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Useful Information

Currency

In 2009, the New Turkish Lira (TRY, abbreviated to TL) became the official currency of Turkey. It is divided into 100 kuruş and is composed of (1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kuruş, and 1 lira) coins and (5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 lira) banknotes.

Language

The official language of Turkey is Turkish, not at all easy for the tourist, however, the merchants have a good command of English, Spanish, Italian and much more...

Airports

The most common way to reach Istanbul is by plane. Two airports receive international flights: Atatürk (the most important, on the European side) and Sabina Gökçen (on the Asian side). The main airline is Turkish Airlines.

Religion

The Turks are Muslims, a religion that permeates their everyday lives, with six calls to prayer every day, prayers in the mosque and, above all, strict fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Transcontinental city

Istanbul is situated on two continents: Europe and Asia. The two are separated by the Bosphorus strait, which can be crossed by ferry or by road across two enormous bridges: the Bosphorus and the FSM.

Local time

Turkey is in the UTC+02:00 time zone, so it is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Climate

The city has a Mediterranean climate, with long, mild and humid summers and temperatures reaching 40°C in July. Winters are cold, rainy with some snow.