Wy/hbs/Istanbul

Islamska bogomolja izgrađena u zapadnim arhitektonskim stilovima i nad kojom se vidi most koji povezuje Evropu i Aziju: Ortaköy džamija je ikona Istanbula

Istanbul (Turski: İstanbul) je vrlo velik grad fantastične povijesti, kulture i ljepote. U antičko doba nazivan Bizant, ime grada promijenjeno je u Konstantinopol 324. godine n.e. kada ga je ponovno izgradio prvi kršćanski rimski car Konstantin. Ime "Istanbul", možda iznenađujuće, dolazi iz grčkog i moglo bi se prevesti kao iskrivljeno od "u grad". Iako je izraz bio u širokoj upotrebi stoljećima, postao je službeni naziv grada tek nakon osnutka Republike Turske 1920-ih.

Najnaseljeniji grad u Europi, Istanbul čini financijsko i kulturno središte Turske i pouzdano prelazi granice između Azije i Europe kao što je bio tisućljećima: ovo je rezultat pomiješanja starog kršćanstva, srednjovjekovne metropole i modernog Bliskog istoka. Smješten s obje strane Bospora, Istanbul zadržava svoj metropolitanski status: grad ima više od 14 milijuna stanovnika, što ga čini jednim od najvećih gradova na svijetu.

Hvaljen u antici kao "drugi Rim", ovo je grad kojim biste svakako trebali "prolutati" - kultura i uzbuđenje leže iza svakog ugla i čeka vas više od 2000 godina povijesti.

Oblasti

Klasifikacija oblasti i opština je prilično složena, a nova administrativna metodologija je uvedena 2009. Ovo je pojednostavljena verzija gradskih rejona:

• Sultanahmet i Stari grad

U suštini Carigrad Rimljana, Vizantinaca i Osmanlija, ovo je bedemima ograđeno uvršenje u kojem su većina čuvenih istorijskih znamenitosti.

• Galata

Nekada Evropljanima naseljena četvrt Osmanskog Istanbula, prepoznatljiva je po rejonu Beyoğlu i njegovom jezgru, aveniji İstiklal i trgu Taksim, koji je možda najcentralnija tačka u životu grada.

• Novi grad

Glavna poslovna četvrt grada takođe je dom mnogih modernih trgovačkih centara i dizajnerskih modnih prodajnih mjesta u područjima kao što je Nişantaşı.

• Bosfor

Smješten na evropskoj obali moreuza, okružen je brojnim palatama, parkovima, vilama na obali i boemskim četvrtima.

• Zlatni rog

Obala Zlatnog roga je ušće koje razdvaja evropsku stranu na različita područja. Eyüpsultan se čvrsto drži svog osmanskog i islamskog naslijeđe.

• Prinčeva ostrva

Idealan za bijeg iz grada, ovo je arhipelag ostrva raznih veličina, sa prekrasnim drvenim vilama, zelenim borovim šumama i lijepim pogledom, ali bez automobila.

• Azijska strana

Istočna polovina Istanbula, poznata je po lijepim kvartovima duž obala Marmara i Bosfora. Kadıköy je prometna i umjetnička četvrt u njegovom centru.

• Zapadna predgrađa

Zapadni dio evropske strane, uključujući selo na poluostrvu Çatalca, dom je razbacanih vizantijskih ruševina i usamljenih plaža.

Upoznavanje

Istorija

Iako su ostaci praistorijskog naselja pronađeni su u pećini Jarımburgaz u blizini jezera Kučukčekmece i tokom izgradnje stanice podzemne željeznice u Jenikapiju, grčki kolonisti iz Megare, pod vođstvom Bizasa, tradicionalno su prihvaćeni kao osnivači Istanbula. Proširujući drevnu grčku koloniju Vizantiju po naredbi rimskog cara Konstantina Velikog, carski grad Konstantinopolj je skoro hiljadu godina bio snažno utvrđena prijestonica Istočnog Rimskog (kasnije nazvanog Vizantijsko) Carstvo. Do danas, vaseljenski patrijarh, poglavar Istočne pravoslavne crkve, nastavlja da bude arhiepiskop Konstantinopolja i, i dalje, boravi u Istanbulu. Grad je osvojio osmanski sultan Mehmed II 29. maja 1453. godine, što se ponekad koristilo za obilježavanje kraja srednjeg vijeka. Bio je to centar za vojne operacije koje su dramatično proširile Osmansko carstvo. Do sredine XVI vijeka, Istanbul, sa skoro pola miliona stanovnika, bio je veliki kulturni, politički i komercijalni centar. Osmanska vlast je trajala do Prvog svjetskog rata, kada je Istanbul okupiran od strane saveznika. Kada je Republika Turska rođena 1923. godine nakon rata za nezavisnost, Kemal Ataturk je preselio svoj glavni grad u grad Ankaru, strateški lociran u centru nove republike. Međutim, Istanbul je nastavio da se dramatično širi, danas ima oko 15 miliona stanovnika i povećava se za oko 400.000 imigranata godišnje. Industrija se proširila iako je rastao turizam. I dalje je grad koji stvara sopstvenu istoriju na raskrsnici gdje se spajaju kontinenti.

Orijentacija

Galata iz perspektive Starog Istanbula, s druge strane Zlatnog roga

Istanbul je podijeljen na tri dijela Bosforskim moreuzom sjever-jug (İstanbul Bogazı, "Istanbulski moreuz"), linijom razdvajanja između Evrope i Azije, ušćem Zlatnog roga (Halič) koji dijeli zapadni dio i Mramornim morem. Većina znamenitosti je koncentrisana u starom gradu na poluostrvu Sultanahmet, zapadno od Bosfora između Roga i mora. Preko puta Roga na sjeveru nalaze se Galata, Bejoglu i Taksim, srce modernog Istanbula, dok je Kadikoj glavna četvrt na relativno manje posjećenoj anatolijskoj strani grada.

Klima

Uprkos stereotipima, palmama koje su posađene u modernom dobu ili tendencioznim turističkim brošurama, Istanbul nije sunčana, topla cjelogodišnja turistička destinacija kao što se mnogi nadaju. Zapravo, klimatski je mnogo bliži jugozapadu Francuske ili sjeverozapadu Pacifika nego bilo kom gradu oko Mediteranskog mora, jer je njegova prosječna temperatura oko 12-14°C, svega za stepen viša od Njujorške i otprilike ista kao u Portlandu (Oregon, SAD) ili Bordou (Francuska).

Tokom zime padavine su česte, a dešava se da ima i snijega

Jednostavno rečeno, Istanbul ima okeansku klimu sa nešto mediteranskog uticaja. To podrazumijeva veoma topla, uglavnom sunčana ljeta, i hladne zime sa dosta kiše i ponekad snijegom.

Često je oblačno, pogotovo u odnosu na istočni Mediteran, sa oko 1.700-2.300 sunčanih sati, što znači da je nebo tmurno oko polovine vremena. Ovi uslovi mogu nastati zbog guste magle, koja je uobičajena tokom cijele godine, i pogađa određene unutrašnje dijelove Istanbula impresivnih 200 dana u godini. Međutim, zbog urbanizacije i rezultirajućeg „urbanog toplotnog ostrva“, magla je postala sve rjeđa u gusto naseljenim obalskim dijelovima, čineći ljeta mnogo sunčanijim nego što su ranije bila.

Iako padavine dosta variraju u zavisnosti od dijelova grada, prosjek je oko 800 mm tokom nekih 150 dana u godini. Ovo čini kišobrane korisnim, posebno tokom ljeta i jeseni, kada su kiše obično obilnije. Istanbul je vlažniji od većine velikih evropskih gradova, kao što su London, Pariz ili Berlin. Međutim, veliki dio padavina u Istanbulu je u hladnijim mjesecima, ostavljajući najtoplije mjesece za sunčano, umjereno suvo vrijeme.

Zbog svoje ogromne veličine, topografije i uticaja mora Istanbul ima mnoštvo različitih mikroklima. Dakle, različiti dijelovi grada mogu istovremeno iskusiti različite vremenske uslove. Na primjer, povremeni ljetnji pljuskovi mnogo više pogađaju sjever grada nego jug.

Ljeto

Ljeto (jul-avgust) je uglavnom prilično toplo, prosječno je oko 26°C tokom dana i 17°C noću. Vrijeme je često prijatno, a gotovo konstantan sjeveroistočni vjetar zvan Pojraz sprečava da temperature idu mnogo preko 30°C. Međutim, čest je i veoma vlažan vazduh sa Crnog mora, koji stvara ne baš prijatne uslove.

Ljeto je relativno suvo, ali uglavnom nije bez kiše, sa oko četiri do pet kišnih dana mjesečno. Kiša koja pada tokom ovog perioda, može biti jaka, a u Istanbulu budu i oko dvije-tri oluje sa gradom godišnje.

Tokom ljeta preporučuje se lagana odjeća. Lagana jakna i/ili lagani džemper, ako ljetnje večeri postanu malo hladnije, mogli bi biti korisni.

Proljeće i jesen

Proljeće i jesen (4.-6. i 9.-11. mjesec) su blagi, s dobrom kombinacijom kiše i sunca. Kasno proljeće i rana jesen prilično su ugodno i najbolje vrijeme za posjet gradu. Tijekom tih razdoblja temperature su ugodno tople, a vrijeme je manje kišovito nego zimi; iako noći znaju malo zahladiti, a kiša se nikako ne može isključiti.

Zima

Zima je općenito hladna, u prosjeku oko 8°C danju i 2°C noću, ali visoka razina relativne vlažnosti zraka čini zimski zrak prilično lošijim, a hladni vjetar može utjecati na temperaturu. Mogu postojati i blaga i hladna razdoblja, koja se obično mijenjaju s puhanjem vjetra. Jugozapadni vjetar, zvan Lodos, može donijeti relativno ugodne, ali kišovite dane s najvišim temperaturama oko 12-16°C, dok sjeverni vjetrovi donose dnevne temperature na ili malo iznad ledišta.

Ovo doba godine poznato je po kiši. Kiša općenito pada kao lagana, povremena i jedva primjetna kiša, ali može trajati tjedan dana ili više, s gotovo tri tjedna kiše u prosjeku mjesečno. Ovakvu kišu lako je izdržati bez kišobrana (i doista, većina mještana preferira kabanice ili toplu odjeću umjesto toga), međutim, ako želite kišobran kad pada kiša vani, ulice Istanbula su odjednom pune prodavača kišobrana čim počne padati kiša. Iako su kišobrani koje nude malo lošiji, trenutna cijena je 5 TL po kišobranu, a možete pronaći mnogo bolje kišobrane za tu cijenu u trgovinama ako malo pogledate okolo.

Snježne padaline su donekle uobičajene između prosinca i ožujka, no to se prilično mijenja iz godine u godinu. Blage zime mogu imati samo trag akumulacije, dok hladnije zime mogu donijeti i do tri tjedna snježnog pokrivača. Još jedna stvar koju treba primijetiti je koliko jak snijeg može biti u Istanbulu. To je zato što snježne padaline u Istanbulu potječu od događaja koji se naziva snježnim padalinama s efektom mora ili jezera, gdje pojasovi jakih snježnih pljuskova napadaju obale Istanbula, donoseći valove kišovitog snijega. Ovi događaji uglavnom ne traju dugo, jer kada hladnije vrijeme ode iz Istanbula, ode i snijeg. No, čak iu toplijem središtu grada zabilježene su nakupine i do 75 cm u jednom danu.

Topla odjeća neophodna je tijekom zime, čak i ako ekstremne temperature nisu uobičajene, hladnoća vjetra može učiniti da se većina ljudi inače osjeća apsolutno jadno.

Doći

Državljani zemalja regiona mogu ulaziti, prelaziti preko teritorije i boraviti u Turskoj do 90 dana, sa važećom putnom ispravom, bez vize. Moraju posjedovati pasoš čiji je rok važanja najmanje 60 dana duži od dana isteka vize ili dozvoljenog boravka bez vize. Bezvizni režim je 90 dana u periodu od 180 dana, što znači da putna isprava mora važiti najmanje 150 dana od dana ulaska u Republiku Tursku.

Avionom

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Od aerodroma Sabiha Gokčen do grada

• Metroom – M4 ide do Kadikoja, a putovanje traje otprilike sat vremena. Linija nije dobro povezana sa ostatkom mreže, pa na evropsku stranu možete nastaviti trajektom ili transferom do Marmaraj voza na Ajrılık Češmesi.

• Vozom – Sabiha Gokčen Airport je 12 kilometara od stanice Pendik YHT, taksijem ili autobusom 132H moguće je otići na brzi voz za Ankaru i Konju.
• Autobusom:

• Havaist – Saobraća sa oba aerodroma. Može se platiti preko mobilne aplikacije.
• Havabüs – Saobraća od aerodroma do Taksima u centru grada (50 km, 60-90 min, 18 TL), Jenisahra, transportnog čvorišta na azijskoj strani (50 min, 10 TL) i Kadikoja, trajektnog pristaništa za Eminonu u starom gradu Sultanahmet (60 min, 39 TL + trajekt 3 TL). Autobusi voze svakih 30 minuta od 04:00 do 01:00. Karta se može kupiti u autobusu, važi i 'istanbulkart' (kartica za javni prevoz).
• Gradski autobus (İETT autobus) – Najjeftiniji je, a ovo su glavne linije:

1. do Kadıkoja autobusom E-10 (preko Kurtkoja, saobraća 24 sata) ili E-11, što traje 60-90 min u gustom saobraćaju. Potrebna je karta za dvije zone koja košta 7 TL.
2. do Taksima i drugih dijelova evropske strane, treba ići autobusom E-3 do 4, sa stanice metroa Levent. Autobus saobraća 24 sata, a putovanje traje dva časa, sa kartom za tri zone (10 TL=
3. Ostale rute uključuju E-9 do Bostanci, 16S do Metrobus Uzunčajira, KM-20 do Pendi̇ka i Kartal Metroa, KM22 do Cevi̇zli̇ platforme, E-18 do Altuni̇zade i Umrani̇jee i 122H preko Jeni̇šehi.

• Šatlom – Raspitajte se u smještaju ili potražite onlajn.
• Taksijem – Vožnja do Taksima može koštati od 30 eura na više (oktobar 2024).

Od Međunarodnog aerodroma Istanbul do grada

• Taksijem - Vožnja garantuje udoban transfer, ali ne i brz zbog gustog istanbulskog saobraćaja. Do Sultan koštaće prosječno oko 1050 TL , donosno oko 27,92€ (oktobar 2024), u zavisnosti od vremena putovanja jer taksiji ne nude fiksne cijene. Cijene vožnje su iste i danju i noću, a bakšiš nije obavezan. Vožnja od otprilike 50 km traje oko 50 minuta. Zvanične taksi stanice su odmah ispred svakog nivoa aerodroma. Žuti (narandžasti) taksiji su najjeftiniji, a možete unajmiti i udobniji plavi taksi (15% skuplji) ili crni, luksuzni taksi (70% skuplji). Ne bi trebalo koristiti pojedinačna neslužbena vozila, a obratite pažnju na uobičajene taksi prevare. Vožilo se može bukirati onlajn, korišćenjem uobičajenih servisa, ili preko mobilne aplikacije (Uber, Bolt).
• Autobusom - Dvije kompanije obavljaju prijevoz od i do Međunarodnog aerodroma Istanbul, Havaist i IETT, ali nijedna ne nudi direktnu vezu sa najpopularnijim dijelom Istanbula Sultanahmetom. Do drugih dijelova grada možete stići koristeći IETT samostalno ili u kombinaciji sa drugim vidovima prevoza. Luksuzni autobusi Havaist iSt-1 će vas ostaviti na popularnim prevoznim čvorištima poput stanice Aksaraj Metro (putovanje do ove lokacije traje oko 90 minuta, u zavisnosti od saobraćajne gužve). Havaist vozi non-stop na svakih 25-30 minuta, a karta košta 204 TL (5,42€ / 5,99$). Autobuska stanica se nalazi na nivou -2 na aerodromu. Tu su dostupne 'istanbulkart' kartice, koje važi za sva sredstva javnog prevoza, čak i za javne toalete. Kartu za aerodromski šatl možete kupiti i onlajn putem aplikacije ili sajta Havaist. Ukoliko se odlučite na vožnju gradskim autobusima ili tramvajima imajte na umu da putovanje može biti izazovno kada imate prtljag ili stižete u vrijeme špica. U vozilima zna biti gužva, a tranferi između dvije linije često uključuju i malo pješačenja.
• Metroom - linija M11 povezuje aerodrom sa gradom, pružajući brzu i pristupačnu opciju. Stanica metroa je ispred aerodromskog izlaza 11, na prednjoj strani parkinga, gdje možete kupiti 'istanbulkart'. Da biste došli do svog odredišta vjerovatno ćete morati da presjedate, možda i da malo prošetate. Metro u Istanbulu radi u periodu od 06:15 do 00:15.

Aerodrom Ataturk, nekada uobičajena destinacija za putnike zatvoten je za komercijalne letove 2019. godine.

Vozom

Izrazito orijentalna stanica Sirkeci, od 1890. dočekivala je putnike iz Evrope...

...i izrazito evropska stanica Hajdarpaša 1908. omogućila je prvi pogled na Evropu mnogim putnicima iz dalekih dijelova Azije

Još od vremena legendarnog Orijent Ekspresa, putovanje vozom je bio klasičan način da se stigne do Istanbula. To je još uvijek zanimljivo putovanje, ali vozovi ne završavaju više na nekadašnjim odredištima. Oni iz Evrope idu do Halkalija zapadno od grada, gdje se, da biste stigli do centra, prebacujete na voz Marmaraj. Putnici sa istoka završavaju u Sogutlučesme u Kadıkoju na azijskoj strani.

To znači da Istanbul ima dvije velike stanice na koje ne ide ni jedan međunarodni ili regionalni voz. Sirkeci na evropskoj strani je na mreži Marmaraj, sa vozovima za grad i metroom duboko pod zemljom, ali nema ništa na nivou ulice. Hajdarpaša u Aziji uopšte nema vozova. Obje stanice, kao spomenici davnašnjeg doba putovanja željeznicom, vrijedne su brze posjete. I obje imaju blagajne za prodaju karata, iako je obično jednostavnije kupiti ih putem interneta na web stranici turske željeznice.

Napuštena željeznička pruga do Sirkecija je netaknuta, okružuje obalu od Kazličesme, i plan je da bude vraćena u funkciju.

Vozovi sa istoka

YHT brzi vozovi (yüksek hızlı tren) idu na Sogutlučešme na azijskoj strani Istanbula, blizu njigove buduće destinacije, stanice Hajdarpaša. Dva voza dnevno nastavljaju ispod Bosfora do Bakırkoja u zapadnom predgrađu i završavaju u Halkaliju. Ne staju nigdje u Sultanahmetu ili Starom gradu, i nemaju konekciju sa evropskim vozovima; treba preći na Marmaraj vozove u obje svrhe.

Postoje česti vozovi iz Eskišehira (tri sata) i Ankare (četiri i po sata), i tri dnevno iz Konje (četiri i po sata). Jedan dnevno vozi od Karamana preko Konje. Ovi vozovi su jeftini i vrlo popularni, stoga je poželjno rezervisati nekoliko dana unaprijed, ako se cijena ne mijenja bez obzira na to kada je karta kupljena.

U istočnom dijelu grada, YHT takođe ima stanice u mjestima Bostanci, Pendik i Gebze. Pendik, koji se nalazi 25 km istočno od centra, je zgodno mjesto za transfere sa aerodroma Sabiha Gokčen, pogotovo ako namjeravate direktno na istok.

Ankara Ekspres je noćni voz između Istanbula i Ankare. Polazi sa stanice Halkali svake večeri u 22 sata, prolazi kroz Sogutlüčešme, Bostanci i Pendik uključujući još devet stanica između. U Ankari je prije sedam časova ujutro. Red vožnje je isti i drugom pravcu, a voz ima mjesta za sjedenje, kabine za spavanje i vagon-restoran.

Vozovi iz Evrope i evroskog dijela Turske

Kabina za spavanje u vozu Istanbul-Sofija

Noćni voz sa kolima za spavanje polazi iz Sofije oko 18:30 svake noći, saobraćajući preko Plovdiva, Kapikule na granici, i Jedrena, da bi završio u Halkaliju u 05:40. Od juna do septembra Bosfor ekspres polazi iz Bukurešta u 10:50, saobraćajući preko Rusea do Kapikule. Tu se spaja sa vozom iz Sofije, i svi putnici moraju izaći radi graničnih procedura prije nego što nastave za Halkalı. Linija u pravcu zapada kreće iz Halkalija u 20:00 da bi stigla do Sofije do 09:40 i Bukurešta do 17:00 sljedećeg dana. Od oktobra do maja voz iz Bukurešta ne saobraća, tako da treba presjedati u Ruseu pa opet u Kapikuleu, sa sličnim redom vožnje (Rumunija i Bugarska imaju ljetnje računanje vremena, ali Turska ne). Vozovi od Budimpešte do Bukurešta, i od Beograda do Sofije, nisu povezani sa vozovima za Tursku, tako da treba prenoćiti.

Postoji i regionalni voz jednom dnevno od Kapikulea preko Jedrena do Halkalija, a drugi iz Uzunkoprua.

Između Halkalija i grada najbolje je koristiti prigradski voz Marmaraj, koji saobraća na 15 minuta i treba mu oko sat vremena do centra.

the terminus is 25 km west of central Istanbul. Few facilities here - in particular, nowhere to change currency until you get downtown, and the ticket machines (for the Mamaray) only accept Turkish cash (except for a single one which now takes cards, though it will likely have a long queue when you arrive).

For a luxurious stylish journey, once a year the Venice Simplon Orient Express runs from Paris to Istanbul. You travel in lovely restored 1930s luxury coaches and enjoy first-rate cuisine. Tickets start at €13,500; sorry, your Eurail pass won't help here.

Autobusom

Turska ima sistem međugradskih autobusa za putovanja širom zemlje. Većina međugradskih autobusa koji opslužuju i evropske i azijske dijelove Turske polaze i završavaju na autobuskoj stanici Esenler. Mnoge autobuske kompanije imaju kancelarije širom grada i besplatne mini-buseve poznate kao "servis", koji prikupljaju putnike iz grada i odvoze ih do glavnih autobuskih stanica ili sopstvenih mini terminala u blizini glavnih autoputeva.

Evropska strana

Alibejkoj

The (Alibeyköy Cep Otogarı) is a secondary hub for the European side and is located at Güzeltepe near the outer beltway of Istanbul. Despite its orderly and cool steel-and-glass look, and much smaller size compared with Esenler, this is an unexpectedly chaotic bus station.

Buses from Anatolia stop here en route to Esenler bus station, 20–25 min further.

The T5 tram line connects this bus station to the M7 metro line, which can be used to get to Mecidiyeköy, a major hub for public transport and the business center of the city, the BRT Metrobüs line, and to Eminönü all the while providing the passengers a scenic ride along the Golden Horn. There are also somewhat infrequent shuttle services available although none heads for Sultanahmet, they are slower than the tram, and don't expect their drivers to speak much English.

Esenler

Often called simply 'the Otogar' (Bus Station) or occasionally 'Bayrampaşa Otogar', the colossal (Esenler Otogarı), is located at Esenler (although officially within the Bayrampaşa district), about 10 km (6 miles) northwest of Sultanahmet. This is the city's main bus station (Template:Wy/hbs/Phone) for intercity (including Gallipoli) and many international routes (such as Greece and Bulgaria).

Despite having been renamed the 15 Temmuz Demokrasi Otogar (also called the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Otogar) in memory of those who died during the abortive coup attempt of 15 July 2016, most bus companies continue to use the Esenler Otogar name.

With 168 ticket offices and gates, shops, restaurants, hotel, police station, clinic and mosque, the Büyük Otogar ("big bus station") is a town in itself, although it lacks a central information desk, so you will have to ask around the individual offices for prices and timetables for your destination.

It is served by the Otogar metro station on the M1 metro line. Connections to major destinations within the city are as follows:

• Sultanahment: From the Otogar metro station you can take the metro to Aksaray or Zeytinburnu and then easily connect with a tram to Sultanahmet (about 30 minutes via Aksaray) or Kabataş/Taksim. If you travelling with a lot of luggage you may prefer to transfer between the tram to the Metro at Zeytinburnu as the stations are side by side, whereas at Yusufpaşa it is necessary to carry your luggage up and down the steps of an underpass to get to Aksaray Metro station. Going via Zeytinburnu will take longer. The journey will be cheaper if you purchase and recharge an İstanbulkart from the machines at the entrance to the metro station. The total fare between the bus station and Sultanahmet if you use a İstanbulkart 2.60 TL (initial) + 1.85 TL (transfer) = 4.5 TL (plus the initial purchase cost of the card) or two 5 TL Jeton tokens (one for the metro and the other for the tram). A taxi will cost approximately 55 TL to either Sultanahmet or Taksim.

• Beyoğlu: Take the M1 Metro line to Yenikapı, then change there for the M2 Metro line in the direction of Hacıosman, and get out at Sishane or Taksim. An alternative is to take IETTTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link bus 830 which departs from the bus station at 06:00. 07:00, 07:35, 09:00, 11:00, 13:15, 15:55, 17:15 and 18:35 M to Sa, and at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:15 on Sundays. It takes approximately 60 minutes to reach Taksim Square. You'll need a Jeton or İstanbulkart to pay for your fare.

• Bus connections: The main lines from the centre include 28O from Beşiktaş, 75O from Mecidiyeköy, 91O from Eminönü, and 83O from Taksim. Refer to the IETTTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link website for timetables. Esenler is approximately 39 km from the new Istanbul airport. They are connected by the HVIST-5 airport bus service operated by HavaİstTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link. The journey takes 60 to 75 minutes.

• Courtesy mini-buses: Some bus companies such as Pamukkale operate servis between the bus station and various pickup and drop-off points around the city.

Emniyet Terminali

(also known as the Emniyet Otogar or Laleli Uluslararası Yolcu Transfer Merkezi) is the main bus station for international connections, on Küçük Langa Cd, south of Aksaray.

It provides international services to the Balkans (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Romania), the eastern half of Europe (Germany, Hungary, and Poland), the Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), and the Middle East (Iraq, and Iran).

Companies that operate from this station include Ast Turizm, Aybaki Tur, Golden Turizm, Mahmut Turizm, Mahmudoğlu Turizm, Metro Turizm, Ortadoğu TurizmTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link, Nişikli Turizm, Nugo Turizm, Özlem Turizm, Öznuhoğlu, Perla Trans, Star Turizm, Troy Turizm and Vardar TurizmTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link.

It is less than 400 m from the Yenikapı station on the M1 and M2 metro lines and the Marmaray train line. It is also approximately 500 m from the Yusufpaşa station on the T1 tram line, which serves Sultanahmet.

The HVIST-12 airport bus service operated by HavaİstTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link connects Aksaray with the new Istanbul airport. The closest stop to the bus station is 700 m away on Adnan Menderes Blvd.

Asian side

Buses travelling to and between Istanbul's Esenler bus station and Anatolian destinations stop on the Asian side of Istanbul to pick up and drop off passengers.

If you are travelling between the European side of Istanbul and Anatolia it's worth considering getting on or off the bus on the Asian side as it takes anything between 1h 15min and 1h 45min hours off the total travel time.

For many years the principal bus station on the Asian side of Istanbul has been at (pronounced hah-REHM; not to be confused with the ladies' quarter of the Topkapı Palace with the same name) right on the Bosphorus, south of Üsküdar and north of Haydarpaşa.

From Harem, regular car ferries (which take walk-on passengers) cross the Bosphorus to Sirkeci (just east of Eminönü) on the European side (every 30 minutes M-Sa 05:30-23:00 Su 07:00-22:00). There are also regular passenger ferries from Kadıköy and Üsküdar south and north of Harem to Beşiktaş and Kabataş on the European side. Dolmuşes and many bus lines make the quick run to Üsküdar, from where you can also connect to the M5 metro line, and Marmaray cross-city suburban train.

Many of the bus companies (especially the larger ones offering a long list of destinations) have relocated to their own mini-terminals or hubs in the far-flung suburbs of Dudullu, Ferhatpaşa, and Samandıra, as these locations provide a more convenient access to the major motorways. While some of these hubs are relatively close to various stations of M5, none are directly on that metro line, so better catch the servis minibuses into various central areas, including Harem, Kadıköy and Üsküdar.

Reserve a seat in advance as some buses arrive on the Asian side from Esenler with no empty seats.

By boat

Maiden's Tower at the southern entrance to the Bosphorus

There are Black Sea ferries several times a week to Chornomorske, the main port for Odesa in Ukraine, taking 27 hours. They run all year and take vehicles; indeed trucking is an important part of their business, as so many travellers nowadays fly. The ferry terminal is at Haydarpaşa, by the old railway station. These ferries used to sail to other Black Sea ports but they no longer do.

There are no other international ferries to Istanbul - see "Get around" for local ferries around the Sea of Marmara. Cruise ships usually dock on the European side, around Karaköy/Galataport, closer to the historic centre. These ships are on cruise itineraries, check with the operator whether a point-to-point journey ending in Istanbul is possible.

By car

Istanbul lies on the European highway E80, and relatively short distance north of E90, both stretching from Lisbon at the opposite end of the continent. As for the Asian highways, AH-1 from Tokyo, and AH-5 from Shanghai pass through the city before terminating at the Turkish-Bulgarian border in the west, but they are not signposted in Turkey.

Traffic in Istanbul can be manic; expect a stressful drive because you will be cut off and honked at constantly. It seems that half of the cars in Istanbul are parking while the other half is stuck in traffic.

Even if you are on a one-way road, always expect someone coming towards you. The city hosts more than 1½ million cars and there is a strong demand for building of new or alternate highways which of course fill up with traffic as soon as they're built.

If you've arrived in Istanbul by car, and you're not familiar with the streets, it's better to park your car in a safe place and take public transportation to get around.

The parts of the city on either continent separated by the Bosphorus are connected by three bridges and a road tunnel. All require paying a toll to cross, and none accepts cash: payment must be made by using electronic stickers called HGS, obtainable from postoffices.

On weekdays, there are potentially hour-long traffic jams on the highways leading to bridges, especially those two closer to the city centre, and particularly heading west in the mornings and east in the evenings, since most people live on the Anatolian side but work on the European side.

There is a great shortage of parking in Istanbul, and existing lots are quite expensive. You will see many cars parked on the sides of the road, in front of garage doors even.

Street signs are rare. It is a common thing to pull over and ask for directions, something the natives and taxi drivers do quite often.

By bicycle

The Sultan's Trail (2,500 km) and the Sufi Trail (800 km) are cycling and hiking trails approaching the city from the west and the east, specifically Vienna and Konya respectively. The former retraces the campaign of Suleiman the Magnificent onto the Habsburg capital, while the latter follows an Ottoman Hajj pilgrimage route.

Otherwise, you will have to approach the city on D-100 from either direction, or on the northern (and relatively less busy) route D-020 from the west, and perhaps switch to the bike paths along the Marmara coast once the suburban development begins, as all other main routes leading into the city are classified as motorways, and thus the bikes are forbidden on them.

By thumb

Istanbul is huge, so you'll need public transport between your accommodation and your pick-up/drop-off point. Leaving the city, the best routes are:

• West into Europe: you want to be on main highway E-80. First take bus 448 from Yenibosna metro station (southern line, near Ataturk Airport) north towards Mimarsinan. Get off after about 5 km when you cross the E-80.
• East into Asia: again, you want to reach highway E-80. Probably the closest you can start thumbing is Pendik: reach it by metro as described for the YHT railway station. Then start hitching on D-100 which will join E-80. A local lift as far as Gebze or Izmit will also be close to that highway.

Get around

Rapid transit map of Istanbul (urban rail and metrobüs systems)

Sistem javnog prevoza Istanbula može biti težak za razumijevanje, linije su slabo povezane, često morate presjedati i platiti drugu kartu da biste stigli na destinaciju. Međutim, ako se malo potrudite, možete izbjeći taksije i previše hodanja.

Osim ako ne koristite Istanbulkart, svaki put kada uđete u tramvaj, metro, autobus ili trajekt u sistemu javnog prevoza, moraćete da platite kartu.

Ako je javni prevozom vaš izbor, najbolje je koristiti aplikacije za javni prijevoz na pametnom telefonu kako biste lako mogli vidjeti stanice u blizini ili alternativne rute za planirano odredište. İETT ima službeni Mobiett koji je dostupan za iOS, Android ili Windows. Google Maps je takođe veoma pouzdan za usmjeravanje, ali ne očekujte da će vrijeme dolaska autobusa biti tačno.

Istanbulkart

The İstanbulkartTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link is Istanbul's public transport smart card, which can be used as a ticket on buses, trams, suburban trains, metro, local ferries, etc. If you are in Istanbul for more than a day or two and intend to use public transport, it will pay for itself in a few trips. The card itself costs 50 TL, which does not include any credit. Top up can only be bought using notes, although very few machines do accept credit cards. Any credit left on the Istanbulkart is not refundable, so make sure it's empty when you return the card for deposit. It can be purchased at a number of small corner shops throughout the city. But there are recharge machines at most stations (though not necessarily at all entrances), only accepting notes.

An alternative to the physical card is the Mobile İstanbulkart, which is an app you can load on your phone. However, as of 2023, signing up requires a Turkish mobile phone number, so unless you have one, you will be out of luck.

You touch the Istanbulkart to a reader when you get on the bus or enter the tram or metro platform. The great advantage for a group of travellers is that you can buy only one and touch it as many times as there are passengers (unlike London's Oyster card, there is no need to touch out, except the BRT Metrobüs line). You can buy or refill them at designated booths located at any major bus, tram, or metro station, as well as some other places such as newspaper stands close to bus stops. There are refill machines located at most metro or tram stops and ferry terminals. An Istanbulkart provides significantly discounted rates (a bit over half price for unlinked trips and even cheaper for transfers) compared to regular single tickets, as well as discounts on transfers and short round trips (when used multiple times within a limited period, roughly 1½ hr since the last time you used it). For instance, a trip with Istanbulkart costs ~9.9 TL, while a single ticket is 15.40 TL. The round trip to the airport pays for more than half the cost of this card.

Some connections charge around 20 TL initially because their range is very large, e.g. the Marmaray train but even buses. However, there are refund machines at the exit of stations that serve these long distance connections. In case you only travel a short distance tap your card there, and you will be reimbursed some money. Either way, if you feel like you paid too much, tap or just always tap—you won't get charged twice. As of 2023, however, Istanbulkart must be "personalized" - linked to a Turkish ID card - to be able to enjoy discount transfers and Marmaray refunds. This means that regular tourists are not eligible and will not enjoy any discounts on transfers and/or Marmaray refund.

The Istanbulkart is relatively new, and replaces the older Akbil metal touch-token which is deprecated. Though some Kiosks still have Akbil signs rather than Istanbulkart signs - but you can usually buy or top up your Istanbulkart at any kiosk where the Akbil sign is displayed. There is also the so-called "mavi kart" or blue card which is a cheaper option for frequent users of public transport but has some restrictions, can be used by one person whose photo and name are printed on it, it gives 180 trips in bus/tram/metro that have to be used up within a maximum period of 30 days and costs about 200 TL + 10 TL for printing the card the first time.

Putnici sa invaliditetom Gradske su ulice prilično teške za korisnike invalidskih kolica, ali je uprava javnog prevoza preduzela određene korake da ih prilagodi. Na trotoarima duž mnogih glavnih ulica u centralnim područjima, kao i na pješačkim prelazima, postavljeni su taktilni pločnici. Mnogi pješački semafori takođe upozoravaju glasom (samo na turskom). Autobusi: U toku je proces zamjene starih autobusa za novije koji su dostupni osobama u invalidskim kolicima. Mnogi autobusi na centralnim linijama imaju nizak pod i ugrađenu rampu (konsultujte vozača da nagne autobus bliže zemlji, da otvori rampu i da pomogne u autobusu, iako bi bilo šta od toga, nažalost, moglo biti nemoguće zbog gužvi, pogotovo u vrijeme saobraćajnog špica. LCD ekrani prikazuju imena stajališta dok im se približavate i daju se glasovne najave. Tramvaji su dostupni za osobe u invalidskim kolicima sa staničnih perona koji su niski i opremljeni blagim rampama direktno sa nivoa ulice (ili trotoara). Sve stanice se najavljuju i na displeju i glasom. Metro: Gotovo sve stanice istanbulskog metro sistema dostupne su osobama koje koriste invalidska kolica, sa liftovima do perona sa nivoa ulice. Ako vam je potrebna pomoć, potražite čuvare u sivo-crnim uniformama u blizini staničnih ulaza. Sve stanice se najavljuju glasom u metro vozovima. U većini linija to je takođe najavljeno na displeju, ali ne i u starijim vozovima M1A/M1B. Umjesto toga, treba pogledati znakove na stanicama, koji su dovoljno veliki i uobičajeni. Većina metro stanica ima vidljive površinske indikatore koji vode slabovide od nivoa ulice do perona.

By train

The Marmaray cross-town train, opened in March 2019, links Halkali mainline station in the west with Bakırköy, Zeytinburnu, Sirkeci and Üsküdar either side of the Bosphorus, and Bostancı, Kartal, Pendik and Gebze to the east; plus many small suburban stations. (Pendik and Gebze are on the YHT main line.) Trains run every 15 min 06:00-23:00 and between city centre and end of the line takes an hour, for a fare of 9.9 to 21 TL. The central sections are shared with the metro.

Metroom

Gradski Metro ima dosta linija, mada mnoge turista neće ni koristiti.

• M1A povezuje glavnu autobusku stanicu (Otogar) do Aksaraya, odakle možete uhvatiti tramvaj T1 do centra grada, i dalje do željezničkog čvorišta Yenikapı za veze sa M2 i Marmaray. Tu je i grana (M1B) koja opslužuje zapadno predgrađe Kirazli. Svi vozovi opslužuju dionicu između Yenikapı-a i autobuske stanice.
• M2 počinje od Yenikapıja i prelazi Zlatni rog, nastavljajući preko Şişhanea i trga Taksim do Mecidiyeköya i Leventa u poslovnoj četvrti, i dalje na sjever do Hacıosmana (glavnog autobuskog čvorišta za predgrađa na sjevernoj evropskoj strani, npr. Sarıyer).
• M3 nastavlja sjeverozapadno od M1B stanice Kirazlı. M9 je nastavak iste linije u drugom pravcu.
• M4 na azijskoj strani ide od Kadıköya do predgrađa duž obale Marmara sve do istoka do Kartala, Pendika (koji je zapravo oko kilometar udaljen od stanice Pendik YHT) i aerodroma Sabiha Gökçen.
• M5 na azijskoj strani prolazi između Üsküdara na Bosforu i spoljašnjeg predgrađa Çekmeköy kroz Ümraniye.
• M6 (naziva se i Mini Metro) je šatl od stanice Levent na M2 i opslužuje luksuznu četvrt Etiler i glavni kampus Univerziteta Boğaziçi u Hisarüstüu. Nastavak uspinjače F4 veza je sa obalom Bosfora.
• M7 uglavnom opslužuje gusto naseljena stambena područja na sjeveru kao što su Bağcılar i Gaziosmanpaşa (takođe poznata kao G.O.P.), povezujući ih preko Mecidiyeköy, poslovnog okruga i jednog od glavnih transportnih čvorišta, do Yıldıza, oko kilometar uzbrdo od trajekta pristanište u Bešiktašu. Ova linija se takođe povezuje sa linijama metroa M3 i M2, kao i sa metroom i tramvajskim linijama T4 i T5.
• M8 je međugradska linija na azijskoj strani, koja povezuje linije M4, M5 i Marmaray prigradske (B1) linije jedne s drugima, kao i sa trajektnim pristaništem u Bostancıju.
• M11 vodi do glavnog aerodroma od Kağıthanea na M7, s produžetkom do Gayrettepea na M2 u izgradnji od januara 2023.

Much of the city is not yet served by the metro (the new airport is expected to be connected soon), and the distance between stations is larger than in most European cities. But the metro is fast where it does go and meticulously clean and modern, with much of it dating to the 21st century. Most lines are deep underground and some have entrances amidst busy streets with pedestrian tunnels or bridges the only access, so be prepared to walk quite a bit when going to and from stations. Transfers virtually always require exiting and re-entering the system which means a new full fare (with single use tickets) or a reduced fare for the connection (with Istanbulkart). You do not have to swipe any card on exit for metro or tram routes but you do have to do so for Istanbulkart on Metrobus, else you'll be charged the maximum distance fare. As of 2023, only "personalized" Istanbulkarts will receive any refunds or discounts.

Istanbul's first underground system dates to the 19th century, when the funicular subway "Tünel" (F2) was constructed to operate from Karaköy to Istiklal Caddesi in 1875, travelling 573 m up a steep hill. It's still running and is handy for going from the Galata Bridge to İstiklal Caddesi, the famous throughfare of Beyoğlu

There is also another, modern funicular system (F1) connecting Taksim to Kabataş where you can transfer to ferries for the Anatolian side, or to trams bound for the old city.

Heavy construction on extensions and new lines continues apace, with the gap between the M1 and the M2 plugged with Yenikapı station. You can connect M4 and M5 via Marmaray from Yenikapı station. Unfortunately most network maps already show the yet to be built extensions in a lighter shade which can be confusing for a casual glance and frustrating when contemplating where you might be able to go if only you visited Istanbul a year or two later.

The old plastic tokens are no longer valid: the only way to pay for metro is Istanbulkart or limited-pass cards. The metro stations do not have a staffed ticket booth, so you must obtain your tickets or top-up your Istanbulkart through ticket machines. To buy limited pass cards, insert coins or notes and then press the button marked onay/okay. A single pass costs 15 TL on any urban rail in Istanbul though an Istanbulkart (see above) may be more cost effective during your trip.

By tram

The modern tramcars of Istanbul

Snaking its way between its eastern terminus Kabataş on the Bosphorus and the western terminus at Bağcılar in the northwest, T1 is the most useful tram line, serving many popular sites across the Old City and ferry jetties. The most helpful interchange stations are Kabataş (for F1 funicular to Taksim), Karaköy (for F2 old funicular, Tünel, to the lower end of İstiklal Avenue and ferries to the Asian Side), Eminönü (for T5 tram and ferries to the Asian Side), Laleli-Üniversite (for M2 metro), Aksaray (for B1 Marmaray), Yusufpaşa (for M1 metro), Topkapı (for T4 light rail), Cevizlibağ (for BRT Metrobüs), Zeytinburnu (for M1 and BRT), and Bağcılar (for M1 and M3 metro).

During rush hours (roughly 07:00-09:00 and 17:00-19:30), every other tram runs only the central section between Eminönü or Sultanahmet and Cevizlibağ. Speaking of which, during rush hours, it's best to skip the tram entirely, as walking instead is not only less endeavouring than trying to stand in the most nightmarish sardine can, but also is quicker as the crowd won't disperse enough to allow you to get into the car before the second or even the third tram calling at.

Other tram lines are T5 from Eminönü via Fener and Balat along the Golden Horn to Eyüp and Alibeyköy (the secondary bus station and interchange to M7 metro), and T4 (part underground; more like metro-tram light rail of some European cities) from Topkapı outside the city walls to the nondescript northwestern suburbs.

The vintage tram lines T2, 1920s tram cars rattling along İstiklal Avenue, and T3, 1960s German-made streetcars on a circular route between Kadıköy and nearby Moda on the Asian Side, are more of attractions than practical transport options.

As with other public transport, you use Istanbulkart for the payment, but you must pay another fare each time you change lines although on a progressively discounted rate.

Tram lines are run by Metro Istanbul.

By boat

Istanbul liner ready to depart from Eminönü

Unique Istanbul liners (large conventional ferry boats), sea-buses (high speed catamarans), or mid-sized private ferries travel between the European and Asian sides of the city. The crossing takes about 20 minutes and costs 7.67 TL with Istanbulkart, and gives great views of the Bosphorus. Sometimes the ferry when arriving at a dock can bounce off the pier accidentally, even on calm days. This can cause people to fall over if they are standing up, so it is advisable to remain seated until the ferry has come to an absolute stop.

In Istanbul, liners from any given pier generally take only a certain route, and these piers are signposted as according to the destination. For instance, Eminönü alone has more than 5 piers (including the ones used by ferries other than liners), so if you should head for, say, Üsküdar, you should take the ferry which departs from Üsküdar İskelesi. Replace 'Üsküdar' with the destination of your choice.

Istanbul liners travel on the following routes:

• Karaköy–Haydarpaşa–Kadıköy
• Kadıköy–Eminönü
• Üsküdar–Eminönü
• Üsküdar–Karaköy–Eminönü–Eyüpsultan (The Golden Horn Route)
• Kadıköy–Besiktaş
• Kabatas–Uskudar–Harem
• Istinye–Emirgan–Kanlıca–Anadolu Hisarı–Kandilli–Bebek–Arnavutköy–Çengelköy (The Whole Bosphorus Route)
• Anadolu Kavağı–Rumeli Kavağı–Sariyer
• Eminönü–Kavaklar (Special Bosphorus Tour, Recommended For Tourists)
• Sirkeci–Adalar–Yalova–Cınarcık (The Princes' Islands Route)

Istanbul gull at the Princes' Islands. They can be commonly seen flying in droves alongside the local ferries, receiving treats such as simit from the passengers.

Furthermore, the sea-buses (deniz otobüsü) follow the same (or more) routes, usually much faster than liners. Returning to Yenikapı from Kadıköy by sea-bus is a fast and convenient way to cross the Bosphorus; at Yenikapı you can change to numerous urban rail routes.

Four main private ferry routes for travelling between Asia and Europe sides are:

• Besiktaş–Üsküdar
• Kabataş–Üsküdar (close to tram and funicular system in Kabataş)
• Eminönü–Üsküdar (close to tram in Eminönü)
• Eminönü–Kadıköy (close to tram in Eminönü)

There is also a Golden Horn boat line, starting from Eyüpsultan and ending in the Asian Side, Üsküdar, passing through notable touristic places like Balat, Fener, Cibali and Karaköy. Although the trip takes around an hour to complete, the boat ride is quite enjoyable with beautiful scenery of the Golden Horn. The boats arrive in the stations only once every hour though, if you plan on taking this boat you should time it well.

All of the ferries, including private ones, can be paid for using the AKBIL/Istanbulkart system.

Very useful are the fast ferryboats (travelling at 55 km/h) running from several points, such as the Yenikapi–Yalova one, that allows you (with a connecting bus in Yalova) to be in Bursa centre in less than three hours. Prices are marginally higher and the gain in time is considerable, though the view is not as nice. There are also cheaper BUDO ferry lines from Eminönü to Mudanya, the port for Bursa. From there you can take a bus to the Bursa city centre.

By bus

Public transportation buses are either run or inspected by İETTTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link. Public buses in Istanbul come in many colours and shapes, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that ticket sales on board have completely been phased out, so you will have to obtain one (or an İstanbulkart, which is accepted on all public transport methods) prior to boarding the bus.

Istanbul's heavily used bus rapid transit (BRT) system, locally called Metrobüs, are served by long hybrid buses running on their special lanes along the city's inner beltway, separated from all other traffic and thus saving lots of time in Istanbul's generally congested roads. While an extremely important transport option for the locals, the system covers areas not usually visited by the travellers, between Beylikdüzü in the far western suburbs of the city and Kadıköy on the Asian Side via Bakırköy, Cevizlibağ outside the old city walls near the Topkapı Gate, the business district in Mecidiyeköy, and the Bosphorus Bridge.

Most bus lines operate roughly 06:00-23:59, usually with a reduced volume of services after 22:00. Some lines between major centres operate 24/7 though, as is the Metrobüs, with about an hour intervals. After midnight, buses cost two tickets per person rather than the usual one.

Night Time Bus Lines:

A double check from İETT website is strongly recommended.

• TH-1 Taksim - Atatürk Airport (does not operate between 01:00 - 04:00)
• 40 Taksim Square–Rumelifeneri/Garipçe
• E10 Kadikoy–Sabiha Gokcen International Airport
• 15F Kadikoy–Beykoz
• 130 Kadikoy–Tuzla
• 34A Sogutlucesme(Kadikoy)–Edirnekapi (Metrobus)
• 34 Avcilar–Zincirlikuyu (Metrobus)

As a tourist, you are most likely to use the tram and the metro in the Sultanahmet and Taksim area since there are no bus lines operating in the area anymore.

Buses and streetcars tend to be very crowded during rush hours, especially on Mondays and Fridays. That can also create opportunities for pickpockets.

By taxi

Taxis are an easy and cheap way to get around. Start off rate is 9.8 TL and then 6.3 TL for each km afterwards (2022). Distances up to 2½ km are subject to a fixed price of 28 TL, after that distance the meters track at the above rates. A one-way travel from Taksim Square to Sultanahmet Template:Wy/hbs/Dead link costs approximately 20 TL. Tipping is generally unnecessary. The opening fare for Istanbul taxis for the year 2023 is determined as 12.65 TL, and the subsequent fare per kilometer is 8.51 TL. Frequently, drivers will refuse to start the meter and try to negotiate a fixed price (e.g. 150 TL for a short trip from Yenikapı ferry terminal to Sultanahmet, to which should cost less than 60 TL). You should avoid these cabs and take another one as you will almost certainly end up paying too much. To be sure, before getting in, just ask "how much to go to ...?" (most of the drivers understand basic English) since the price they tell then is quite accurate. Tell them then to put the taximeter on. Drivers do normally work with the taximeter, so they will not be surprised at all when you ask them to put it on. The price at the end will be quite close to the one they tell you at the beginning. There is no extra fare at night.

If you have internet connection on your laptop or mobile device, always use Istanbul Taxi Fare Calculator just before taking a taxi from airport, hotel or restaurant. It will help you to easily estimate taxi fare based on pick-up and drop-off locations anywhere in Istanbul, give an outline about the journey and avoid potential taxi scams.

Even when agreeing to take you on the meter, taxis in Istanbul have several dodges to catch the unwary traveller. The meter is often situated right in front of the gear stick and drivers somehow manage to advance the meter while changing gear. Not putting the meter back to the starting rate, i.e. adding your fare to the previous one, is also common. Taxis that wait near a bus station or at Yenikapı ferry terminal are usually a tourist trap. They start the meter but charge you 20 TL at least. Emphasize to the driver that you will pay for the meter price before getting in. Do not buy their quick-sell tricks. Always try to stop a taxi that is passing by on the road or find a legitimate taxi stop.

Insist on going to the destination that you want because some drivers are paid a commission each time they deliver someone to a certain hotel, restaurant, shop, etc.

Istanbul taxis are colored yellow or maroon. The yellow taxis' license plates start with 34 T and maroon ones start with 34 M. Yellow taxis are more common, as the maroon ones work mainly around western suburbs. They can not pick travelers from yellow taxis' region and vice versa.

Be careful of what notes you hand them for payment; some drivers have tried to pretend that the 50 TL note that was handed was just a 5 TL note. Occasionally taxi drivers may actually also rip notes you give them, and tell you it is no good, in order to make you hand them a 50 TL note. So, make sure the notes are not ripped, and is actually the right one before you hand them over. Also, if you are not familiar with the city the taxi driver may drive a detour in order to charge you more.

The major ride-hailing companies are Uber, Bitaksi (the cheapest so far), and iTaksiTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link (the most expensive one, also a lot of people complain about its cheating drivers). You can only access Uber through a VPN on your phone as the app is banned in Turkey. A ride-hailing driver may ask you to cancel the ride and pay in cash instead. It's better to refuse, because even if you verbally agree on a price based on the app, the driver can pretend there was a miscommunication and argue for a higher price.

Traffic can be very bad, it can take an hour for a few kilometers through the old city. You might be better off taking the metro out of the old city and then a taxi from there.

Some important routes with distances and estimated taxi fares are:

• Istanbul New Airport (IST) - Taxim Square ~ 44 km
• Istanbul New Airport (IST) - Sultanahmet Square (Old City) ~ 47 km
• Taxim Square - Sultanahmet (Old City) ~ 5.5 km
• Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) - Kadikoy (Chalcadonia) Ferry Terminal ~ 36 km
• Esenler (Bus Terminal) - Topkapı Palace (Sultanahmet) ~ 10.5 km

By shared taxi

Dolmuş (Turkish: "full") is a shared taxi, travelling on a fixed route, which costs more than a city autobus but less than a normal taxi. They can carry up to 8 passengers and may only take cash. They carry a Dolmuş sign on top. They will only start driving when all eight seats are full, which is also where the name derives from.

The main and most important routes for dolmuşes are :

• Taksim–Eminönü (Taksim stop, near the Atatürk Cultural Centre, in Taksim square)
• Taksim–Kadıköy
• Taksim–Bostanci
• Taksim–Aksaray (Taksim stop, Tarlabasi Avenue, close to Taksim square)
• Kadıköy–Bostanci (Bostanci stop, in front of the Bostanci ferry port)
• Taksim–Tesvikiye (Taksim stop, in front of Patisserie Gezi, in Taksim square)
• Beşiktaş–Nisantasi (Beşiktaş stop, in front of the Beşiktaş - Üsküdar ferry port)
• Kadıköy–Üsküdar (Üsküdar stop, Near the Üsküdar - Beşiktaş and Üsküdar - Kabataş ferry port)

If you want the driver to make a stop, you can say İnecek var. (EE-neh-djek war! -- Someone's getting out.) or Müsait bir yerde. (mU-sa-EEt bir yer-deh. -- At a convenient spot.)

Biciklom

Isbike bicikli su jeftini za iznajmljivanje. Međutim, ako aplikacija za İsbike, web stranica i automati ne prihvate vašu stranu kreditnu karticu, možda nećete moći da iynajmite biciklo ako prethodno ne nabavite personalizovanu plavu İstanbulkartu. Ako imate prijatelja iz Turske, možda će vam pozajmiti svoju karticu za depozit koji je mali i blokiran na nekoliko dana.

See

Hagia Sofia

Sultan Ahmet Mosque at dusk

Basilica cistern, built by the Romans

Museum Pass

The Turkish government offers a museum pass for Istanbul's many sights and museums, and key spots on Sultanahmet, for 1750 TL (Apr 2023). The pass can be bought at the entrance of many museums or online. Check out what is included, and buy it if it makes sense for you. Numerous sights can still be seen for free and the biggest joy is probably just walking around and sucking in the atmosphere.

The non-transferable pass is valid for five days from the date of the first visit, and allows one free entry to each of these museums:

• Topkapı Palace and Harem
• Hagia Irene
• Istanbul Archaeological Museums
• Istanbul Mosaic Museum
• Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam
• Museum of Turkey and Islamic Arts
• Galata Mevlevi House Museum
• Yildiz Palace
• Rumeli Hisar Museum
• Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi Museum)

In addition to saving money when visiting these sites, the card allows you to skip the queue for tickets and go straight to the gates at some sites (Galata Tower is the notable exception). Most museums in Istanbul are closed on Mondays or Wednesdays, so checking the website first or ringing is a sensible option before setting off.

Alternatively, you can consider buying the much more expensive Istanbul Tourist Pass, 2-day pass costs €95, 3-day pass €115, 5-day pass €135, 7-day pass €145 (April 2019). It includes entrance to all of the above museums, a couple of boat tours, three days mobile internet, and even a one-way discounted Istanbul airport transfer (€20). However, it consistently receives negative reviews due to bad organisation and intermittent problems with accessing some of its included services.

Sights

Template:Wy/hbs/SeeDistricts With its long history at the centre of empires, Istanbul offers a wealth of historic and religious places to take in. The bulk of these ancient monuments, dating back to the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods, including the Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque), and the Basilica Cistern are around Sultanahmet Square, while some others are dispersed throughout the peninsula of the old city, such as the former Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora (Kariye Camii), the entire inside of which is covered by mindblowing frescoes and mosaics. An impressive section of the mostly intact Theodosian walls, which mark the full length of the western boundary of the peninsula, is right next to this particular church.

North of the old city, across the Golden Horn, is Galata, crowned by the Galata Tower. Istanbul Modern, with its exhibitions of contemporary Turkish art, is on the nearby waterfront of Karaköy. Another sight of the district, just north of the Tower, is the museum converted from the Dervish Hall of the Sufi Mevlevi order — those interested in the teachings of Rumi will particularly be entertained here. Further north is Istiklal Avenue, Istanbul's prominent pedestrian street running from near the Galata Tower to Taksim Square, the central square of the city.

Heading west from the old city brings you deeper into the banks of the Golden Horn estuary. A neighbourhood perhaps well worth a visit here is Eyüpsultan, to visit the city’s holiest Islamic shrine and, with all the religious people wandering around the narrow cobblestone streets in their turbans and other traditional outfits, just to see what the daily life in Ottoman Istanbul might be like. On the opposite shores of the Horn, in Sütlüce is Miniaturk, the first miniature park in the city, with models from around the former Ottoman Empire.

North of Taksim Square is New Istanbul, the main business district of the city. If venturing out to this direction, it's worth checking out the Military Museum, where Ottoman military music concerts (Mehter) are held every afternoon. Most of the skyscrapers of the city are located in the north of this district, around Levent and Maslak, with a totally different skyline from that of the old city. However the southern reaches of the very same district has some fine neo-classical and Art Nouveau buildings from the turn of the 20th century, around the neighbourhoods of Osmanbey, Kurtuluş, and Nişantaşı. Just east from here, slopping down to the shore, is the banks of the Bosphorus, lined by pleasant neighbourhoods full of waterfront mansions (yalı) and a number of waterside palaces where you can admire what money could buy in times gone by.

Across the Bosphorus to the east is the Asian Side, centred around the historic districts of Kadıköy and Üsküdar, and perhaps best symbolized by the Maiden’s Tower, at about the halfway between these districts, on an islet just offshore. The Bosphorus and Marmara coasts of this half of the city are characterized by quite picturesque neighbourhoods, overlooked by Çamlıca Hill, one of the highest hills of the city affording a large panorama, with a café and a pleasant park on its summit.

Gli (2004–2020) lived in Hagia Sophia all her life

Southeast of the city, off the southern coast of the Asian Side are the Princes' Islands, an archipelago of nine car-free islands, characterized by stunning wooden mansions and pine groves.

Beginning from the 2010s, many visitors to the city have wanted their trip to include, or have even devoted their whole trip to, the locations where their favourite Turkish drama series were shot. See Turkish TV series tourism for an in-depth discussion.

And the cats everywhere: Catstanbul lives up to its name, and has from 125,000 to over a million feline citizens, mostly tabbies. They are usually amicable, well-fed, and healthy – simply purry – so the proper way of referring to them is "communally-owned" rather than "feral" or "stray".

Tulips

A carpet of tulips, purported to be the world's largest, blooms in late April in Sultanahmet

Tulips were long ignored for their association with the 18th-century Tulip era, a period of ostentation and costly parties thrown by the Ottoman elite amidst large gardens full of tulips (and also when the first bulbs were introduced to the Netherlands from Istanbul), which was later seen as one of the reasons for the financial weakening and eventual dissolution of the empire. However, as the 21st century arrived, tulips have made a significant comeback, regaining much of their former popularity and now serve as a symbol for both Istanbul and Turkey. Depending on the cultivar, they bloom from late March to early May; pick April for the best views. While they can be seen at the sides or the central strip of many avenues of the city wherever there is enough space, for truly enjoying large patches of tulips with relatively exotic varieties, head to Sultanahmet Park and Gülhane Park in Sultanahmet, Emirgan Park in the northern Bosphorus neighbourhood of Emirgan or Çamlıca Hill in the Asian Side.

Do

• Hamam – Sultanahmet has many historical hamams. Some are very extravagant and cater mainly to tourists.
• Waterpipe – Most of the places where you can smoke a nargile are in Yeniçeriler Caddesi, near the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar). Çorlulu Ali Paşa and Koca Sinan Paşa Türbesi are both in secluded internal courts, just around the corner from some tomb yards, while Rumeli Kahvesi is actually inside the cemetery of an old medrese, though it’s not as spooky as you might think. In the south of Sultanahmet, near the sea, is Yeni Marmara (Çayıroğlu Sokak), where you can also sit in the terrace and enjoy the view. In Beyoğlu, at the Ortakahve (Büyükparmakkapı), there’s even the choice of a wide range of flavors. Another area with few big good looking places is the Rıhtım Caddesi, between Galata bridge and Istanbul Modern Museum.

Walking tours

Museums and such: Haghia Sophia, then on to the Topkapı museum (these two should take at least three to five hours), preferably along the road in the back of the Haghia Sophia, where there are some nicely restored houses. Then on to the Blue Mosque and the square with the obelisks on it (At Meydani). Along its side is the very good Museum of Islam Art. Descend slightly and find the small Haghia Sophia with its nice garden (it was under restoration, but you probably can get in). Then uphill to the Sokollu Mehmet mosque complex, top notch tiles inside.

Take a tram or walk to Eminönü (where the boats leave for trips to Asia or up the Bosphorus). Visit the New Mosque at the back, then the Egyptian Bazaar next to it, and going further in that direction, locate the Rüstem Pasha mosque with its excellent tiles. It's on a raised platform near an old clothes market, you may have to ask directions. Then take a cab or find a bus to Eyüpsultan mosque complex, a mile or three up the Golden Horn. Visit this Eyüpsultan complex at your leisure (the mosque is not particular, the court is, and the milling of believers, with many boys-to-be-circumcised among it; a Friday might be a good day to do this). Then, if you have the stamina, it might be nice to walk back too; maybe all the way (8 km or so), but taking a route along part of the city wall to first the famous Kariye Church with its mosaics, then on to Yavuz Selim Mosque with its great view on the Golden Horn (and a fine mosque by itself), then the Fatih Mosque (passing through some very religious and lively neighborhoods), then on to the well-restored Sehzade mosque, and next to Süleymaniye (don't forget to enjoy the view from the Golden Horn side). If you have some energy left, you might go on to the University complex, and by then you are very close to the Beyazit mosque. A book market (it’s small) is behind this good, unexceptional (nice courtyard though) mosque.

Once again go to Eminönü, but this time take the boat (those large ferries) to Üsküdar. You will arrive before a fine mosque in front, another one 400 m off to the right, slightly inland behind a traffic roundabout, and a third, very small, at the sea front. See the market stretching inland, walk about and don't forget to walk along the shore, maybe eating a fish meal in one of the bobbing boats along it. This is a good visit for late afternoon, early evening, fleeing the city. You will be joined by thousands of people going home from "town" but the way back will be on a near-empty ferry. The frequency of ferries will go down in the evening, so make sure there is a connection back.

Go to the railroad station and find a Sirkeci-Halkali suburban train, and get out at (from memory, Yedikule station). You will be quite close to Yedikule, a nice fortress, and will have fine views of the city walls. The trains leave every 15 minutes or so, the ride is peculiar (the material is bad, but if you are in luck every second stop another salesman will enter and try selling his wares, it’s fun). The ride is takes anywhere from twenty minutes to half an hour. This is not a "must", but it can be great fun.

You will have missed the covered bazaar in all this. That is because you will get there anyhow. If you go to Beyazit and the book market you are almost at two of its many entrances. Try and find the Nuruosmaniye Mosque and its complex at the other side, it’s worth it. And after having explored the covered part, take a relaxing walk downhill, into the general direction of Eminönü, where it is "uncovered bazaar" all the way. Cross the Galata bridge to see some things on the Northern side (for instance take the "tünel" teleferik ride up much of the hill (entrance close to the opposite side of Galata bridge, ask around)), then continue to Taksim. Shops are of the international variety.

Theodosian Walls Walk

A restored section of the city walls at the Belgradkapı gate, close to the Marmara coast

From 408 CE the original walls of Constantine were replaced in the reign of Theodosius. These walls then became the critical point of defence of the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and their Ottoman successors. They are still almost completely intact, marking the western border of the peninsula of Old City, with some sections suffering from somewhat unsightly restoration done in early 1990s. The section around the Topkapı Gate (not to be confused with Topkapı Palace which is located in an altogether different place) can be easily accessed from Pazartekke tram station, which lies about 300 m east of the walls. Some remoter sections may not be very safe and may require some caution.

A 7-km walk along and on these remaining portions of the city wall offers a window into antiquity and puts emphasis on Turkey’s terrible historic monument legacy. Download and print a scholarly historical and technical description of the walls before you visit Istanbul; this will certainly add to the pleasure. From Eminönü, take the Golden Horn ferry to Ayvansaray. This ferry terminal is separate from the Bosphorus terminals adjacent and east of the Galata Bridge. Walk west through the Galata bridge underpass, then through the bus station to a pedestrian lane way which leads to the small terminal building. The fare is 1.50 TL. Leave the ferry at Ayvansaray and cross the park to the wall on the other side of the main road. You have a choice of walking up the outer wall or the inner wall but access to the top of the battlements is usually on the inside naturally enough, so go up the small street across the road which then cuts back behind the wall and the towers. Here you can climb up onto this section of unrestored wall on crumbling brick and stone and continue on some hundreds of yards climbing as necessary. This path comes to an obvious end and one can short cut back to the street. Sometimes there are dwellings and commercial enterprises hard up against the wall, sometimes a bus depot, a rubbish dump or often just the road. These walls replaced the earlier walls of Constantine in 408 CE after which they went through constant upgrade and repairs to earthquake damage. The different work done over the centuries was all of varying style and quality. Quite surprisingly there are a number of small streets still using the narrow gates. At Hoca Çakır Cd one comes across a restored section of the wall where the heights are accessed by stairs (junction of Hoca Çakır Caddesi and Kariye Bostani Sokak), some along the top of the wall of the steeper variety. This restoration from the 1980s is in conflict with the original. The wall is then breached for the main road Fevzi Paşa Cd. Cross this and continue along the street at the back of the wall. Look for foot pads and breaks in the wall which allows access and a good look around. The wall is breached again for Adnan Menderes Blv (unofficially and widely known as Vatan Caddesi). Past here one see here quite clearly the double line of defence with outer moat. The next breach is for Turgut Özal Cd (unofficially and widely known as Millet Caddesi) which hosts the tram line heading back to Sultanahmet for those who have run out of steam. Walking now on the outside of the walls, various breaks in the outer wall allow access via broken stonework or later via modern sets of steps in disrepair. Between the walls is the disquieting evidence of the number of people sleeping rough in Istanbul. Persevere in staying between the walls because soon you will arrive at another impure restoration project at Mevlanakapı Cd gate. Entry to the gate towers has been closed at the gate, so entry is only from the walls. From here it is better to proceed on the outside of the walls because market gardens occupy the moat and the city side abuts buildings. These couple of kilometres will give a further perspective of the ravages of time and earthquake on the walls. Finally you will arrive at the Golden Gate and Yedikule Fortress which fronts the Marmara Sea and was Byzantium’s triumphal point of entry. This is in excellent condition not least because the Ottomans upgraded it and then used it right up to the 19th century. There is an entry fee and it has a toilet. The high walls and towers are all accessible, and one tower still has internal wooden floors. So you have now surveyed the protective land walls which kept Byzantium and the Eastern Roman Empire safe for all those years after the fall of Rome, breached only by the 4th Crusaders and the Ottomans. What of their future? Given that recent restoration work is fairly suspect scholars may think it is better to leave them be. Now return to the city either in the Eminönü Bus (#80) from the village square outside the main gate, just wait there, or walk down Yedikule Istasyonu Cd about 300 m to the railway line to Sirkeci, both heading for centres close to Sultanahmet.

The classic Bosphorus cruise

Night View of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge

From the terminal at Eminou, the public ferry starts east of the Galata Bridge cruising to Anadolu Kavagi at the northern entrance of Bosphorus to the Black Sea via various stops.

The fare is 65 TL (round trip) on the public ferry, Sehir Hatlari, and tickets can only be bought at the ticket booth around one hour prior to departure. The departure time is early (10:35am) and is very popular, so arrive early and queue for a ticket (the ferry does not wait for people late to arrive to buy tickets). Touts for private ferry operators often attempt to sell alternative ferry tickets. They will attempt various tactics to make you feel uncomfortable, such as shifting the public ferry ticket office line to be in the hot sun and telling you that full cruise will waste a day of your stay in Istanbul. This is generally a scam, they will charge an extortionate rate, or a cheaper rate followed by an extortionate return fee. Note that the public ferry offers no audio commentary at all, it is very barebones and on you to spot sights of significance. The public ferry does not offer toilet paper and the washroom is generally in a deplorable state; you will need to bring your own toilet paper if needed and potentially wait in line for a great deal of time if you plan to use the washroom.

There are various other private ferry companies offering various cruises. Compared to the public ferry, they will typically charge significantly higher prices but may offer audio commentary via a loudspeaker, a washroom with toilet paper or have a shorter line. The private ferries almost exclusively offer the short Bosphorus tour starting at 70 TL.

The open decks are hugely popular on the weekends, so unless you have an outside seat expect people to be standing all around you constricting the view. The ferry waits some hours in Anadolu Kavagi so as you alight you are confronted by a numerous restaurants and their spruikers.

After landing at Anadolu Kavagi, take the walk to the Yoros Kalesi, a strategic castle overlooking and controlling the entry to the Black Sea. The area can be dangerous and hazardous without good shoes, but the direct footpath to the castle is paved all the way, only the last 10m to the viewing points aren't. This important fortification with a commanding view has been fought over for many years and was last in use in the 19th century. It has fallen into serious disrepair, but Christian engravings are still visible in the stonework. It has a spectacular view of the mouth of the Black Sea.

There are restaurants actually in the castle surrounds, such as Yoros Cafe, and naturally have spectacular views but mediocre food and service. There is plenty of time left to wander back to the village for lunch. It is late afternoon before arrival back at Eminonu, but a day well spent.

Association football

Istanbul has five clubs playing in the Süper Lig, the top tier of Turkish association football: Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, Başakşehir and Kasımpaşa. The first three have always been in the top tier and have international reputations. Matches between these sides are played in front of fiercely partisan sell-out crowds; getting tickets requires booking way in advance. As the atmosphere is extremely hostile to the away teams, spectators should avoid wearing away team colours after the match, and avoid any signs of crowd trouble.

Beşiktaş JK play at Vodafone Park, a 41,903-capacity stadium. It's on the European bank of the Bosphorus next to Dolmabahçe Palace, 1 km east of Taksim metro station.

Fenerbahçe SK play at the 47,834-capacity Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium (also called Ülker Stadium). It's on the Asian bank of the Bosphorus, 1 km east of Kadıköy metro station and ferry quay.

Galatasaray SK play at the 52,332-capacity Türk Telekom Stadium on the north edge of European Istanbul, take metro to Seyrantepe.

Başakşehir FK play at the 17,319-capacity Fatih Terim stadium. It's a long way out on the northwest edge of the city, 1 km north of Metrokent station on line M3.

Kasımpaşa SK play at the 14,234-capacity Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium, in Beyoğlu district just north of the Golden Horn. It's named for the current Turkish President, who grew up nearby and played football in his youth.

The Turkish national stadium is Atatürk Olympic Stadium (Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı), a 76,000-capacity arena at the western edge of the city, use either Olimpiyat or Olimpiyat Parkı metro station. It doesn't have a resident team, but several clubs have had spells here when their own stadium was unavailable. There are plans to expand it to 92,000 capacity by removing the running track, but this would end its Olympic prospects.

Learn

Many foreigners visiting or living in Istanbul decide to study Turkish formally in a language school.

Some of the biggest and most respected Turkish language schools in Istanbul are:

• ITI Istanbul in 4.Levent.
• Dilmer in Gümüşsuyu .
• Iladil Template:Wy/hbs/Dead link in Fatih.
• TömerTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link, Ankara University affiliated.
• Concept LanguagesTemplate:Wy/hbs/Dead link in Etiler.
• Boğaziçi University. Runs a summer long intensive Turkish language course for all levels.

Both Boğaziçi University and Bilgi University have well established Study Abroad programs in English for foreigners.

TEFL: Many foreigners living in Istanbul support themselves by teaching English. Finding a good teaching job is usually easier with a well-recognized certificate like the ones listed below:

• ITI Istanbul in 4. Levent runs Cambridge University's CELTA and DELTA courses year-round

Ottoman Turkish

If you already speak Turkish, Ottoman Turkish may also be interesting to learn. Ottoman Turkish was the courtly form of Turkish spoken during the era of the Ottoman Empire, and is significantly different to the form of Turkish spoken today. Approximately 80% of Ottoman Turkish words were loanwords from other languages, mostly Arabic, Persian and French. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, language reforms were implemented, including the establishment of the Türk Dil Kurumu (Turkish Language Association), which is the official regulatory body of the Turkish language. This association, with a philosophy of linguistic purism, decided to cleanse the Turkish language of loanwords and replace them with more Turkic alternatives. As such, only about 14% of modern Turkish words are of foreign origin.

Ottoman Turkish is the key to learning about Turkey's Ottoman past. With Ottoman Turkish, not only can you read historical archives, but you can also read Ottoman literature and letters dated back to the Ottoman period. In Istanbul, you can learn Ottoman Turkish from the following places:

• İsmek +90 212 531 01 41 İskenderpaşa Mahallesi, Ahmediye Caddesi, Hacı Salih Efendi Sokak, 6 Fatih.
• Tarih Vakfı +90 212 522 02 02 Zindankapı Değirmen Sokak, 15 Eminönü.

Work

There is always a high demand for qualified - and, to a lesser extent, unqualified - ESOL/EFL teachers in Istanbul. Many teachers work with private instructional companies. Others contract out on a freelance basis.

Istanbul is Turkey's financial capital. All big investment banks, commercial banks, large foreign retail and consumer companies have offices in Istanbul. The business district has been coming up with high-rise buildings and business centers in the last decade.

Kupovina

The Grand Bazaar during Republic Day

Novac

U turističkim mjestima često se može platiti eurima ili američkim dolarima. Mjenjačnice (döviz bürosu) i banke su brojne u Istanbulu i nude izuzetno konkurentne kurseve. Najbolje je da ponesete devize i zamijenite ih nakon dolaska (ne na aerodromu!), najbolje u banci ili mjenjačnici. Kurs na aerodromu je uobičajeno užasan. Sve glavne valute su takođe prihvaćene, ali kurs nije dobar kao za eure i dolare. Zamijenite preostale lire neposredno prije odlaska, u mnogim stranim zemljama može biti teško riješiti ih se po odgovarajućoj stopi.

Shopping

Template:Wy/hbs/SeeDistricts Connecting east and west, the will to control the major trading routes was the reason why Istanbul was founded in the first place, so shopping should definitely not be overlooked in your Istanbul experience.

Shops may be closed on Sundays. Most major shopping malls have security checkpoints you usually see in airports and museums prior to entry.

What

Here are some of what are popular to buy while in the city:

• Turkish Delight, or Lokum (as the locals call it) – A good buy since you're in Turkey. It is advisable to buy it fresh rather than in pre-packed boxes and to get a variety of flavours rather than the stereotypical rose-water or lemon flavors available abroad. Pistachio in particular is very good. The best place to buy lokum in Istanbul is from a store. Istiklal Caddesi in particular features a number of stores that sell Turkish sweets by the kilogram including lokum and helvah. There are quite a few shops selling Turkish Delight in the Grand Bazaar, although unless you are very good at haggling better prices can be found elsewhere.
• Turkish Tea (çay, chai) – The national drink of Turkey, brewed from leaves grown on the steep, verdant mountain slopes of Turkey's eastern Black Sea coast. Traditionally, Turkish tea is brewed samovar-style, with a small pot of very strong tea sitting on a larger vessel of boiling water. Pour a small amount of strong tea into a little tulip-shaped glass and cut it to the desired strength with hot water. Turks usually add cube sugar (never milk, although you can often get milk if you ask.) Having fresh, hot tea always available everywhere is one of life's splendid little luxuries in Turkey. Elma Çayı: apple tea, like hot apple juice (EHL-mah chah-yee) is the flavour of preference, although it's more for tourists; Turks prefer Siyah Çay (black tea).
• Turkish Coffee Roasted and then finely ground coffee beans are boiled in a pot (cezve), usually with sugar, and served in a cup where the grounds are allowed to settle. A classic of Turkish culture. Some people use the remaining coffee grounds to tell their fortune.
• Nargile (hookah) – It is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for smoking flavored tobacco called shisha in which the smoke is passed through a water basin (often glass based) before inhalation. Different sizes of nargile make it easier to carry one home with you.
• Rugs and kilims – Can be a good buy while in the city. Most rug-specialized stores in the city, though, are aimed at tourist trade, so pick up basics of bargaining to avoid being ripped off at these stores. They are mostly located around Sultanahmet.
• Chalcedony – A semi-precious gemstone named after the nearby town of Chalcedon, and is sold in many of Istanbul's multitude of jewellery shops.

Where

Istanbul's Ottoman bazaars with an oriental ambiance, once sitting firmly on the western terminii of the Silk Road and spice routes, are all located in the peninsula of the Old City. Note, many are very touristy nowadays, and they are good for taking some nice pictures. But shopping should be only be done where the tourist-local ratio is very low, e.g. prices at the Spice Market (Eminönü) are twice or triple as high as in the rest of the city.

On the other hand, modern shopping malls (alışveriş merkezi, usually shortened to AVM), popping all around the city since the 1990s, are mostly to be found in New Istanbul and the western suburbs, though they are by no means exclusively located in these districts.

Textile wholesale business is concentrated in Laleli, while upscale fashion retail in Nişantaşı in the European Side and Bağdat Avenue in the Asian Side.

Eat

Snacks

Balık ekmek eatery on the waterfront of Eminönü

• Meze Meze is basically Turkish version of tapas, served in small portions both hot&cold. Best place to eat meze would be "meyhane".
• İskender Best version of Döner. It is basically döner served on a plate with a buttery tomato sauce on top and some plain yoghurt as a side.
• Döner. Always a good option for having fast and cheap food. The entrance to Istiklal Street contains dozens of small doner restaurants and they serve almost around the clock; though for a better experience (and a better food quality) you may want to wander about in residential neighbourhoods, since anything near a commercial or tourist area can be highly overpriced and greatly reduced in quality.
• Lahmacun It is "meat with dough", is a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat (most commonly beef and lamb) and minced vegetables and herbs including onions, tomatoes and parsley, then baked. Lahmacun is often served sprinkled with lemon juice and wrapped around vegetables, including pickles, tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, and roasted eggplant; a typical variants may be found employing kebab meat or sauces.
• Dürüm a traditional Turkish wrap (which is made from lavash or yufka flatbread) that is filled with typical kebab or döner ingredients.
• Balık-Ekmek. Balik-Ekmek (literally "fish and bread") is a fish sandwich served in small boats and little buffets in Eminönü. It is also increasingly popular in buffets in Kadıköy coast. A regular sandwich consists of one small fried fish, slices of tomatoes and onion. However, the taste is beyond expectations for such a basic menu. The price is around 8 TL. Again, it's a local favorite.
• Hamsi. In Autumn and Winter the Black Sea Anchovy migrate through the Bosphorus, the local fishermen coming out in force to take advantage. All fish restaurants have them on the menu in season. It seems the classic serving is a handful of deep fried fish with raw onion and bread. Eat the fish whole, it's a winner. Look for the small restaurants behind the fish merchants on the Karakoy side of the Galata Bridge, western side. Expect to pay 50 TL or more.
• Patso. Patso is a type of sandwich consisting of hot dog and French fries. It's usually served in small buffets along the Uskudar coast and a sandwich costs 2.50 TL. The cheap price can raise eyebrows but these buffets are open 24/7 and they serve around 1000 sandwiches per day. Even though the profit margin is low, they make a fortune, so they don't lower the quality too much (except hamburgers, don't touch those in Uskudar, but definitely try the spicy hamburgers in Taksim).
• One thing not to be missed is the local ice cream sold at the street stands, called dondurma. While flavors are relatively standard for the region, the ice cream usually incorporates orchid root extract, which gives it an incredibly chewy and stringy texture, also lending itself to be used for marketing and attracting attention while the sellers do tricks to try to sell the ice cream. Try it!
• Kumpir is a snack which can easily be a full meal. It is originated from Albania but is quite unique to Istanbul in its present form. It consists of a baked potato with various fillings such as grated cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, sliced red cabbage, sweetcorn, sausage slices, carrots, mushrooms, and Russian salad among others, any of which can optionally be added to or omitted from the mix. While kumpir can be had at many cafes throughout the city, it is best had from one of the cafes in Ortaköy, which have a long tradition of preparing kumpir and offer really filling and tasty ones. About 40-60 TL each.
• Roasted chestnuts("kestane Kebap, as locals call it) are sold from carts around the city, and is a very nice snack to have when the weather is cold, as it keeps your hands warm. 20 TL for 100 g (as of June 2022). Eat in winter time.
• Boiled and roasted corn on the cob is sold from carts around the city, and is a fantastic snack to walk around. Price varies from cart to cart and area of the city (1-1.5 TL).
• Don't miss the "simit," a warm bread sold from carts around the city, and is a fantastic snack to walk around. The texture and taste is a bit like a sesame bagel. Price varies from cart to cart and area of the city (7.5 TL as of June 2023, with cream cheese being an few extra TL). Beware that not all simit vendors are honest and they will try and upcharge you (as high as 50-100TL). In this case, you should just walk away and find another vendor selling simit for less than 10 TL.
• Also, be sure to try Ayran, a local drink based on yoghurt, although sour and much thinner. It isn't always on the menu or displayed, but it's there, so ask for it.
• Freshly squeezed juice and juice blends are sold from stands and small shops all around the city, and are a refreshing treat (especially in the warmer months). The combinations range from a simple orange juice to the more rare options like pomegranate or kiwi. Price varies from shop to shop, area of the city and complexity of your order (10-30 TL).

Drink

• Bebek is a small town on the European Bosphorus, 10 km north of downtown, with fancy restaurants and bars. Great place to have a walk on the seaside after a nice dinner.
• Bagdat Caddesi is a very long avenue full of good restaurants, boutiques and high-end stores on the south Anatolia side of Istanbul.
• Karaköy is the rising star of the city, with its underground parties with views over the Marmara Sea.
• Beyoğlu has lively night life, with cafes and bars with live music.
• Nişantaşı is the place for young entrepreneurs and artists, but prices are higher than in Taksim.
• Kadıköy also has a nightlife scene, serving mostly locals of this part of the city. It's easy-going, with local pubs and wine houses and traditional meyhanes.
• Nightclubs are found all over the city, but two of the hottest are in Ortaköy.

Sleep

Template:Wy/hbs/SeeDistricts In general, it is possible to find some kind of accommodation in any part of Istanbul. Here is a quick list of the areas where they are concentrated most:

• Harbiye is a popular place to stay; it's close to the main centre of the new city on the European side, and contains a variety of international standard apartments, hotels, and moderate hotels for budget travelers. Nişantaşı and Taksim are quite close so you can stay in Harbiye and benefit from all activities in those areas.
• Taksim is the main centre of the city on the European side. Locals and tourists go to Taksim for shopping and entertainment, and it has moderate hotels for budget travelers. There are also hostels in this area.
• Sultanahmet the main centre for the old city on the European side. It has a selection of quality, reasonably priced hotels, many with terraces overlooking the Golden Horn, or with views of the Marmara Sea and the Blue Mosque. Most hostel-type accommodation frequented by independent travellers are located in this district, although it is possible to find a few upmarket hotels.
• Upscale hotels can be found in the western suburbs, especially around the former airport, as well as on or near the banks of the Bosphorus.
• Caravan parks exist in Ahırkapı south of Sultanahmet, in Maltepe in the Asian Side and in the outlying villages on both sides of the Bosphorus.

Stay safe

• As with most European cities, but especially in crowded areas of Istanbul, watch your pockets and travel documents as pickpockets have devised all sorts of strategies to obtain them from you. Do not rely too much on the 'safe' feeling you get from the omnipresence of police.

• If prices are not on display, always ask beforehand (even for a tea) instead of just ordering something like in Europe. This can be fatal in Istanbul because tourists are constantly overcharged. Unfortunately, often prices are not on display, like in sweet shops or even restaurants. Skip these places or ask for a price knowing what the approximate or fair price is.

• Istanbul is home to three of the biggest clubs in Turkey and maybe European football: Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe, and Galatasaray. It is advisable not to wear colours associating yourself with any of the clubs—black&white, navy&yellow, and red&yellow respectively, particularly on the days of matches between the sides due to the fearsome rivalry they share. If you are supporting the away team whenever the Turkish national team plays in Istanbul, be very careful as violent attacks on fans and players of the opposing team have been known to occur.

• In Istanbul, most drivers won't abide any rules. Even if you have priority on a road junction, crosswalk, or even during green light, always be aware of your surroundings. Even if you are in a one way road, check both sides before crossing the road. It is common for Turkish drivers to use shortcuts.

• A major earthquake with epicenter in the nearby Sea of Marmara is expected within the next few decades, so read the earthquake safety article here before you arrive.

Scams

Note, some of the following summaries are already almost 10 years old. Turkey has changed a lot since then, due to modernization, political uproar, the war in Syria, and many other things. Nowadays, the situation is actually far less fierce as it may seem in these outlines. So, relax! Nevertheless, know and read about them, to be aware. The most important ones are the overpriced night clubs and bars, pickpocketing and overly friendly strangers.

Airport scam

This is a late scam as of 2022. While rushing through securities, many people have their valuables seen vanishing by security personal. Often they will pressure people into hurrying up or taking off everything, just to use the moment to let things vanish and people not being able to verify all their belongings in time before noting something is missing when at the gate or already in the plane.

If this happens to you, contact official airport security. They have security cameras in place and can often trace the disappearance and identify the thieves.

Shoe shine scam

This scam also does not seem to be outdated.

Some men will walk around tourist-frequented areas with a shoeshine kit, and the brush will fall off right in front of a tourist or group of tourists. This will cause the tourist with a conscience to pick up the brush and return it to the owner. He will then express gratitude and offer to shine your shoes for free. While doing that, he will talk about how he is from another city, that he is poor, and how he has a sick child or wife. At the end, the shiner will demand a hefty price for its "free" services, way beyond the actual market norm. Many tourist will pay up out of guilt—don't do, that will just encourage them!

If you actively decide that you would like your shoes shined, then expect to pay no more than 5-10 TL for both.

A similar trick is getting asked for a cigarette, after which the scammer will proceed similarly.

Blue Mosque scam "guides"

When walking through the gates of the Blue Mosque, beware of smiling, friendly chaps who offer immediately to be your de-facto guide through the mosque and its surrounds; they'd be pretty informative on just about anything relating to the mosque; etiquette, history and Islamic practices. However, they eventually demand a price for their "services", a fee of 100 TL or more. You would be better off booking a private tour online; or not at all, since the mosque is essentially free to all anyway.

Restaurant scams

A notable scam for convincing tourists to visit overpriced restaurants with mediocre food involves the following:

While walking along, you are overtaken by a Turkish man who claims to recognize you from the hotel at which you are staying (e.g. he will tell you that he works there as a waiter or a receptionist). He will ask where you are going. If you are going out for food, he will recommend a restaurant, claiming that it is where he takes his family or friends when they eat out. He may give you some other advice (e.g. the best time to visit the Topkapi palace) to make the conversation feel genuine and friendly. The restaurant he recommends will almost certainly be mediocre or low quality, and the staff there will try to sell you expensive dishes without you realizing. For instance, they may promote dishes which are marked as 'MP' (market price) on the menu, such as 'salt fish' (fish baked in salt), which may cost over 200 TL. They may also serve you additional dishes which you haven't ordered and then add them to the bill for an additional 100 TL or more, together with extra charges for service and tax. One restaurant that seems to be using this scam to get customers is Haci Baba in Sultanahmet.

In Taksim, a variety of restaurateurs have taken to literally grabbing your arm and pleading with you in a friendly demeanour to eat at their restaurants. If a restaurateur is resorting to aggressive tout tactics, you are obviously being scammed.

Bar and club scams

High-drink price scams encountered in so-called night-clubs mostly located in Aksaray, Beyazit and Taksim areas. These clubs usually charge overpriced bills, based on a replica of the original menu, or simply on the menu that had been standing upside down on the table. Two or three drinks can already produce a fantasy bill that easily exceeds 2,000 TL.

Also be aware of friendly behaving groups of young men or male-female couples striking up a conversation in the street and inviting you to a "good nightclub they know". This has frequently been reported as a prelude to such a scam. The people in on the scam may offer to take you to dinner first, in order to lower your suspicions. Another way they will try to lure you in is by talking to you in Turkish, and when you mumble back in your language they will be surprised you're not Turkish and immediately will feel the urge to repay you for their accident with a beer.

Another variant of this involves an invitation in Taksim to male tourists to buy them beer (as they were "guests"). At the club, attractive women, also with beers, join them. When the bill comes, the person inviting the tourists denies having said he would pay for the drinks, and a large bill is presented, e.g. for 3,000 TL; when the tourists object, burly "security" personnel emerge to accompany the tourists to an ATM (presumably to clean out their bank account). Any bar that looks like it could be a strip club is more than likely a scam joint.

In either of these scams, if you refuse to pay the high prices or try to call the police (dial #155) to file a complaint, the club managers may use physical intimidation to bring the impasse to a close. If you find yourself in such a situation for any reason, you should do whatever they want you to do, pay the bill, buy the things they are forcing you to buy, etc. Try to get out of the situation as soon as possible, go to a safe place and call the police.

Metro Scams and Theft

Each metro station has an insufficient amount of fare machines relative to their ridership, and only carry a handful of Istanbul cards. Scam artists camp out here (especially at Taksim Metro), offering to help you buy a ticket only to show you that the machine has run out of reusable metro cards (it's fairly likely they brought them all). They will then ask you where you're from, and offer to sell you a card loaded with 100 TL, for 100-125 TRY as a helpful gesture. When you commence your metro trip, you will learn that the card only contains half or a quarter of that amount. If the machine is not working, you should look for an authorized point of sale near the station, such as a shop or another machine, not the helpful stranger with a dozen cards for sale.

These areas are also prone to pickpocketing because they are chaotic and frequented by tourists. The pickpocketing is generally unrelated to the scam artist operations. You should be especially careful to place your wallet in your front pocket here and to be mindful of your belongings. If someone touches you or places their hand on your shoulder at any point while in or near the Metro system, you are being pickpocketed and you should immediately turn in an unexpected direction, especially if you have belongings in your back pocket.

To avoid these instances at the Taksim Metro where these issues are especially common, buy your tickets or Istanbul Card at the lone fare machine on the bus level.

Water scams

Also be wary of men in Taksim who splash water on the backs of your neck. When you turn around, they will try to start a fight with you as another man comes in and robs you. These men tend to carry knives and can be very dangerous.

Lira/euro scams

A frequent scam, often in smaller hotels (but it can also happen in a variety of other contexts), is to quote prices in lira and then later, when payment is due, claim the price was given in euros. Hotels which reject payment early in a stay and prefer you to "pay when you leave" should raise suspicions. Hotels which operate this scam often offer excellent service and accommodation at a reasonable price and know most guests will conclude as much and pay without complaint - thus this can be a sign of a good hotel.

Another scam is coin-related and happens just as you're walking into the streets. A Turkish guy holds you and asks where you are from. If you mention a euro-country, the guy wants you to change a €50-note from you into €2-coins he is showing. He is holding the coins stack-wise in his hands. For the trouble, he says he will offer you '30 €2-coins, making €60 in total'. Do not agree with this exchange of money, as the first coin is indeed a €2-coin, but (many of) the rest of the coins will probably be 1-lira coins (looking very similar), but worth only 1/4 of the value of €2.

Many bars in the Taksim area give you counterfeit bills. They are usually well-made and hard to identify as fakes in the dark. One way to verify a bill's authenticity is to check its size against another one. Another is to hold the bill up to a strong light, face side up, and check for an outline of the same face which is on the bill. The value of the bill (20, 50, etc.) should appear next to the outline, light and translucent. If either of these two security features are missing, try to have the bill changed or speak to the police.

Some taxi drivers agree on a price only to tell you your lira bills are counterfeit, or invalid, or have a wrong serial number. This is a scam to have you paying in Euro or USD, usually for a much higher price since they'll claim they don't have change.

Taksi vozači

Naravno da ćete najvjerovatnije biti 'opljačkani' ako sjednete nasumično u taksi bez pitanja za cijenu. Najbolje je koristiti Uber ili Bolt, a ako vam to nije dostupno obratite paznju na firmu kojoj taksi pripada i budute sigurni da ste prethodno ugovorili tarifu. Uber ili Bolt vam vjerovatno neće doći za kratke destinacije (5–10 minuta hoda), pa rađe prošetajte. Ako i pored mjera predostrožnosti smatrate da je taksista loše postupio, zapišite tablice i zovite policiju.

Precijenjenost

Pažljivo promatrajte jelovnik u uličnim kafićima za znakove da cijene nisu diskriminirajuće - ako su cijene očito prenapuhane, jednostavno otiđite. Dobar pokazatelj pretjerane inflacije je kruženje dviju različitih vrsta jelovnika — jelovnik "stranaca" obično je otisnut na laminiranoj kartici s cijenama jelovnika napisanim markerom/tekstom za pranje rublja, tj. cijene se ne ispisuju; u tim slučajevima očekujte da će cijene za strance biti visoko napuhane (300% ili više).

Iako to zapravo nije problem u Beyoğlu ili Ortaköy, preskočite kafiće na otvorenom prema stražnjem dvorištu Spice Bazaara ( Sultanahmet). Područje neposredno sjeverno od Spice Bazaara također vrvi od reklama za ove 'zloglasne' kafiće.

Imati nargile (vodena lula) je poznata aktivnost u Istanbulu, Tophane (top-hane) je poznato mjesto za ovu aktivnost gdje je dostupan veliki broj trgovina nargile i do njih se lako može doći tramvajem, izbjegavajući mjesto zvano "Ali Baba" u Tophaneu je mudar, tamo će vas obično poslužiti s tanjurima koje niste tražili, poput tanjura s orašastim plodovima, a očekujte da ćete za svoj nargile imati veliki račun.

Uhođenje

Muškarci koji namjeravaju uhoditi strankinje mogu biti prisutni u turističkim mjestima. Takvi muškarci mogu pretpostaviti da stranci imaju puno novca ili liberalne vrijednosti i mogu pristupiti strankinjama na koketan ili predusretljiv način tražeći seks ili novac (bilo krađom ili prodajom preskupe robe). Ako ste uznemiravani, koristite zdrav razum i idite tamo gdje su drugi ljudi; često je ovo najbliža trgovina. Stvaranje javne scene odvratit će mnoge uhode, a ove fraze mogu biti korisne u takvim slučajevima:

• İmdat! – "Pomoć!"
• Ayıp! – "Nepristojno!"
• Bırak beni! – — Pusti me na miru!
• Dur! – "Stop!"
• Gider misin?! – "Hoćeš li ići?!"

Ili ga stvarno uništiti:

• Beni takip etme! – "Prestani me uhoditi!"
• Polisi arıyorum – – Zovem policiju!

Povremeno pokušajte ne koristiti turski jer će se uhodi više svidjeti, samo vrištite i bježite i pronađite sigurnije mjesto među gomilom i policijom.

Turistička policija

Istanbulska policija ima odjel "turističke policije" gdje putnici mogu prijaviti gubitak putovnice i krađu ili bilo koju drugu kriminalnu aktivnost kojom su žrtve. Imaju ured u Sultanahmet i navodno govore engleski, njemački, francuski i arapski.

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Ostanite zdravi

Voda iz slavine možda nije sigurna ovisno o tome gdje je pijete. Iako je voda iz slavine sama po sebi čista, mnogi lokalni spremnici za vodu ne održavaju se pravilno, pa treba izbjegavati vodu iz slavine ako je moguće. Mještani uglavnom preferiraju vodu u bocama, a isto vrijedi i za restorane. Očekujte da ćete plaćati vodu u restoranima (oko 3 TL od 2022.).

Hrana i piće uglavnom su međunarodnih standarda. Poznato je da neka turska hrana sadrži razne začine što može utjecati na međunarodne turiste koji možda nisu navikli na takve sastojke, iako je većina jestiva za bilo kog.

Koristite zdrav razum kada kupujete određenu hranu, osobito od uličnih prodavača. Delicije kao što je "Firin Sutlac" (vrsta pudinga od riže) mogu se brzo pokvariti za vrućeg dana, kao i kamenice koje se povremeno prodaju na ulicama.

Poveži se

Za opće informacije o SIM karticama, Wi-Fi-ju i internetu pogledajte članak o Turskoj.

Telefonski kodovi

Istanbul je jedini grad ili pokrajina u Turskoj koja ima više od jednog telefonskog broja: 212 za europsku stranu, 216' za azijsku stranu i Prinčevske otoke. Kada zovete s jednog kontinenta na drugi, treba koristiti uobičajeni format biranja koji se koristi za međugradske pozive, kao da se radi o međugradskom pozivu: 0+pozivni broj (212 ili 216)+7-znamenkasti telefonski broj. Može se pojaviti kao međugradski poziv, ali će se u pogledu plaćanja smatrati lokalnim pozivom. Prilikom interkontinentalnog poziva, ako zaboravite birati kod, vaš poziv neće biti automatski preusmjeren na broj drugog kontinenta, vjerojatno ćete biti spojeni na "pogrešni" broj koji se nalazi na istom kontinent s vama, jer se većina skupova brojeva koristi na oba kontinenta (naravno, iako s različitim kodovima). Kada birate broj koji se nalazi na kontinentu na kojem se već nalazite, dovoljan je samo 7-znamenkasti broj. Ne zaboravite prvo utipkati kod bez obzira na kojem se kontinentu nalazite ako s mobilnog telefona zovete fiksni broj (čak i ako je to broj koji je na istom kontinentu s vama).

Mobilni

Istanbul ima 4G od svih turskih operatera. 5G se uvodi od 2021.

Snađi se

Istambulski vlasnici hotela i restorana su upućeni u tržište - čitaju popularne turističke vodiče za Istanbul i kada se nađu na popisu ili imaju pozitivnu recenziju, dižu cijene do vrha i štede na troškovima. Za srednje i jeftine hotele/restorane možda ćete se bolje provesti ako izbjegavate mjesta navedena u najpopularnijim vodičima. Vjeruj svom nosu.

Stanica za punjenje mobilnih telefona u Istanbulu

Konzulati

Mnogi od konzulata u Istanbulu smješteni su u elegantnim i impozantnim zgradama iz prethodnih stoljeća, kada su služili kao veleposlanstva u Osmanskom Carstvu, prije njegovog raspada i preseljenja glavnog grada u Ankaru od strane tada novoosnovane republike. Zanimljiva činjenica o njima je da su svi smješteni u području Beyoğlu s jednom iznimkom, iranski konzulat, budući da carske vlasti nisu dopuštale predstavnicima iz nemuslimanskih zemalja da budu smješteni unutar službenih granica tadašnjeg grada, koji je više-manje bio jednak poluotoku Starog grada.

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Za ići dalje

Zapad

Područje europske Turske zapadno od Istanbula naziva se Trakija. Ima mnogo povijesnih gradova s bizantskim i osmanskim naslijeđem.

• Edirne, dva sata sjeverozapadno, prekrasan je povijesni grad i bio je osmanska prijestolnica prije nego što je vlast preseljena u Istanbul. Ovdje vam treba najmanje jedan dan. Slaga slikovita ruta vijuga prema sjeveru preko Kıyıköy, drevne Medeje, ribarskog sela na Crnom moru s tradicionalnom arhitekturom, djelomično obnovljenim drevnim gradskim zidinama i obližnjim samostanom uklesanim u stijenu. Sljedeći grad na toj ruti je Vize, stari grad s dobro očuvanom bizantskom katedralom.
• Krenite u Zapadnu Europu ili preko Sofije u Bugarskoj ili Bukurešta u Rumunjskoj.
• Ili možda možete slijediti drevnu Via Egnatia sve do Jadrana i preko do Rima.

Jug

• Marmarski otoci su s druge strane mora, mnogo udaljeniji i manje urbani od Prinčevih otoka koji su neposredno uz obalu grada.
• Bursa na jugoistoku je bivša otomanska prijestolnica s mnogo povijesnih znamenitosti plus Nacionalni park Uludağ južno. İznik, bogat bizantskim, seldžučkim i ranim osmanskim naslijeđem, vrijedi zaobići na putu.
• Slikovita ruta prema Izmiru ide prema zapadu, a zatim prema jugu do poluotoka Gallipoli, s mjestima iz Prvog svjetskog rata, prijeđe Dardanele do Çanakkale, zatim prolazi drevnu Troja i Pergamon (Bergama). Kratka vožnja trajektom vodi vas do šarmantnog otoka Bozcaada. Za detaljnije opise, pogledajte Istanbul do Izmira.

Istok

U Istanbulu ste tek zakoračili na prag azijske Turske. Nastavite prema istoku preko Anatolije za mnogo više: pomlađena Ankara, nesvjetovna Kapadokija, nadrealna planina Nemrut, daleki Kars. I dalje preko zemalja bivšeg Otomanskog Carstva: slijedite stope drevnih trgovaca, srednjovjekovnih putnika, tragom Marka Pola, hodočasnika, i hipija.

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