Turkey - İstanbul - To Shape your LIFE, MIND + SPIRIT

THE COUNTRY

Dynamic and young, with a promising future, Turkey is the natural bridge between East and West. Founded in 1923 the Turkish Republic is confidently progressing towards being the leader of emerging economies with its 75 million young and industrious brains, numerous universities, vast natural resources, mild and inviting climate and geography for the fast growing tourism industry.

TIME ZONES 

Turkey is 2 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. 

 LANGUAGE

 Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey. English and German are widely spoken.

RELIGION
Turkey is a secular country with no official state religion; the Turkish Constitution provides freedom of religion and conscience. About 99 percent of the population has chosen Islam as their religion by their own free will practicing it in their own way.
CLOTHING

Turkish society is modern and predominantly secular, so European dress styles prevail. For your holiday in Turkey, dress the same as you would to visit France, Germany, Italy or the UK.

CURRENCY and CREDIT CARD 
The Turkish currency is the Turkish Lira (TL). Cash may be exchanged in banks and exchange offices during office hours. The official exchange rate is listed daily at the banks and exchange offices. All major credit cards are accepted at most hotels, restaurants and stores. 

ELECTRICITY 
The electric current in Turkey is 220V, 50Hz. European standard plugs Type C (Europeans 2-pin) with 2 round pins are used. 

MOBILE PHONE

Turkish and foreign visitors are entitled to bring one mobile phone into Turkey each calendar year for use during their stay in Turkey. A personal mobile phone brought into Turkey in this manner is exempt from tax and duty.
It is necessary to register the mobile phone in order to use it with a SIM card bought from a Turkish network operator. Unregistered phones will be blocked and unable to receive or make calls. There is no charge levied for this registration, and no customs documents are required.

There are several ways you can:

Bring Your Own
GSM Phone & Use "International Roaming"
Bring Your Own GSM Phone & Buy a Turkish SIM Card
Rent a GSM Mobile Phone in Turkey
Buy a Mobile Phone in Turkey

TURKISH CUISINE

It is said that three major kinds of cuisine exist in the world; Turkish, Chinese, and French. Fully justifying its reputation, Turkish Cuisine is always a pleasant surprise for the visitor.
Food in Turkey is first and foremost a social occasion and always to be enjoyed with gusto.
"Come for the history, but stay for the food," is often said of Turkey.
Turkish Cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe.
Taken as a whole, Turkish cuisine is not homogeneous
The Black Sea region's cuisine (northern Turkey) is based on corn and anchovies. The southeast—Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana—is famous for its kebabs, mezes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayif and künefe. Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees are grown abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking. The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions display basic characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine as they are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish. Central Anatolia is famous for its pasta specialties, such as keşkek, mantı and gözleme.
The Black Sea, Sea of Marmara, Aegean, and southern Mediterranean provide Turkey with boundless fish and shellfish. Turkey is one of the few countries in the world that has been self sustaining, producing all its own food.
Although the majority of Turks practise the Islamic religion, alcoholic beverages are as widely available as in Europe.
There is a variety of local wines produced by Turkish brands.
Rakı, a traditional alcoholic drink flavoured with anise, is the usual drink with meze, fish or kebabs.

 

THE CITY OF ISTANBUL

Perhaps more than any other city in the modern world, Istanbul embodies the ideal of unification. Somewhere beneath the magnificent waters of the Bosphorus, Europe and Asia meet, making Istanbul the only major city in the world that links two continents and many cultures and religions.

There is, of course, far more than geography to the magical hold of Istanbul exerted over man’s imagination throughout its fabulous history. Three separate empires ruled the world from this powerful capital – the Roman, the Byzantines and the Ottomans. Trace of their presence – in ancient walls, impressive hippodromes, royal basilicas, aqueducts, magnificent mosques, brilliant palaces – shape Istanbul’s alluring landscape and color its exotic texture. For more than 3000 years, this city has been at crossroads of cultures, a rendez-vous of the East and West, one of the reasons why it was chosen as the 2010 European Capital of Culture. The city’s identity reflects its experience accumulated in culture, arts, science and technology, as a center.

Today, Istanbul blends the ancient and the modern in a seamless tapestry of life. It stands, in a new world, as a model of free market economies, enlightened social reforms, cultural and religious diversity. In many ways, Istanbul is the capital of the future – a marriage of East and West for the benefit of both.

  
ACCESSIBILITY

Seating in the middle of the East and West, Istanbul is easily accessible from almost every corner of the world. Europe and the Middle East are only 3 hours away, while the Americas and the Far East are at a distance of less than 12 hours.

 

AIRPORT and VISA

Istanbul is served by the brand new State-of -the-Art International Ataturk Airport, where more than 50 airlines operate direct flights. Another international airport of Istanbul is the Sabiha Gokcen Airport serving domestic and international flights on the Asian side of Istanbul. The airport is named after the first woman pilot of the Republic of Turkey.

For participants from some countries, a visa to Turkey may be required. Participants are advised to contact the nearest Turkish Embassy in their country. For some nationals, visa applications are available at the airport. For further details please check http://www.mfa.gov.tr

 

TRANSPORTATION 

Airport to city:
Bus:		HAVAS company operates regular airport to city bus transportation at half hourly intervals from 06:00 till 24:00 hours.
Taxi:		Taxis are available around the clock and operate by the meter.
In the city:
Bus:		Public bus transportation has a wide web of services across the city. The fare is the equivalent of $ 1.- One has to pre-buy tickets to board a bus.
Taxi:		Taxis are available around the clock and operate by the meter.
Boat:		Ferry boats and fast catamarans operate between the two shores of Istanbul - between Europe and Asia. The boat landings are at Kabatas, Karakoy and Eminonu on the European side and Uskudar, Kadikoy and Bostanci on the Asiatic shores.
Metro:		An underground metro system is available between Taksim Square and 4th Levent. A light metro operates between Aksaray and Istanbul airport.
Metrobus:		Operates between Avcilar - Zincirlikuyu - Sogutlucesme

THE CLIMATE

The climate of Istanbul is mild.

Source: World Meteorological Organization 29 June 2010

Istanbul’s Heritage

The three empires that have successively ruled in this area have left numerous monuments that form the priceless heritage Istanbul proudly treasures and offers to the visitors. Some of the most important that must be seen are:  

Roman Heritage :

The Roman Hippodrome : The Roman Hippodrome stands near the Blue Mosque and
Hagia Sophia at Sultan Ahmet Square. The scene of chariot races and the center of
Roman and Byzantine civic life, the hippodrome houses the Obelisk of Theodosius, the
Column of Constantine and the Bronze Serpentine column.

The Istanbul land walls (city walls) : Built in the 5th century by the Emperor Theodosius II, the walls stretch 7 km. from Topkapi Gate on the Sea of Marmara along the seashore to the Golden Horn and 5 km from the Golden Horn, overland to Topkapi Palace. With many towers and bastions, they were once the mightiest fortifications in Christendom.
UNESCO has declared the land walls, and the area which they enclose, one of the cultural
heritages of the world.

The Aqueduct of Valens : Built by the Emperor Valens in 368 AD, the aqueduct supplied
the Byzantine and later the Ottoman Palaces with water. About 900 meters of the double tier arches remain.

The Archaeological Museum : The Archaeological Museum contains very rich collections of antiquities to include the celebrated Alexander Sarcophagus.

Byzantine Heritage : 

The Basilica of Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) This ancient basilica, now a museum, built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, is one of the architectural marvels of all times Its immense dome rises 55 meters above the ground and is 31 meters in diameter. The beautiful interior decorations include fine Byzantine mosaics. 

St. Irene Museum : St. Irene was the first church in Istanbul and was built by Constantine in the 4th century and rebuilt by Justinian. It is reputedly the site of a pre- Christian temple.

Kariye Museum : The 11th century church of St. Saviour in Chora is, after Hagia Sophia, the most important Byzantine Museum in Istanbul. The walls are decorated with
superb 14th century frescoes and mosaics on a gold background. This church influenced
the European Renaissance. 

The Basilica Cistern : Close to Hagia Sophia is the 6th century Byzantine cistern known as the Yerebatan Sarayi or the Underground Palace. Fine brick vaulting is supported by 336 Corinthian columns. 

Ottoman Heritage : 

Sultan Ahmet Mosque : Facing Hagia Sophia, is the supremely elegant, imperial six minareted mosque of Sultan Ahmet I. Built between 1609-1616 by the architect Mehmet, it is known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior decorations of hand made blue Iznik tiles. 

Suleymaniye Mosque : The mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent, where he and his wife are buried, is considered as the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul. It was built between 1550 and 1557 by the famous architect Sinan whose wish was to surpass the builders of Hagia Sophia. Standing on a hill, it is conspicuous by its great size, emphasized
by the 4 minarets rising one from each corner of the courtyard. Inside, the mihrab (prayer niche) and the mimber (pulpit) are of finely carved white marble and there are fine stained glass windows. Adjoining the mosque were theological schools, a school of medicine, a soup kitchen and hospice for the poor, a caravanserai and a Turkish bath.

Rustem Pacha Mosque : Another skillful accomplishment of the great architect Sinan, this
mosque was built in 1551 on the orders of Rustem Pacha, Grand Vizier and son-in-law of
Suleyman the Magnificent. The exquisite interior is covered with some of the finest examples
of Iznik tiles.

Sehzadebaşı Mosque : Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent ordered Architect Sinan to construct the mosque in memory of his son who died in 1543. The construction of the mosque and the complex was completed in four years. It is located at Sarachane across the Istanbul Municipality Palace.

Fatih Mosque : This imperial mosque, constructed between 1463 and 1470 bears the name
of the conqueror of Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet and the site of his mausoleum. Standing
on top of one of the hills of Istanbul, it is notable for its vast size and great complex of religious buildings surrounding it : theological schools, hospices, a hospital, baths, a caravanserai and a library.

Topkapi Palace :

Overlooking the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn stands in a maze of buildings that was the great palace of the Ottoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries. The first courtyard is a magnificent wooded garden. On the right of the second court, shaded by cypress and plane trees is the palace kitchen, now housing an exquisite collection of crystal, silver and Chinese porcelain, while on the left is the Harem, the secluded quarters of the wives and concubines of the sultan. The third court contains the Hall of Audience of the Sultan, the library of Sultan Ahmet III an exhibition of robes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the Imperial Treasury and an exhibition of miniatures. In the center of the third court is the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle enshrining relics of the Prophet Mohammed.

Dolmabahce Palace: Built in the mid 19th century by Sultan Abdulmecit II, Dolmabahce Palace has an impressive 600 meters frontage on the Bosphorus.

The most important section is the vast reception saloon, with 56 columns and a huge crystal chandelier weighing 4 ½ tons and lit by 750 lights.  

Beylerbeyi Palace: On the Asian side of the Bosphorus, the Beylerbeyi Palace was built by Sultan Abdulaziz in the 19th century of white marble. It possesses a beautiful garden with magnolia trees. It was used as a summer residence of the sultans and a guest house for visiting foreign dignitaries. 

Rumeli Hisarı : The Rumeli Fortress, built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet in 1452 prior to the
conquest of Istanbul, was completed in only four months. One of the most beautiful works of military architecture anywhere in the world, it is now used as the setting for some of the events of the Istanbul Festival.

 

Please contact KONGRESIST for special Tours by coach or car and guide.