General Information

Because we're incredibly helpful souls at the FSF, we've produced you your very own Google Map of Istanbul, showing major landmarks, mosques, and of course the stadiums of the three Istanbul clubs.

VISITING THE MOSQUES

Most mosques in Istanbul are open to the public during the day. Prayer sessions, called namaz, last 30 to 40 minutes and are observed five times daily. Tourists should, however, avoid visiting mosques midday on Friday, when Muslims are required to worship. For women, bare arms and legs are not acceptable inside a mosque. Men should avoid wearing shorts as well. Women should not enter a mosque without first covering their heads with a scarf. Before entering a mosque, shoes must be removed.

Main Tourist Sights

Istanbul or the former Konstantinopel has a rich history which can be explored throughout the city where loads of palaces and ancient buildings left their mark from bygone days. At the same time and at every place in the city, one can find symbols of the oriental contrast or even conflict thesedays between the old and the new or the traditional culture versus modern lifestyle.

Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet Square (Tram: Sultanahmet)

Topkali Palace (Topkapi Sarayi),

Bab-i-Hűmayűn Caddesi (Tram: Gǘlhane/Sultanahmet)

Sultanahmet Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)

Meydam Sokak (Tram: Sultanahmet)

Galata Tower

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici)

Getting Around Generally

The best way to get around is by foot. Traffic is often so heavy, and traffic patterns so circuitous, that you can often walk faster than riding.

The Bosphorus strait, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, divides Europe from Asia. On its western shore, European Istanbul is further divided by the Golden Horn (Haliç) into Old Instanbul in the south and Beyoğlu in the north.

Sultanahmet is the heart of Old Istanbul and boasts many of the city’s most famous sites. The adjoining area, with hotels to suit all budgets, is actually called Cankurtaran, although if you say ‘Sultanahmet’ most people will understand where you mean.

North of the Sultanahmet, on the Golden Horn, is Sirkeci Railway Station, terminus for European train services. Ferries for Űskűdar, the Prices’ Islands and the Bosphorus leave from nearby Eminőnű, the bustling waterfront.

Across the Galata Bridge (Galta Kőprűsű) from Eminőnű is Karakőy, where cruise ships dock. Ferries also depart from Karakőy for Kadikőy and Haydarpaşa on the Asian shore.

Beyoğlu, on the norther side of the Golden Horn, was once the ‘new’ or ‘European’ city. The Tűnel (at the underground railway) runs uphill from Karakőy to the southern end of Beyoğlu’s pedestrianised main street, İstiklal Caddesi. A tram runs all the way toTaksim Square, at the north end of the street, and the heart of the ‘modern’ Istanbul.

On the Asian side, Haydarpaşa station is the terminus for trains to Anatolia, Syria and Iran. There’s an intercity otogar (bus station) at Harem, a 10-minute taxi ride north.

Getting Around By Public Transport

Istanbul has a good public transport system incorporating various means of transport: busses, metro, light metro, tram, trains and even two funicular railways and several sea bus lines and ferry services.

Metro

There are two metro lines, the Hafif Metro (light metro) running from Aksaray through the suburbs via Kocatepe to Havalimani / Atatürk International Airport (light blue line on the map) and the Istanbul Metro running from Taksim near the stadium to Levent in the North of the city (dark blue line on the map). The Istanbul Metro trains usually run every 5 Minutes.

Two bus services operate on the same city routes, either the private Halk Otobus service (pay conductor on entry, €0.60) or the more common municipality buses (market IETT) for which you have to buy tickets (€0.60) in advance from bus stations, newspaper kiosks or fast-food booths; some longer routes, used by double decker buses, require two advance tickets. (Look for the sign iki billet geçerlidir for the ticket offices). There are route maps on main bus stops.

There are 27 seaports and 29 terminals on the shores of Bosporus and Sea of Marmara which are served by a fleet of ferryboats and catamaran type sea buses of the company IDO. The sea bus station nearest to the ground is Kabataş. For more information go to www.ido.com.tr/en/ (English website of the IDO company)

Tünel is Istanbul’s 19th-century two-station underground train connecting Karaköy (Galata) and the south-western Istiklal Caddesi.

There are two lines, running from Kabataş through Sultanahmet to Topkapi and outlying suburbs, the other running along Istiklâl Caddesi from Beloğlu to Taksim. Buy tokens (jetsons: €0.60) from a booth before you enter the platform.

The city of Istanbul is served by two underground funicular railways, one of them, called the Tünel, being the second oldest subway after the London underground. The Tünel connects Karaköy and Tünel Square. The second funicular service is run between Taksim and the sea bus station Kabataş.

Types of tickets – day tickets/ singles etc

Buying an AKBIL is a good idea if you are in Istanbul for more than a day or two, and intend to use any public transport. It is like a little key, but it is a pass that gives you access to buses, trams, metro and even the local ferries. The great part thing for tourists is that you can buy one and buzz it as many times as there are passengers. Ticket fares across buses, trams and metros are standard (i.e. not dependant on how far you go), so you just buzz the akbil when you get on the bus or enter the tram/metro platform. You can buy these at booths marked Akbil at Eminonu.

For more information on the public transport system in Istanbul see www.iett.gov.tr/en/

(website of the Municipal Transport Authority of Istanbul, information available in English)

Getting Around By Taxi

All taxis are yellow. You might not have a great experience in an Istanbul taxi - drivers can refuse to take you if they think the journey is too short, they usually refuse to run the meter, they might even take you to your destination by the longest route which will usually cost an arm and a leg, and the driver will drive like a maniac expect a big tip because you are a tourist. (You DON’T have to tip the driver, tipping is not common practice in Turkey).

Accordingly: make sure you get a price from the driver before you start your journey, or if he is unable to give a price, that the meter is running. Be careful on what notes you hand over for payment, drivers pretend that the 50 lira note handed was just a 5 lira one!

There are also dolmuşes (shared taxis) which have their point of departure and destination displayed somewhere about the windscreen.