The position of İstanbul as a crossing between continents has always been a determining factor for the city. İstanbul held great importance for the historical cultures of Mesopotamia, Anatolia, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Black Sea. In every era, city’ s rich natural environs and uniquely beautiful topography have made it an attraction. For thousands of years, from prehistory to ancient ages to modern times, the area has hosted human settlements, and today retains its quality as an important world center. For nearly sixteen centuries, it served as the capital of four empires: the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922).

İstanbul with its unique position that connects Asia and Europe, is one of the most important cities on earth. The important waterline dividing İstanbul into two is the Bosphorus. İstanbul is both the nearest Asian city to Europe and the nearest European city to Asia. The Bosphorus Strait on which it is positioned is a connecting point of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas to the south, and of the Black Sea, and the Danube, Dnieper and Don rivers to the north. İstanbul has always been a junction of trade.

What makes İstanbul privileged, and enfolds it with an extraordinary beauty compared to other cities, is probably vibrant landscape along the Bosphorus.

İstanbul, with a population of 13.5 million, is the largest and most important city of Türkiye (commonly known by foreigners as Turkey) and that may be regarded as the leading open-air museum of Turkish culture. Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK, the founder of Modern Türkiye (one of the greatest leaders with amazing vision and an amazing power that changed an empire and civilized it) who had designated Ankara as the nation’ s capital mainly for geostrategic reasons, was a great admirer of İstanbul. During his presidency, he came to İstanbul in every opportunity. In his last days, he resided at Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus, where he could observe his beloved city. İstanbul took on its role as the important plateau in the progress of the new, modern Türkiye after the war of independence and the founding of the republic in 1923. It was the focus of his mission to create a contemporary society in line with international standards. And today, this city lying at the intersection of the hubs of Europe, Asia, Middle East and North Africa, continues to be the pride of Türkiye.

Useful Telephone Numbers
110 Fire
112 Emergency / Ambulance
155 Police Emergency

Time Zone
Türkiye follows GMT +2 hours. This means that Türkiye is two hours ahead of the U.K.

Official Language
Turkish (English and other common languages are spoken in most touristic areas)

International Dialling Code
The international dialling code to dial a number in Türkiye is (+90) followed by the area code and the relevant number.

İstanbul Telephone Area Code
Telephone numbers in Türkiye consist of 3-digit area codes and 7-digits for the subscriber numbers. Note that the inter-city codes (area codes) for İstanbul differ depending on whether you are on the European or Asian side of the city. The codes are 212 (European side) and 216 (Asian side). To call a number on the other side of the Bosphorus, first dial 0, followed by the code.

Safe Water
Though the water in İstanbul is chlorinated, it’ s recommended that visitors drink bottled water.

Restrooms / WC
There are a number of public restrooms in İstanbul, and the majority are well maintained and clean. Fees for use range between about 50 kuruş – 1 TL. Alternatively, fast food chains, restaurants and bars will have restrooms for diners which are provided free of charge.

Mobiles
Türkiye uses the GSM900 mobile phone network which is compatible with the rest of Europe. There are currently three GSM operators: Turkcell, Vodafone and Avea. Local SIM cards and prepaid vouchers are widely available from stores; passport identification is needed to buy a SIM card in Türkiye.

Business Hours
While offices and banks tend to open on weekdays from 9am – 5pm, bigger stores tend to be open much later. You can find many shops open on weekends till late at night.

Money
Turkish Lira is the official currency of Türkiye. Bank notes come in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 TL, while coins (called as Kuruş –kr-), come in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kuruş pieces. There is also a 1 TL. coin.

ATM' s, Credit Cards, Exchange Bureaus
ATMs are abundant and ATMs of different local banks are usually clustered together around centres, at the Arrivals Terminal at Atatürk Airport, Taksim Square and Sultanahmet district. The most reliable local banks in İstanbul include: Garanti Bankası, Akbank, İş Bankası and Yapı Kredi Bankası. If you prefer to carry your own currency with you to İstanbul, you can also exchange it at Turkish currency exchange offices called ‘Döviz Bürosu’. There are exchange offices an the Arrivals Terminal as well as Sultanahmet, Taksim, İstiklal Street and other areas. Restaurants and hotels in highly touristic areas like Sultanahmet and Taksim also accept US Dollars or Euros but rates are often not competitive. Most major credit cards are accepted all through the country but some smaller businesses will only accept local currency.

Smoking
As of July 2009, smoking in public places including restaurants, bars and public transport was forbidden in Türkiye. In İstanbul, as well as in the rest of the country, this law is generally adhered to. However, a large proportion of bars in İstanbul have roof terraces with adequate heating where it’ s possible to smoke year round and many establishments are adept at bending the rules.

Drinking
Alcohol is readily available in İstanbul and generally less restricted than in parts of Western Europe and North America. Beer, wine and hard liquor can be bought at supermarkets and small stores called ‘Tekel’, which are often open late into the night. The legal drinking age in Türkiye is 18.

Electricity
As in many European cities, the voltage in Türkiye is 220, European style rounded tip two-prong plug. Adaptors for different electrical systems are available in hotels and can be found in central areas as well.

Transportation in İstanbul
Transportation vehicles are at work in every part of İstanbul, by bus, minibus, subway and taxis. But the ideal transportation vehicle for tourists is the taxi. Licensed taxis in İstanbul are yellow, have the registration numbers on the sides and a “Taksi” sign up. They can be found on the ranks or hailed on the street. Also hotel, restaurant and bar staffs provide taxi. Taxi charges are determined officially. From 6 a.m to midnight day time fare is applied. Crossing over the Bosphorus bridge requires extra fare. Taxis have a taximetre that works when the customer gets in the car. “Dolmuş” is the name given to shared taxis that operate on major routes.

Tipping
At restaurants in cheaper places some people do leave a few coins in the change plate. In more expensive restaurants, tipping is more usual. Some places will automatically add a service charge of 10 or 15 % to your bill. But traditionally, it will be better for you to leave 5 to 10% on the table for the waiter.

Climate
İstanbul has a climate combining those of Meditarranean and Black sea types, with a hot dry summer and pleasantly warm spring and fall. Winters are cold but snow is rare. The vegetation is predominantly of the Mediterranean type. Min/Max temperatures: January and February 5 -9° C, March and April 9-18° C, May 14-24° C, June 18-27° C, July and August 20-33° C, October 16-23° C, November and December 6-13° C. Seasons in İstanbul are generally moderate, thus rendering the city comfortably liveable year-round, yet one can certainly enjoy sunbathing in the hot summer sun, and sometimes winter can bring a cover of snow. With spring comes a feast of purple redbuds along the Bosphorus shores and an array of colorful flowering trees throughout the city. With the arrival of autumn mists, the city retains a more romantic appearance.

Offical Holidays In Türkiye
January 1 – New Year’s Day
April 23 – National Sovereignty and Children’s Festival
May 19 – Commemoration of Atatürk & Youth and Sports Festival
August 30 – Victory Day
October 29 – Republic Day
3 Days – Ramazan Bayramı *(Ramadan Feast)
4 Days – Kurban Bayramı *(Feast of Sacrifice)
* Ramazan and Kurban feasts are determined according to the muslim calendar, so dates differ every year.