Frequently Asked Questions
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With a population of 20 million, the city forms one of the largest urban agglomerations in Europe and is among the largest cities in the worldby population within city limits. Istanbul's vast area of 5,343 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi) is coterminous with Istanbul Province, of which the city is the administrative capital. Istanbul is a transcontinental city, straddling the Bosphorus—one of the world's busiest waterways—in northwestern Turkey, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Its commercial and historical center lies in Europe, while a third of its population lives in Asia.
Visitors may withdraw money in Turkish Lira as well as Euro and U.S. Dollar with their debit cards from the ATMs in Turkey. The majority of ATMs offer English language or other language options for the convenience of foreigners.
Visitors may use their credit cards and debit cards for all kinds of purchases. It is advisable, however, to carry some cash with you in case you take trips away from the city center or travel to smaller towns or villages.
Turkish Lira is the local currency of the Republic of Turkey. Visitors can exchange their cash money for Turkish Lira at exchange offices and banks.
Foreigners may drive in Turkey provided that they keep their passport, international driver's license and the vehicle license with them all the time. Turkey drives on the right side of the road and the advanced highway network allows easy access to different corners of the land.
European two-pin sockets are widely used in Turkey as everywhere in continental Europe. 220W
English is the most spoken foreign language everywhere in Turkey. You should have no problem meeting people who can speak English and help you get around in all the big cities, shopping malls, restaurants and holiday resorts.
Many international GSM operators provide coverage in Turkey in addition to local GSM operators such as Turkcell, Avea and Vodafone. You may ask your GSM operator to activate the international roaming function of your mobile phone before travelling to Turkey or just obtain a new SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card from local operators in Turkey.
All of the museums in Turkey are closed on Monday and are open to visitation from 9:00 to 17.00 on the other days.
Pharmacies are open across the country every day from 09.00 – 19.00 except for Sunday. One pharmacy, however, is open 24/7 in each neighborhood by the time the others are closed.
In Turkey, shopping centers are open every day offering a variety of trademarks and services from usually from 10.00 am until 22.00 pm.
In Turkey, banks are in service of their customers from 09.00 to 17.00 on weekdays but are closed on weekends.
The time zone in Turkey situated at the connecting point of Asia and Europe is GMT +2.