistaken, and
then take your place in line behind the last person waiting.
Bibliography: http://english.istanbul.com