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
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
The monetary unit is the Turkish lira (TL), which comes in bank notes of 250.000; 500,000; 1,000,000; 5.000,000; 10.000.000 and 20.000.000. Smaller denominations come in coins of 50,000; 100.000 and 250.000.
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.
VAT
The value-added tax, here called KDV, is 17%. 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).
WHAT TO BUY
Many people come to Istanbul just to shop. The Kapali Carsisi, or Covered Market, is the logical place to start as the area and variety is immense. Still the commercial centre of the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping mall with a vast selection of carpets, souvenirs, clothes, shoes, jewellery, and handicrafts made from ceramics, copper and brass. Many shops have recently sprung up around Aksaray selling leather, suede and fur coats, catering mainly for Russian and Eastern European buyers. The Misir Carsisi is good for picking up spices, locum, flavoured teas, and small souvenirs.
|
Sultanahmet has become another shopping mecca in the old city mainly because it has the highest concentration of tourist attractions. The Istanbul Sanatlari Carsisi (Bazaar of Istanbul Arts) in the 18th century Mehmet Efendi Medresesi, and the nearby 16th-century Caferaga Medrese, built by Sinan, offer you the chance to see craftsmen at work and to purchase their wares. In the Arasta (old bazaar) of the Sultanahmet Mosque, a thriving shopping arcade selling carpets, jewellery and local arts makes both shopping and sightseeing very convenient. There are many carpet shops in this area, and the chances are that sooner or later you will be approached by one of many dealers and invited to visit their shop.
The sophisticated shops in the Taksim and Nisantasi districts contrast with the chaos of the bazaars. Istiklal Caddesi and Cumhuriyet Caddesi have shops selling elegant fashionwear made from Turkey's high quality textiles. Exquisite jewellery, as well as finely designed handbags and shoes can also be found. Nisantasi is the main area for clothes by top Turkish designers.
For an even more modern, European shopping experience, the huge new malls of the Atakoy Galleria Mall in Atakoy, the Akmerkez Mall in Etiler and the Carousel Mall in Bakirkoy have European outlets, Turkish fashion shops, branches of Istanbul's most elegant shops, as well as restaurants and a cinema. In Bakirkoy, the Carousel Mall is worth a visit, as is the Atlas Passage in Beyoglu. Bahariye Avenue, Bagdat Avenue,and Capitol Mall on the Asian side, offer the same shopping opportunities.
In Istanbul's busy flea markets there is an astonishing assortment of goods, both old and new. There is a daily opportunity to poke about the Sahaflar Carsisi and Cinaralti in the Beyazit areas. On Sundays, in a flea market between the Sahaflar and the Covered Bazaar, vendors uncover their wares on carts and blankets. The Horhor Carsisi is a collection of shops selling furniture of varying age and quality. Flea markets are open daily in the Topkapi district, on Cukurcuma Sokak in Cihangir, on Buyuk Hamam Sokak in Uskudar, in the Kadikoy Carsi Duragi area, and between Eminonu and Tahtakale. After a Sunday drive up the Bosphorus, stop between Buyukdere and Sariyer to wander through the many lively market.
ELECTRICITY
The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three 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.
POLICE
Tourism police Tel. (0212) 527 45 03 |
