by Max on August 17, 2008
by Max on June 26, 2008
Istanbul had six Tourist Information Offices (Turist Danışma Ofisi), which are all located on the European side. To provide you with an accurate overview, I contacted each and every one of them.
As it turned out, the different offices have varying opening hours. Moreover, while most open their doors every day, due to a shortage of English-speaking staff, exceptionally they may be forced to close the office briefly anyway.
What kind of information can you obtain from a tourist information office? Every time I asked this question, the first answer I received was: brochures, plenty of brochures. And indeed, the offices are packed with piles of free brochures, about tourist attractions in Istanbul as well as the rest of Turkey.
But they can also provide you with answers to specific tourist related questions, such as “Where can I find…?”, “What are the opening hours of…?”, “I’m lost, how can I get to…?”, “I’m hungry, where can I eat the best…?”, etc.
They are ready to answer thousands of different questions you can come up with. Be prepared though, since they are overwhelmed by ‘customers’ just like you, their answers will be short and to the point, which may give you the impression they are a bit rude.
Overview of the offices in Istanbul
- Atatürk Havalimanı
Location: Atatürk Airport - Yeşilköy (small desk after passing customs)
Open: daily from 08.00 - 23.00
Tel.: +90 212 465 31 51 - +90 212 465 35 47
- Taksim Hilton Otel
Location: Hilton Hotel - Elmadağ / Taksim (Hilton Hotel entrance)
Open: daily from 08.30 - 16.45, closed on Sundays
Tel.: +90 212 233 05 92
- Sultanahmet
Location: At Meydanı - Sultanahmet (on the Hippodrome)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Tel.: +90 212 518 18 02
- Sirkeci
Location: Sirkeci Tren İstasyonu - Sirkeci (Sirkeci Train Station)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Tel.: +90 212 511 58 88
- Beyazıt
Location: Beyazıt Meydanı - Beyazıt (Beyazıt square)
Open: daily from 08.30 - 18.00
Tel.: +90 212 522 49 02
- Karaköy
Location: Karaköy Limanı - Karaköy (inside cruise ship terminal)
Open: couldn’t get confirmation, probably upon arrival of a cruise ship
Tel.: +90 212 249 57 76
by Max on June 24, 2008
As a tourist, chances are that you’ll be visiting a mosque at one time or another. If not, you will be missing out on several of Istanbul’s most beautiful sightseeing spots, such as the Blue Mosque and the Süleymaniye Mosque.
As a non-Muslim, you’re welcome to visit them, as long as you observe a few simple rules, which may be different for men than and women.
Dos and don’ts
- Don’t enter a mosque during prayer times (see below).
- Dress modestly. Shoulders and knees should be covered. If this is not the case, larger mosques may loan you special attire free of charge to cover them. Make sure to bring your own if you plan to visit mosques that aren’t on the typical tourist routes, e.g. in Fatih.
- Women should cover their hair. Again, in bigger mosques you may borrow a headscarf to cover it, free of charge.
- Remove your shoes before entering a mosque. You either leave them outside or carry them in a bag. Alternatively, in some places they may provide you with plastic covers to slip over your footwear.
- Don’t eat inside a mosque. Even outside prayer times, don’t disturb worshippers who may be praying. Don’t stand close to them or walk in front of them.
- Make as little noise as possible, and preferably switch off your mobile phones.
- Taking pictures or shooting video footage inside a mosque is allowed, but don’t point your camera at people praying or at believers in their ablution process outside a mosque.
- The entrance to mosques is free, but donations are highly appreciated.
Prayer times
Muslim believers should pray five times a day. The prayer times (namaz vakitleri) are called Sabah (dawn), Öğle (midday), İkindi (afternoon), Akşam (sunset) and Yatsı (night). The five daily prayers are obligatory. The prayer times are determined by the position of the sun in the sky. Hence, they vary on a daily basis and according to your location on the planet Earth. Therefore Öğle for instance, will not start at the stroke of noon, but will occur somewhere between 11.50 and 13.00.
It is beyond the scope of this blog to provide you with the exact daily prayer times. They are normally posted outside each mosque. And even if this is not the case, you will be notified when the imam calls for prayer (ezan). From what I’m told, you should be able to hear his call regardless of your location in the city (or Turkey for that matter).
To give you an idea around what time you can expect the five prayer times, look at the following overview:
- Winter
- Sabah - 06.30-07.30
- Öğle - 11.50-12.50
- İkindi - 14.30-16.30
- Akşam - 16.30-19.30
- Yatsı - 18.30-21.00
- Summer
- Sabah - 05.50-06.40
- Öğle - 13.00
- İkindi - 16.15-17.00
- Akşam - 19.00-20.40
- Yatsı - 20.30-22.30
Click here to find the exact Turkish prayer times.
by Max on June 22, 2008
When planning a city trip to Istanbul, you may want to take a look at the opening hours of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions so you don’t find yourself standing in front of a closed door.
Sightseeing spots such as the Haghia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Topkapi Palace and its Harem, Spice Bazaar, Grand Bazaar, Dolmabahçe Palace and the Basilica Cistern all have their own closing days and slightly different operating hours.
Please note that NOR stands for National, Official and Religious holidays. When mentioned, the place of interest is closed on national and official holidays, and is either closed or has deviating opening hours during the first day of a religious holiday.
Below you’ll find an overview (in alphabetical order) of what is open when and how long.
- Archaeological Museums (Arkeoloji Müzeleri)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 19.00, no entrance after 18.00
Closed: on Monday & NOR
- Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.30 in summer, till 18.30 in winter
Closed: no closing days
- Big Palace Mosaic Museum (Büyük Saray Çinileri Müzesi)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Closed: on Monday & NOR
- Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)
Open: daily from the first prayer to the last prayer.
Closed: during prayer time
- Çadır Pavilion (Çadır Köşkü)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 21.00
Closed: no closing days
- Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Closed: Monday, Thursday & NOR
- Egyptian or Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)
Open: daily from 08.00 - 19.30
Closed: on Sunday, October 29th and the full duration of religious holidays
- Fethiye Museum (Fethiye Müzesi)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Closed: on Wednesday & NOR
- Fortress of Europe (Rumeli Hisarı)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00, no entrance after 16.30
Closed: on Wednesday & NOR
- Fortress of Seven Towers (Yedikule Hisarı)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 18.30
Closed: no closing days
- Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 20.00
Closed: no closing days
- Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı)
Open: daily from 08.30 - 19.00
Closed: on Sunday, October 29th and the full duration of religious holidays
- Haghia Sophia (Ayasofya Müzesi)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Closed: on Tuesday & NOR
- Harem (Harem)
Open: daily from 09.30 - 17.00, lunch break from 12.00 - 12.30
Closed: on Tuesday & NOR
- Imperial Porcelain Factory (Yıldız Porselen Fabrikası)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 12.00 and 13.00 - 17.00
Closed: Saturday, Sunday & NOR
- Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Closed: on Wednesday & NOR
- Malta Pavilion (Malta Köşkü)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 23.00
Closed: no closing days
- Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii)
Open: daily from the first to the last prayer, tombs from 09.00 - 16.30
Closed: during prayer time
Note: due to restoration, till 2010 only a small part of the mosque is open
- Şale Pavilion (Şale Köşkü)
Open: daily from 09.30 - 17.00
Closed: on Monday, Thursday & NOR
- Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 17.00
Closed: on Tuesday & NOR
- Turkish & Islamic Art Museum (Türk İslam Eserleri Müzesi)
Open: daily from 09.30 - 16.30
Closed: on Monday & NOR
- Tünel (Tünel)
Open: daily from 07.00 - 21.00
Closed: no closing days
- Yıldız Palace (Yıldız Sarayı)
Open: daily from 09.00 - 16.00
Closed: on Tuesday & NOR
After you made up your mind about how many stars your hotel should have and in what area your hotel should be located, it’s time to pick and book one. You of course want to get it at the best possible rate, with the highest discount available. In order to get a good deal, you need to book upfront. The earlier, the better rates you’ll get. Let me take you through the options.
