As of today, 19 July 2009, smoking in Turkey is banned in all enclosed public places. This is an extension of the existing anti-smoking legislation introduced in May last year which prohibited smoking in workplaces and public spaces. From now on cafes, restaurants and bars, who had 18 months to adjust, are also subject to the nation-wide smoking ban. But with 22 million daily smokers, of course the biggest challenge will be enforcing the law!

Where Is Smoking Banned?

1. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed spaces. An area is considered enclosed from the moment not all four sides of it are open or if the sky cannot be seen.
2. The following facilities are considered enclosed areas: cafes, coffee houses, water pipe (nargile) houses, restaurants, bars, open-air discotheques, all entertainment centers, public-transportation vehicles (including taxis), airports, bus stops, stations, terminals, harbors and of course all government buildings.
3. Smoking is prohibited in education facilities and at all facilities that host artistic or sporting events, regardless whether they take place in enclosed or open areas. However, special enclosed spaces can be assigned within these facilities for smoking purposes, but cannot exceed 50 percent of the total space.
4. Old people nursing homes, mental asylums and prisons are excluded from the smoking ban as they must install smoking areas. Gardens of hospitals and mosques also escape the ban. On the decks of inter-city or international ships or ferries, smoking is allowed to people no younger than 18 years old. The Bosphorus Scenic Tour Ferries or the regular ferries going back and forth between both shores of the Bosphorus or the Princes’ Islands are not inter-city!
5. Even in gardens smoking is banned from the moment the smoke disturbs non-smokers. Smoking under a sunshade in a garden is prohibited by default. Remember, when the sky is no longer visible, it is considered an enclosed area. According to me this is by far the most dubious rule.
6. Hotels are allowed to have designated floors for smokers, but children cannot stay in hotel rooms located on those floors.

How Will The Smoking Ban Be Enforced?

No less than 1.571 teams, aided by voluntary anti-smokers, will go out and regularly check all the establishments subject to the new smoking law.

If you do smoke in a smoke-free area, the establishment owner or one of the waiters is supposed to tell you to put out your cigarette or smoke outside of the building. If you ignore this warning, by law the waiters must stop serving you. Does this mean that you can start smoking the moment you no longer need to be served? No! If you continue to smoke, they may call the police by dialing 184, a newly created hot-line number to report smoking law violations.

What Fine Apply For Smoking In Prohibited Areas?

As a smoker, you will be fined TL 69 for violating the law. Smoking outside is allowed, but throwing your stub on the street may result in a TL 20 fine. For establishment owners, non-compliance with the ban will result in a fine of TL 560 for a first-time offence and up to 5,600 liras for repeat offences.

Bottom Line

Turkey is getting ready to join the European Union. Non-smokers will of course be very happy with these new regulations, while smokers coming from Europe or the US are probably already acquainted with such restrictions since similar (but maybe a tad lighter) laws have been implemented a long time ago in those countries.

However, if you want to try out the century old culture of smoking nargile (water pipe), I suggest you plan a visit to Istanbul in summertime.

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People often ask me if booking a hotel online is safe. And if so, whether I can provide links to hotel booking sites that are trustworthy and/or offer hotel rooms at the lowest prices available. Since I’m merely running a blog about Istanbul (and not a travel agency), this has always been a tough question to answer, up until recently!

Is Booking A Hotel Room Online Safe?

Recently my good friend Darren from Travel-Rants wrote a post on lack of credit card security when booking hotels online. In short, booking online via an established third-party hotel booking website is secure, if you follow the following internet safety basics:

1. stick to the bigger, well-known hotel booking websites
2. before entering personal and/or credit card information, make sure the webpage is on a secure (https://…) server
3. check if the bottom of your browser shows a padlock

Luckily, the majority of the established hotel booking websites has implemented these security measures. The only thing you can never be sure of is human carelessness after all your details have been wired to the hotel of your choice. Hotel staff writing down your credit card numbers on a piece of paper or in a spreadsheet may always occur, regardless weather you booked online or in person after arrival. Unless you carry/pay cash, but then of course other security concerns surface.

Best Price Guaranteed

So yes, in my experience booking online via well-known hotel websites is not only safe, it can also result in a fair hotel price discount. The question remains of course, what third-party hotel booking website to use.

Already back in August last year, to serve my readers better, I conducted a little research on this topic. I reviewed a handful of the most-known hotel booking websites, and decided to promote Booking.com for the following reasons:

• they have a very user-friendly and clear website
• hotels I had already previously recommended to friends are in their 220 Istanbul hotel list
• they provide detailed and accurate information about every hotel
• they offer extensive customer reviews with pros and cons about every hotel
• booking a hotel is easy and hassle-free
• you can view the website in the language and currency of your choice

Moreover, since 2009 Booking.com also added a Best Price Guarantee. You can find the full details here, but in short they promise the following:

“Booking.com wants you to pay the lowest price possible for your hotel. Should you find your hotel room, with the same booking conditions, at a lower rate on the internet after you have booked, we’ll match it. Just contact us within 24 hours of booking, with details of the website.”

This new Booking.com Best Price Guarantee policy just confirmed that I already back in August 2008 chose the right hotel booking website to advice to my readers!

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The New Turkish Lira (Yeni Türk Lirası, YTL) – which was introduced on January 1, 2005 – will be replaced by the Turkish Lira (Türk Lirası, TL) as of January 1, 2009. At the same time, the 200 Turkish Lira banknote has been introduced.

Turkey Drops the ’Y’ in Its National Currency

After a 4-year transition period in which Turkey fought its inflation and temporarily switched to the New Turkish Lira (Yeni Türk Lirası), the time has come to drop the ‘Y’ and reintroduce the Turkish Lira (Türk Lirası). At the same time, a new 200 Turkish Lira banknote was introduced, while the 1 Turkish Lira notes have been dropped. The coins follow the same logic and are from now on simply called Kuruş (KR) instead of Yeni Kuruş (YKR) previously.

The now old ‘New Turkish Lira’ banknotes will be withdrawn from circulation as of January 1, 2010. However, the ‘New Turkish Lira’ banknotes will be redeemed for a period of ten years starting from January 1, 2010 till the expiration of working hours on December 31, 2019 at the branches of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. The New Turkish Lira banknotes will be worthless as of January 1, 2020.

Turkish Lira Is Euro-Lookalike

Although all notes show portraits of Atatürk and have the emblem of the Turkish flag on the right-hand side, the Turkish Lira banknotes are definitely Euro lookalikes. They are more or less the same, in size and in color. Be careful, since the value is most likely not equal.

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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.

Package Deals

Experience has taught me that booking package deals (flight and hotel) with your favorite tour operator often gives you the best value for your money. And it saves you the hassle of having to deal with all of it separately. Tour operators certainly get discounts without bargaining and most of the times they also have similar deals with the airline companies.

The problem is that their brochures often offer only a small selection of Istanbul hotels in the historical part or only a handful of the recommended hotels in the modern part of Istanbul. So maybe the one hotel you liked is not in there. On top of that, your tour operator probably has branches all over the country. And the employees in these branches of course need to get a salary, so often tour operators have good but not the best deals.

The Hotel’s Online Booking Service

These days, just like airline companies, the most popular four and five star hotels have their own websites. Not only do they advertise their normal rates, they also provide you with their online booking rates, which are up to 15% cheaper. Prices are mostly in strong currencies such as the Euro or the Dollar, and include taxes. Your credit card will be charged with the equivalent in Turkish Liras, based on the exchange rate on the day you check out.

So booking online directly with the hotel of your choice is definitely worth considering. But often you can do even better than that.

Exclusive Online Booking Travel Agencies

In order to provide my readers with the best possible advice and service, I’ve been conducting a little bit of research the past few months. I’ve compared the lowest (online booking) rates provided by the hotels with those of several online booking travel agencies, of course for the same hotels.

In doing so, I noticed that in 95% of the cases, these online travel agencies provided the lowest rates, sometimes up to € 25 per night cheaper. And you still get the same service and facilities (e.g. free pick-up from airport) as you would get by booking directly with the hotel.

From the numerous online travel agencies I researched, I decided to team up and promote Booking.com to my readers. They have a very user-friendly and clear website, have detailed information on every hotel, offer extensive customer reviews about every hotel, and last but not least offer guaranteed the best price.

I Forgot to Book!

In case you somehow unexpectedly do end up in Istanbul without hotel reservations, keep the following in mind. Turks are good traders and love to negotiate about prices. Therefore, never pay the price as listed at the reception. Discounts up to 10% are common, 15% is feasible if you posses good bargaining skills. Discounts are of course subject to availability and whether it’s high-season or not. And don’t show up with the suitcases in your hands, because they’ll see you’re in desperate need of a place to stay.

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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.

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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 Hagia 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 also consult the list of National, Official and Religious holidays in Turkey. Especially religious holidays vary from year to year.

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 – 17.00, no entrance after 16.00
  Closed: Monday, and until 12.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 17.30
  Closed: until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Big Palace Mosaic Museum (Büyük Saray Çinileri Müzesi)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 16.30
  Closed: Monday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)
  Open: daily from 09.00 till dusk
  Closed: 30 min before until 30 min after prayer time, 2 hours during Friday noon prayer
• Çadır Pavilion (Çadır Köşkü)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 22.00
  Closed: no closing days
• Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 16.00
  Closed: Monday, Thursday, January 1st and the first days of religious holidays
• Egyptian or Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)
  Open: daily from 08.00 – 19.00
  Closed: Sunday, October 29th and the full duration of religious holidays
• Fethiye Museum (Fethiye Müzesi)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 16.30
  Closed: Wednesday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Fortress of Europe (Rumeli Hisarı)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 16.30, no entrance after 16.00
  Closed: Wednesday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Fortress of Seven Towers (Yedikule Hisarı)
  Open: daily from 08.00 – 16.00
  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: Sunday, October 29th and the full duration of religious holidays
• Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya Müzesi)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 17.00
  Closed: Monday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Harem (Harem)
  Open: daily from 09.30 – 17.00, lunch break from 12.00 – 12.30
  Closed: Tuesday, and until 12.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Imperial Porcelain Factory (Yıldız Porselen Fabrikası)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 12.00 and 13.00 – 17.00
  Closed: Saturday, Sunday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 16.30
  Closed: Wednesday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Malta Pavilion (Malta Köşkü)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 22.00
  Closed: no closing days
• Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 17.30
  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 10.00 – 16.00
  Closed: Monday and Thursday
• Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)
  Open: daily from 09.00 – 17.00
  Closed: Tuesday, and until 12.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Turkish & Islamic Art Museum (Türk İslam Eserleri Müzesi)
  Open: daily from 09.30 – 16.30
  Closed: Monday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Tünel (Tünel)
  Open: daily from 07.00 – 21.00
  Closed: no closing days
• Yıldız Palace (Yıldız Sarayı)
  Open: daily from 09.30 – 16.30
  Closed: Tuesday, and until 13.00 on the first day of religious holidays
• Yıldız Park (Yıldız Korusu)
  Open: day and night
  Closed: no closing days

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On 19 May 2008, the first wave of the anti-smoking legislation comes into effect. From that day on smoking in Turkey is prohibited in all enclosed areas, except residences and designated places. Just like many other European countries, the Turkish parliament enacted a law to control and prevent the harm caused by tobacco products.

However, Turkey is not only a huge consumer but also a big producer of tobacco. And since Turks enjoy smoking as much as they enjoy finding a way around any law, the question remains: will the government be able to enforce the ban?

Prohibited areas

As of today, smoking is banned in buildings (enclosed areas) offering:

1. any kind of education
2. health services
3. merchandising
4. social activities
5. sports
6. entertainment services

The corridors of these buildings are included in the ban. Consuming tobacco or tobacco products within or outside buildings such as kindergartens, nursery schools, state or private schools and establishments offering courses is prohibited. These establishments are not allowed to implement smoking rooms.

The ban also covers all public transportation, including taxis, trains and boats. A rule that won’t benefit the already nervous Istanbul cab drivers.

As of July 19th 2009, smoking in cafes, restaurants or pubs is also entirely prohibited.

Excluded areas

Old people nursing homes, mental asylums and prisons are excluded from the smoking ban as they must install smoking areas. Gardens of hospitals and mosques also escape the ban. On the decks of inter-city or international ships or ferries, smoking is allowed to people no younger than 18 years old.

Who can install designated smoking areas?

Altough smoking is also banned in the open spaces of sports, entertainment, culture and art facilities, they can but aren’t obliged to have smoking rooms or areas. Establishing smoking rooms is at their discretion.

Hotels can give service to their smoking customers by allocating certain floors to smokers.

Other rules

Buildings and areas where smoking is prohibited must have signs or posters warning about the smoking prohibition and the legal consequences in case of smoking.

The allowed smoking sections have to have ventilation and isolation. These areas are obliged to have posters about the dangers of smoking for the human body.

Producers and marketers of tobacco products are no longer allowed to advertise, nor can they sponsor events.

Tobacco products can not be sold to people under 18. And those people can not be employed in companies that produce, distribute or are involved in the marketing of tobacco products.

Fines

People who smoke in non-smoking areas are obliged to pay a TL 62 fine. If you throw the cigarette butt or the pack of cigarettes on the ground, you will be fined TL 23.

Establishments that don’t obey the prohibition for the first time will be warned. In case of repetition, the owner or manager of the building will be fined from TL 50.000 up to TL 250.000.

Bottom line

The rules are strict, very strict. They go even further than what is currently in effect in most European countries. However, the implementation seems to become the most significant problem. Most law-enforcers are heavy smokers themselves. Only time will tell.

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Istanbul continuously confirms its status as one of the world’s metropolitans. First there was fierce voting to get Istanbul included in the first Global Monopoly board game.
And recently, EarthTV has installed a brand new camera to give you ‘live’ daily impressions of the bridge between Europe and Asia.

The Earth television network was founded in 1998. Its main objective is to bring the world together LIVE on television and via the web as it evolves day by day, hour by hour – in all of its diversity and beauty. With currently more than 70 cameras on 6 continents, earthTV captures the world at its daily pulse.

Recently they have put a camera on top of the Marmara Hotel in Taksim. This camera records a small movie of mostly the Bosphorus, three times per day at seemingly random intervals.

Of course there are better pictures of the Bosphorus available, but this little gadget may give you a ‘live’ impression of what the weather is like at your future destination.

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After passing the border control and being let into the country, you normally go look for your luggage and head for the exit. But hold your horses, there is still a small surprise ahead. At the Atatürk International Airport of Istanbul, you can also buy duty-free goods upon arrival. Although you can experience this opportunity in more airports around the globe these days, it was a first for me in 2001. And the surprise didn’t stop there!

Not only can you buy tax-free items upon arrival, some of the goods you purchase on Turkish soil don’t count for the normal duty-free allowance. Let me give you an overview.

Normal Duty-Free Allowance

The following goods may be imported into Turkey without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 50 cigars or 200g of tobacco and 200 cigarette papers or 50g of chewing tobacco or 200g of pipe tobacco or 200g of snuff tobacco.
• Five bottles (of 1 liter each) or seven bottles ( of 700 ml each) of wine and/or spirits.
• Reasonable amounts of coffee and tea.
• Five bottles (up to 120 ml each) of perfume.
• Gifts up to a value of € 255 (or equivalent).
• Electronic articles up to a value of € 255 (or equivalent)

Extra Duty-Free Allowance

If purchased upon arrival at one of the duty-free shops in the airport, an extra 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars and 500g of pipe tobacco may be imported. I don’t know whether this rule has been invented because Turks are still among the world’s heaviest smokers, but you can abuse it if you want. And in case you forgot or had no time to purchase duty-free goods when departing, you can still catch up on your shopping here.

Prohibited Items

Drugs, soft or hard! Turkey has strict laws against the use, possession or trafficking of illegal drugs. If you are convicted of any of these offences, you can expect to receive a severe fine and/or a prison sentence up to 24 years. So make sure you keep a close eye on your luggage at all times!

Furthermore, sharp implements and weapons are also prohibited, but that goes without saying. You probably won’t even make it to the airplane anyway.

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This may seem like a strange article, not in the least because of its length. But people who have ever queued the line at the Atatürk Airport passport control for half an hour or more, only to find out that they had to buy their visa somewhere else first and were therefore sent back to the end of the line, will understand why you better read this small post before you take off.

Finding your way to the passport or border control is easy. Just follow the respective signs, even the ones reading Baggage Claim will take you there. It’s only once you arrived there that it gets tricky.

Buy Your Visa First

If you don’t already have a valid visa, and you are a national of the countries that are allowed to buy their visas upon arrival, you need to buy your visa first. Don’t be tempted to queue for the border control without it because it will only result in a huge loss of time, not to mention the humiliation of being refused to enter the country in front of others.
You can find the visa sales point at the left-hand side of the border control gates. Where this used to be an obscure ticket window in the past, it has been modernized in recent years, clearly showing what fees apply.
Don’t forget to bring the exact amount of money in Euros, Dollars or Pound Sterling, and a valid passport of course. Once set, proceed to the border control.

Border Control

As in most airports, there are two separate sections for the passport inspection: one for the Turkish citizens, and one for the rest of the world.

So unless you are holding a Turkish passport, make sure you follow the arrows Other Nationalities. The airport authorities have reduced the chance of confusion by improving signalization, so these days it’s hard to miss the correct entrance.

Entering the country can be time-consuming. Only after the police officer has put in your name, passport or identity card number, birth year, date of entry and nationality into his computer, will he stamp your visa. You should carry your visa on you at all times while exploring the city.
Make also sure you don’t lose it, because you’ll have to present it again upon departure. When overstaying or losing your visa, you will be liable to pay a substantial fine, depending on the duration you have overstayed. From the moment you have overstayed your visa, the minimum fine is TL 98, rising incrementally each day to TL 193 for one month. If you overstay even longer than one month, the fine increases exponentially.

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