Practical Information About Istanbul

Work Hours

Banks are open weekdays from 8:30 am until noon or 12:30 am, depending on the bank, and from 1:30 am until 5.00 am. However, there are some banks which continue to serve during lunch breaks.

Museums are generally open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am until 5.00 am or 5:30 pm and closed on Monday. Palaces are open the same hours but are closed on Thursdays. For specific information on museums, please visit our museums section.

Shops and bazaars are normally open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 1.00 pm and from 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm, and closed all day on Sunday. But most stores in shopping malls and crowded streets are open seven days a week, including lunch breaks.

You can find restaurants or cafes open virtually at any time of the day or night.

Mail-Telephone Calls

Post offices are painted bright yellow and have PTT (Post, Telegraph, and Telephone) signs on the front. The central Post office is open Monday through Saturday from 8 am to 9 am, Sunday from 9 am to 7am. Smaller ones are open Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 5.00 pm.

How do I make calls?
To make calls from your mobile phone in Turkey , please dial by following these guidelines.

 

• To call another Turkcell subscriber: Dial 0, the network code, and then the seven-digit number; 0 53x xxx xxxx

• To call a fixed line within Turkey : Dial 0, the tree-digit area code, and then the seven digit number; 0 xxx xxx xxxx.

• To call another GSM operator in Turkey : Dial 0, the operator's three-digit network code and then the seven-digit number ; 0 xxx xxxx

• To call an international GSM number: Dial the international prefix + the country code the GSM Network code and then the mobile number.

• To call an international fixed line: Dial the international prefix + the country code the area code and then the phone number.

• To send an SMS to a domestic GSM subscriber: After writing your message dial 0 xxx xxx xxxx

• To send an SMS to an international GSM number: After writing your message dial the international prefix + the country code the GSM network code and then the mobile number.

Currency

As of 1 January 2005, the monetary unit in Turkey was changed to New Turkish Lira (YTL), which comes in bank notes of 1.00 YTL; 5.00 YTL; 10.00 YTL ; 20.00 YTL; 50.00 YTL and 100.00 YTL. Smaller denominations will come in coins of 1.00 YTL; 50 Ykr; 25Ykr; 10Ykr; 5Ykr and 1Ykr. "Ykr" stands for New Kurus which represent the cents of YTL.

In Turkey travellers' checks are rarely accepted. We recommend that you cash your travellers' checks at the banks.

ATMs can be found in even the smallest Turkish towns. Most accept international credit cards or bank cards (a strip of logos is usually displayed above the ATM). Almost all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English.

Credits cards are widely used in restaurants, cafs, shopping centers, super markets, boutiques, etc. VISA, MASTERCARD and EUROCARD are more widely accepted as compared to AMERICAN EXPRESS and DINERS Card.

Vat

The value-added tax, here called KDV, is 18%. Hotels typically combine it with a service charge of 10% to 15%, and restaurants usually add a 15% service charge. Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices. Certain shops are authorized to refund the tax (ask).

Electricity

The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two round prongs.

Safety & Security

The streets of Istanbul are considerably safer than their counterparts in the United States or Western Europe . Travelers should nevertheless take care of their valuables, as pickpockets, although not as common as in the U.S. or Europe , do operate in the major cities and tourist areas.

Standarts

Weights and measurements: Metric System
Local Time: GMT+2hours (Summer).

Important Service Telephone Numbers
Traffic:154
Police:155
Gendarmerie:156
Fire:110
Emergency: 112
InternationalOperator:118
Municipal Police: 153