The release of the 2009 entrance fees for Istanbul’s tourist attractions by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism didn’t go unnoticed.

Via emails and in forums people complain that doubling some of these fees is not done, and that the current entrance fees are exuberantly high. So I took a closer look at them to check if these accusations are correct.

Entrance Fees on Istanbul Trails Are Up-to-date

Let’s start with the good news. All entrance fees of the sightseeing spots mentioned here on Istanbul Trails are up to date. The same goes for the opening hours and closing days of Istanbul’s tourist attractions. I personally called all the venues one by one. Also worth mentioning is that, except some price changes, most places are no longer closed on official and/or national holidays.

Most Entrance Fees Went Up

Let’s not beat around the bush, most entrance fees went up. Some even doubled in price. I’m not going to publish a list of movers and shakers here, but I will mention some of the most important ones. For good reference, I put the price in Euro between brackets using today’s rate of 2,217 TL for 1 Euro.

• Archaeology Museums – from TL 5 to TL 10 (€ 4,5)
• Topkapi Palace – from TL 10 to TL 20 (€ 9)
• The Harem – from TL 10 to TL 15 (€ 7)
• Hagia Sophia – from TL 10 to TL 20 (€ 9)

To end on a positive note – Dolmabahçe Palace (TL 15 – € 7), the Bosphorus Scenic Tour (TL 15 – € 7), the Galata Tower (TL 10 – € 5), and the Basilica Cistern (TL 10 – € 5) entrance fees remained the same. Mosques are of course still free of charge.

Are These Entrance Fees Excessively High?

This leaves the question whether the current entrance fees are too expensive as some people claim. I therefore checked the prices of some famous landmarks in other world cities.

• Paris, Boat Tour of the Seine River (~ Bosphorus Tour) – € 10
• Paris, Eiffel Tower ( ~ +/- Galata Tower) – € 4-12
• London, Buckingham Palace ( ~Dolmabahçe Palace) – € 16,5
• London, London Eye and River Cruise (~ Bosphorus Tour) – € 30
• London, Tower of London ( ~ Topkapi Palace) – € 15
• Athens, National Archaeological Museum – € 7
• New York, Ferry to Statue of Liberty – € 9,2
• New York, Empire State Building – € 14,5
• Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia – € 8-10

This list can of course go on and on, but these are attractions I once visited and sprung to my mind. For the last three attractions I didn’t mention an Istanbul equivalent. The first two give a scenic view of the city (albeit higher than the Galata Tower) and the last one does the same but is basically still under construction. It’s gorgeous from the outside but has very little to offer inside.

So, when you compare these prices, do you (still) think Istanbul’s top tourist attraction entrance fees are unreasonably steep, rather cheap or right on the mark?

[Photo Credit: svilen001]

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In June 2008 the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry in cooperation with the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) introduced the Museum Card (Müzekart) of Turkey. The holder of such a card (TL 20) has unlimited access to over 300 museums and ancient sites or ruins spread all over Turkey.

Why the Introduction of the Turkish Museum Card?

The Museum Card is one of the key elements in an attempt to increase social awareness among the Turkish citizens of the country’s rich cultural heritage, hence help to protect this millennia-old heritage. The obvious way to achieve this is by making visits to Turkey’s various museums more attractive and cheaper.

Normally the entrance fees of the various museums range between 1 and 20 TL, per person. But  now, with the introduction of the Müzekart, you pay an annual fee of TL 20 and obtain unlimited free access to over 300 museum nationwide.

How to Obtain the Müze Kart?

People can apply for the Museum Card online or at the following locations in Istanbul:

• Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)
• Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)
• Archaeology Museums (Arkeoloji Müzeleri)
• Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi)

Can Foreigners Buy a Turkish Museum Card?

I have good and bad news. Let me start with the bad news. Until further notice, the Museum Card is only available to Turkish citizens.
However, the good news is that when I called the Ministry of Turkish Culture and Tourism today, the spokesperson said that it would be made available to tourists in the near future as well. Unfortunately she couldn’t confirm whether this would happen before this summer.

I of course will let you know the moment foreigners can apply for the Turkish Museum Card as well.

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Istanbul is a huge city, consisting of no less than 27 districts. Each of these districts contain several towns – among which famous ones like Sultanahmet and Taksim. Luckily, finding your way around town as a tourist is not that difficult as long as you keep the big picture in mind. I therefore divided the city into the following six (not too big) areas, housing most of the tourist attractions:

• the historical part, south of the Golden Horn
• the modern part, north of the Golden Horn
• the area along the Golden Horn
• the European shores of the Bosphorus
• Kadıköy and its surroundings on the Asian shore

Not on the map below (click to enlarge), but also an important tourist area are the Princes’ Islands.

Overview map of Istanbul's main tourist areas.

The Historical Part

Boroughs: Beyazit, Eminönü, Fatih, Kumpkapı, Mercan, Sirkeci, Sultanahmet, Tahtakale
Sightseeing spots: Archaeology Museums, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Haghia Sophia, Harem, Hippodrome, Museum of Haghia Eirene, Topkapi Palace, Spice Bazaar and Süleymaniye Mosque

The Modern Part

Boroughs: Beşiktaş, Cihangir, Galata, Karaköy, Nişantaşi, Ortaköy, Şişli, Taksim, Tophane, Tünel, Yıldız
Sightseeing spots: Dolmabahçe Palace, Flower Passage, Galata Tower, Istanbul Modern, Istiklal Caddesi, Nevizade, Taksim Square, Tunnel, Shopping Centers

Along the Golden Horn

Boroughs: Eyüp, Sütlüce
Sightseeing spots: Rahmi Koç Museum, Miniatürk, Pierre Lotti

The European Shores of the Bosphorus

Boroughs: Arnavutköy, Bebek, Hisar, Istinye, Kuruçeşme
Sightseeing spots: Fortress of Europe, Historical Houses, Istinye Shopping Center, Openair Night Clubs

Kadıköy on the Asian Shore

Boroughs: Fenerbahçe, Kadıköy, Moda
Sightseeing spots: Bahariye Caddesi, Bağdat Caddesi, Fenerbahçe Marina, Hotair Balloon

The Princes’ Islands

Islands: Büyükada, Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada
Sightseeing / Activities: Monastery of St George, wooden mansions, horse-drawn carriage rides, bicycle tours, beaches

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The map below shows you where the main tourist attractions just beyond Istanbul’s city center are located. The following sightseeing spots can be found on it:

• The Princes’ Islands
• Ağva
• Şile

Just click on the corresponding icon on the map below to see more information about the sightseeing spot. With the arrows on the top left-hand side of the map, you can also zoom in and out, or pan in any direction you like. Impressions of these famous landmarks are available in the photo gallery and video gallery.

View Tourist Attractions beyond the City Center of Istanbul. in a larger map

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The map below shows you where the main tourist attractions in the modern part of Istanbul are located. The following sightseeing spots can be found on it:

• Dolmabahçe Palace
• Flower Passage
• Galata Tower
• Tunnel
• Taksim Square
• Istiklal Street
• Nevizade Street

Just click on the corresponding icon on the map below to see more information about the sightseeing spot. With the arrows on the top left-hand side of the map, you can also zoom in and out, or pan in any direction you like. Impressions of these famous landmarks are available in the photo gallery and video gallery.

View Tourist Attractions in the Modern Part of Istanbul in a larger map

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The map below shows you where the main tourist attractions in the historical part of Istanbul are located. The following sightseeing spots can be found on it:

• Topkapi Palace
• Harem
• Haghia Sophia
• Blue Mosque
• Süleymaniye Mosque
• Archaeology Museums
• Haghia Eirene
• Basilica Cistern
• Hippodrome
• Grand Bazaar
• Egyptian or Spice Bazaar

Just click on the corresponding icon on the map below to see more information about the sightseeing spot. With the arrows on the top left-hand side of the map, you can also zoom in and out, or pan in any direction you like. Impressions of these famous landmarks are available in the photo gallery and video gallery.

View Tourist Attractions in the Historical Part of Istanbul in a larger map

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The map below gives an overview of the five main tourist areas in Istanbul:

• the historical part, or south of the Golden Horn
• the modern part, or north of the Golden Horn
• along the Bosphorus
• the Asian shore
• along the Golden Horn

Just click on one of the five colored (red, blue, green, pink and brown) areas to see more details.
The Princes’ Islands are not colored in and can be found south of the green area by moving the map upwards.

View Finding Your Way Around Istanbul as a Tourist in a larger map

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Inaugurated on 17 January 1875, Istanbul’s Tunnel (Tünel) is the world’s shortest and third-oldest passenger terminal, after the underground systems of London and New York. This one-stop funicular climbs the steeply uphill for 500 meters from Karaköy to Tünel Square at the southern end of Istiklal Caddesi in the Beyoğlu district. Only recently, after five months of renovations, it’s back in service and polished to a new shine.

Obtaining Permission to Build the Tunnel

Tünel is actually and initiative of the French engineer Eugene Henri Gavand. He observed people shuttling between Galata (today Karaköy) and Pera (today Beyoğlu). In those days, people used to work in the low Galata (the center of trade, stock exchange and customs) and live in the uphill Pera with its hotels, embassies and dwellings. The French engineer therefore thought of an alternative way of connecting those two districts of then Constantinople, hence saving people the difficult walk of climbing 60 meters.

He was accepted by Sultan Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire to present his elevating railway project to connect both districts. He could convince the sultan, who granted Eugene Henri Gavand permission for his Tünel project on 10 June 1869.

Constructing Tünel

The actual construction of Tünel started on 30 June 1871, and was completed on 5 December 1874. The tunnel consists of two trains running simultaneously on the same track, with only a short duplex part of the track in the middle, where two trains pass side by side and continue their ways to opposite directions. The installation was powered by two steam engines of 150 HP. The original wooden wagons used to have both sides open and were illuminated by gas lamps as no electricity was available in those years.

To convince the public of the railway’s safety, the initial runs were carried out with animals on board only. Only after a magnificent inauguration ceremony with the participation of distinguished native and foreign guests on 17 January 1875 the normal runs to serve people started.

The Tunnel throughout the Years

Tünel was out of operation for about 3,5 months during the Second World War due to a shortage of spare parts. It was completely renovated to its present structure by a French company called Electro Entreprise. After 96 years of service, the nostalgic wooden carriages were replaced by modern metal versions. However, the red-beige paintings reconstructing the timber claddings still evoke the old days of the railway.

Currently, the two steel cars, each 16 meters long and on pneumatic tires, run simultaneously in opposite directions, carrying a total of 170 people in 90 seconds over a distance of 573 meters. At cruising speed, the train goes approximately 25 km/h. The underground system is no longer powered by steam machines, but with a 350 HP electrical engine.

Tünel Today

Today, the tiny Tünel is still useful for most of Istanbul’s population. It is part of the municipal transport network and integrated tickets are valid. At the same time tourists are attracted by this combination of century-old history and modernity. Look for on the Map with Tourist Attractions in the Modern Part of Istanbul.

At the end of 2008, after five months of renovations, Tünel is certainly worth using and/or visiting. The Karaköy station, set back from the main road just off the Galata Bridge, is by far the nicer of the two. Traditional Turkish tiles patterned with blue-white tulips and quaint but huge pictures of the Galata Tower, Hagia Sophia and other sights welcome passengers.

The best way to get there is via the underpass at the end of the Galata Bridge. Look for the exit/entrance marked Tünel (see picture). To board it (at either station), you will have to buy a token or use your akbil. Tünel operates from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The maximum wait is two minutes.

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The Golden Horn (Haliç) is an inlet of the Bosphorus with two rivers draining into it at the far end. It is considered to be the world’s largest natural harbor and separates the European shore of Istanbul into two. The best places to observe the Golden Horn’s activity and grace are the Galata Bridge if you want ringside seats, and the Topkapi Palace or Pierre Loti Café if you prefer a bird’s-eye view.

A Chain to Protect the Golden Horn

As a natural and extremely secure harbor, the Golden Horn has played an important role in the development of Istanbul and was often the subject of attacks. With the absence of tides and currents, the Byzantine Empire had its naval headquarters in this 7,5 km long Bosphorus inlet.

To protect the city of Constantinople from naval attacks, two security measures were put into place. The first and predictable measure was the construction of walls along the shoreline. The second security measure however, consisted of pulling a huge iron chain from Constantinople to the old Galata Tower, hence preventing unwelcomed ships from entering the Golden Horn.

Only on three occasions, the chain across the Horn was either broken or circumvented:

• in the 10th century, the Kievan Rus’ dragged their ships out of the Bosporus, carried them around Galata and again launched them in the Golden Horn.
• in 1204, during the Fourth Crusade, Venetian ships were able to break the chain with a ram.
• in 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II also used the circumventing tactic by towing his ships across Galata by using greased logs since previous attempts to break the chain had failed.

The Golden Horn Today

From the 7th century BC onwards the banks of the Golden Horn have attracted settlers, enabling Constantinople to become a rich and powerful port. After the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453, there was an even bigger influx of Greek, Jew and Italian merchants as well as other non-Muslims.

For hundreds of years the city’s trade was conducted by ships that off-loaded their goods in warehouses lining the Golden Horn. Together with the warehouses, more and more nearby factories started to rise. Unfortunately, this industrial activity also heavily polluted the water of the Golden Horn.

Nowadays however, the (container) ships use the port on the Sea of Marmara and the pollution has been addressed. In recent years, over four thousand buildings on the shores of the Golden Horn have been demolished, the businesses moved to new centers outside the city, the shores turned into parks and gardens, and wastewater treated.

Both shores of the Golden Horn are connected by no less then four bridges. The most famous one is undoubtedly the Galata Bridge, which connects Eminönü with Galata. This bridge, with its lower deck of restaurants and bars, replaced the much-loved earlier pontoon bridge. This original Galata Bridge was reconstructed south of the Rahmi Koç Museum. In between these two bridges you’ll find the Atatürk Bridge. The fourth bridge – Fatih – is located deeper in the Golden Horn. A new pedestrian bridge, based on drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci in 1502, will soon be finished.

Why is it Called the Golden Horn?

There are two legends that explain the adjective ‘golden’. According to the first legend, the Byzantines threw so many valuables into it during the Ottoman Conquest that the waters glistened with gold.
The second and more plausible story says that name is given because of the gold light that seemingly comes out of the river when the sun goes down. A view you can’t afford to miss!

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Whether you want to find your way around town, do some sightseeing, indulge in a shopping spree or book accommodation in Istanbul, I’m sure you’ll find some useful words in this forth post of my Turkish Language for Tourists series.

Accommodation

Getting Around in Turkish

Turkish Sightseeing Words

Shopping in Turkish

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