FOREIGN EXHIBITORS

Geographical Location

Istanbul… The main reason of Istanbul’s being a very popular city for which wars are made, lives are lost is its geographical location…
Let’s review this location first: In its south stretches Marmara Sea and in its north is Black Sea. Its west part is in Europe and east part is in Asia. The important waterline dividing Istanbul into two is the Bosphorus… The only alternative to reach the Aegean Sea and the Meditteranean Sea, therefore to open sea is to use Istanbul and the the Bosphorus…
Istanbul is both the nearest Asian city to Europe and the nearest European city to Asia. What adds to Istanbul’s significance is its being a port city and all trade paths’ passing through the city for thousands of years…
Another important feature of Istanbul is that it has a highly sheltered structure. Especially the center which is presently called as the “historical peninsula”, which was made capital city by both Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and its being located on a hill surrounded by three seas made it almost impossible to be conquered… Indeed, Haliç had the quality of being an unparalleled harbour sheltering navy fleets.


Land of the blinds

A famous myth explains very precisely the unmatched location of Istanbul :
Commander Byzas, who gave his name to the empire to be later called as Byzantine, sets off to sail to build a new colony from where Greece is located today. During the long voyage and his searches, he goes to an oracle for advice. The oracle makes this prediction: “You are going to build your city right opposite of the land of the blinds!” Continuing his voyage, Byzas reaches to the banks of Sarayburnu, the Istanbul of today. When he sees this protected peninsula, he thinks that it is just the place that he was looking for; meanwhile he notices the area of residence on the opposite side (Kadıköy at present). Byzas decides that the people who, given the excellent area of residence right before them, do not prefer to reside there are blind. And since it also coincides with the prediction, he builds his colony on this land without hesitation…
Istanbul, still geographically perfect!
Although thousands of years have passed, Istanbul still maintains its geographical importance. Today Istanbul is a huge metropolis connecting continents, cultures, religions and being home to eleven million people; and one of the greatest business and cultural center of the region…



TIPS & HINTS


Arrival to the city

Turkey demands an official entry visa from citizens of several countries. Before your departure to Turkey it is better to check with a Turkish consulate in your country to determine if you need a visa. In some cases, you can obtain a visa upon arrival at Ataturk airport for a small fee. After passing from the passport control, it is appropriate to declare your foreign currency and your valuable objects and have it recorded in your passport. As elsewhere too, there are limits on the amount of alcoholic drinks and cigarettes that can be brought in: two boxes of cigarettes, 50 cigars, 200 grams of tobacco and 2.5 liters of alcoholic drinks are allowed.

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 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.
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.


Official Holidays in 2009

Holiday Date Day
•New Year: Thursday - January 1, 2009
•National Sovereignty and Children's Day: Thursday - April 23, 2009
•Commemoration of Ataturk, Youth and Sports Day: Tuesday - May 19, 2009
•Victory Day: Sunday - August 30, 2009
•Seker Bairam: Saturday - September 19, 2009 (half day) ; Tuesday - September 22, 2009
•Republic Day: Wednesday - October 28, 2009 (half day) ; Thursday - October 29, 2009
•Kurban Bairam: Thursday - November 26, 2009 (half day) ; Monday - November 30, 2009

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.

mail

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 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Sunday from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Smaller ones are open Monday through Friday between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM.

The Money

The monetary unit is the New Turkish Lira (YTL), which comes in banknotes of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. Smaller denominations come in coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50.
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.

Safety & Security

The streets of Istanbul are considerably safer than their counterparts in the United States or Western Europe. Travelers should nevertheless take care of their valuables, as pickpockets, although not as common as in the U.S. or Europe, do operate in the major cities and tourist areas.

source by ICVB

For more information, please visit :

http://english.istanbul.com