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ISTANBUL GUIDE
General Information
Main District
Istanbul Museums
Istanbul Transportation
Istanbul Champions League
Istanbul Formula One 2005
Istanbul Consulates
Istanbul Airports
GUIDE HOME
ISTANBUL GENERAL INFORMATION
TELEPHONE SYSTEMS
Sunday from 9:30 AM until 5.00 PM or 5:30 PM and closed on Monday Palaces are open the same hours but are closed on Thursday. For specific information on museums, please visit our museums section.
Post offices are painted bright yellow and have PTT (Post. Telegraph, and Telephone) signs on the front. The central Post office is open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM, Sunday from 9 AM to 7PM. Smaller ones are open Monday through Friday between 8 30 AM and 5.00 PM
Pay phones in Istanbul operate with a phone card or a token (jeton). You can purchase either at any Post Office (Turk Telekom) or from street vendors who charge an extra fee.
GSM Companies are:
ARIA; Phone: 444 0 155
AYCELL: Phone: 444 1 505
TELSIM; Phone: 444 0 542
TURKCELL: Phone: 444 0 532
TURK TELEKOM SERVICES: Phone: 444 1 444
IMPORTANT PHONES
Some useful information numbers that you might need within Turkey are:
Wake-up calls: 135
Police: 155
Emergency: 112
PTT Information: 161
Directory Assitance: 118
Telephone Repair: 121
Water and electrical Repairs: 185 and 186
Health Information: 184 Fire: 110
Governorship: ( + 90-212) 514 17 50 Municipality: (+90-212)512 55 00 Hospital: (i 90-212) 588 48 00 Police: ( + 90-212) 635 00 00 Gendarme: (+90-212) 779 30 18 Provincial Directorate: ( + 90-212) 243 34 72 Tourism Information Office: ( + 90-212) 527 4503 Harbour: (+90-212) 245 53 66 - 249 71 78 -249 1896
WORK HOURS AND HOLIDAYS
Banks are open weekdays from 8:30 AM until noon or 12:30 PM, depending on the bank, and from 1:30 PM until 5.00 PM. However, there are some banks which continue to serve during lunch breaks. Museums are generally open Tuesday through
Shops and bazaars are normally open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 1 00 PM and from 2.00 PM to 7.00 PM, and closed all day on Sunday But most stores in shopping malls and crowded streets are open seven days a week, including lunch breaks.
You can find restaurants or cafes open virtually at any time of the day or night
THE MONEY
The monetary unit is the Turkish lira (TL), which comes in bank notes of 250.000; 500.000; 1.000.000, 5 000.000, 10 000.000 and 20.000.000. Smaller denominations come in coins of 25.000; 50.000; 100.000; and 250.000.
In Istanbul, traveler's checks are rarely accepted. ATMs can be found in even the smallest Turkish towns Most accept international credit cards or bank cards (a strip of logos is usually displayed above the ATM). Almost all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English.
VAT
The value-added tax. here called KDV, is 18%. Hotels typically combine it with a service charge of 10% to 15%, and restaurants usually add a 15% service charge
Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices Certain shops are authorized to refund the tax (ask)
ELECTRICITY
The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take Continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs.
MOSQUES (CAMiLER)
- Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), Sultanahmet Square
- Eyup Mosque, Eyup
- Nuriosmaniye Mosque, Cagaloglu
- Ortakoy Mosque, Ortakoy
- Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Sultanahmet
- Suleymeniye Mosque, Beyazit
- Yeni Cami (New Mosque), Eminonu
CHURCHES (KlLiSELER)
- Anglican Churches
- Christ Church
Serdari Ekrem Sok. No: 82, Tunel - istanbul
Phone: (0212)251 56 16
- St. Helena's Chapel
British Consulate, Galatasaray - istanbul
Phone: (0212)244 42 28
- Jnion Church of Istanbul Dostacilar Sok. Beyoglu - istanbul Phone: (0212) 244 52 12/ 244 57 63
- Armenian Churches
Armenian Patriarchate
Sarapnel Sok. No: 20, Kumkapi - istanbul
Phone: (0212)517 09 70
- Jg Horan,
3ahk Pazari, Beyoglu - istanbul
Phone: (0212)244 13 82
Catholic Churches
- St Anthony of Padua
Istiklal Caddesi, Galatasaray - istanbul
Phone: (0212)244 09 35
- St. Esprit Cathedral
Cumhuriyet Cad. No: 205/B, Harbiye - istanbul
Pnone: (0212)248 09 10
- St. Louis de Francis
Postocilar Sok. No: 11, Beyoglu - istanbul
Pnone: (0212)244 10 75
- Church of the Assumption Cem Sok. No: 5, Moda - istanbul Pnone: (0216)336 03 22
- Orthodox Churches
Aya Triada
Ves.elik Sok. No: 11/1, Taksim - istanbul
Pnone: (0212)244 13 58
- St.George Churc
Sadrazam AN Pa§a Cad. Fener - istanbul
Phone: (0212)531 96 70-76
- St.Mary Pammakanstos (Fethiye Cami)
Fener
Phone: (0212)522 17 50
- SS Sergius and Bacchus
- (Kuguk Ayasofya), Sultanahmet - istanbul
- St.Stephen of the Bulgars Fener - istanbul
SYNAGOGUES (SiNAGOGLAR)
Ashkenazi,
Yuksek Kaldinm Sok. No: 37, Karakoy - istanbul
Phone: (0212)244 29 75
Chief Rabbinate of Turkey
Yemenici Sok. No: 23, Tunel - istanbul
Phone: (0212) 243 51 66/293 87 94
Neve Shalom Buyuk Hendek Cad. No: 67, Beyoglu - istanbul
Phone: (0212) 244 15 76/293 62 23
Sisli Beth Israel
Efe Sok. No: 4, §isji - Istanbul
Phone: (0212)240 65 90
PALACES (SARAYLAR)
-Beylerbeyi Palace (Beylerbeyi Sarayi), Beylerbeyi
-Dolmabahge Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi),
-Ihlamur Palace (Ihlamur Sarayi), Besjktas.
-Maslak Pavilion, Maslak
-Sale Ko§ku Pavilion (Yildiz Park), Besjktas,
-Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarayi) -Sultanahmet The Bosphorus -The Grand (Covered) Bazaar (Kapali Car§i)
-Galata Tower (Galata Kuiesi), §is,hane
-The Prince's Island (Prens Adalari)
-The Spice or Egyptian Qszaas (Misir Car§isi), Eminonu
TURKISH BATHS (HAMAMLAR)
-Cagaloglu Bath, Cagaloglu
-Cemberlitas, Bath, Cemberlitas,
-Suleymaniye Bath, Suleymaniye,
-Tarihi Galatasaray Bath, Galatasaray.
