About Istanbul
Located in the center of the Old World, İstanbul is one of the world's great cities famous for its historical monuments and magnificent scenic beauties. It is the only city in the world which spreads over two continents: it lies at a point where Asia and Europe are separated by a narrow strait - the Bosphorus. İstanbul has a history of over 2,500 years. Ever since its establishment on this strategic junction of lands and seas, the city has been a crucial trade center.
The historic city of İstanbul is situated on a peninsula flanked on three sides by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. It has been the capital of three great empires, the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. For more than 1,600 years over 120 emperors and sultans ruled the world from here. No other city in the world can claim such a distinction.
During its development, the city was enlarged four times, each time the city walls were rebuilt further to the west.
As a capital of empires, the city served not only as administrative but also as a religious center. The Patriarchate of Eastern Christians has been headquartered here since its establishment, and the largest early churches and monasteries of the Christian world rose in this city on top of the pagan temples. Within a century after the city was conquered, it was enriched with mosques, palaces, schools, baths and other architectural monuments that gave it a Turkish character, while some of the existing churches in ruins were repaired, altered and converted into mosques. Between the 16th century when the Ottoman sultans acquired themselves the title of the "Caliph of Islam" and 1924, the first year of the Republic, İstanbul was also the headquarters of the Caliphate. More Jews settled in Istanbul than any other port, and here they built themselves a new and happy life after they were rescued from Spain by the Turks in the 15th century. İstanbul has always been a city of tolerance where mosques, churches and synagogues exist side by side. The city was adorned with a large number of dazzling and impressive works even during the period of decline of the Ottomans.
During this time, the influence of European art made itself felt in the new palaces, while the northern slopes of the Golden Horn, Galata and Beyoglu districts assumed a European character. Even when the Empire, which was a party to World War I, collapsed and the young Republic that replaced it moved the capital to Ankara, Istanbul did not lose its significance.
Coming forward with its unique history and splendid natural beauties, and after successfully hosting several international events in recent years, Istanbul has been selected as the “2010 European Culture Capıtal”.
Preparing for the Culture Capital title with the efforts of the Metropolitan Municipality, the Istanbul Governorship, and the 2010 European Culture Capital Coordination Board, the city has been transformed into a city of tourism with convention, fairs, cultural events, art, and sports activities. Racing with the world’s renowned capital cities in these fields, Istanbul has leaped to the 17th position, up from 49, among the top tourist conventions in the last couple of years.
To make Istanbul a UN city is one of the main goals of the Turkey’s UN policy. Turkey has achieved a lot in this regard. Istanbul is currently hosting the Regional Office of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Center for Private Sector in Development of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UNDP Regional Office for Europe and CIS, and the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Many other UN agencies have shown interest in moving their bases for regional operations to Turkey.
Renewing its infrastructure in conceivably all fields, Istanbul has been well applauded for its successful hosting of international events, such as the Champions League Football Final Match, Formula 1, Moto GP, Red Bull Air Race, UEFA Final Cup 2009, World Water Forum 2009, IMF World Bank Congress 2009, World Basketball Championship 2010, the World Salon Athletism Championship 2012, the annual International Energy Summits and the Peace Summit 2015. Istanbul will also host The World Humanitarian Summit in 2016.
Currency
Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira, TL.
Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 & 200 TL
Coins: 5, 10, 25 & 50 Kuruş and 1 TL
Exchange rate was 3.0573 TL for 1 Euro and 2.7617 for 1 US Dollar as of 28 July 2015. Foreign currency can be exchanged at the airport, banks, hotels and exchange offices. International Credit Cards are widely accepted.
Banks
Banking hours are from Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00. Banks are closed on Saturday and Sunday and public holidays. All banks have similar exchange rates. Several ATMs can be found near the Convention Center and most of them accept all debit cards.
Weather
In October, the weather in İstanbul is generally warm in the day and cool in the night. The average temperature in the month of October is between 15-25 Celsius.
The most recent weather forecast for İstanbul may be accessed at: http://www.meteoroloji.gov.tr
Security
Among major cities, Istanbul boasts one of the lowest levels of crime. Despite its high population and traffic, one can walk through every part of the city without any problem.
Phone calls
Public phones operate with cards, which are sold at post offices and some newspaper kiosks. Some public phones have access to AT&T and some other telecommunication networks. Fax messages can be sent from major post offices and hotels. Cellular telephones can be hired.
International Dial Code: +90
Postal Services
Hotels often provide basic postal services. Post offices are open daily except Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.
Electricity
Turkey has 220 volts/50 Hz. electricity and socket type is European standard. (2-pin plug)
Shopping
Most shops in Istanbul are generally open from 09:00 to 21:00, Monday to Saturday. Some of the supermarkets, shopping malls, newspaper kiosks, restaurants and food shops are also open on Sunday. You can enjoy tax free shopping in all the major shopping centers.
Gratification
Prices in hotels, restaurants, taxi fares, etc., are calculated to include taxes and service. A tip, therefore, is not indispensable, but justified for good service. In restaurants, leave 10% of the bill. Taxi drivers usually do not expect tips.
Sales tax refund
For detailed information on sales tax refund, please visit http://www.ataturkairport.com/en-EN/preflight/Pages/TaxFree.aspx
Medical Services
A number of medical facilities in Istanbul, including their contact details, can be found on this website: http://www.istanbulhastaneleri.net/.
Tourist information
For any question about Istanbul and/or travel in Turkey, please visit the official website (https://goturkey.com/en) of the Turkey Tourism Portal.