If you are planning to visit Istanbul then i hope this Article will help you a lot.in article Step by Step we will discus all the things which can help you and make your tour comfortable.
Istanbul One Of the most Oldest and beautiful city in world. few days ago i visit Istanbul and i think every person who love to travel other countries and like to know world's history love to understand another culture ,they must visit Istanbul.The city today known as Istanbul has been the site of human settlement for approximately three thousand years. The settlement was founded by Thracian tribes between the 13th and 11th centuries BC,[1][2] whose earliest known name is Lygos.[3] It was colonised by the Greeks in the 7th century BC. It fell to the Roman Republic in AD 196 [Citation needed], and was known as Byzantium until 330, when it was renamed Constantinople and made the new capital of the Roman Empire. During late antiquity, the city rose to be the largest of the western world, with a population peaking at close to half a million people. Constantinople was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which ended with the Muslim conquest in 1453. Constantinople then became the capital of the Ottoman Empire.Visa Very first thing which you need to travel Another country ,its Visa,Turkey offers visa free entry for some days to many countries. you must check it by your self https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Turkey if your country is in the list of visa free entry then you do not need to bother about it ,but if you need visa to travel Turkey So please go for it and for help you can visit this site https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Turkey
One very small but very useful thing i want to mention here ,as you will landed Atatürk International Airport .defiantly you will search trolley for your baggage But baggage trolleys are not free at Ataturk airport , so how you can get trolley for your baggage . near to baggage belt you will see trolleys but they are locked by each other so take a one Lira (Turkish Lira Coin) Coin and see the right side of trolley there you will see one red Block and one Hole.Insert One lira coin in that hole and pull back Trolley ,that's it. now your trolley is lock free you can use it.
where to stay in Istanbul
there are many options to stay in Istanbul, thousands of Hotels,Service apartments , Budget hotels and Luxury hotels also.you can choose one as per your desire,if you are going to book some service apartment than before your booking do good inquiry about apartment and location.search on google with property name see all the booking sites and internet where is available read reviews and feedback,match photos, it will help you to understand that you will not have any problem at check in time,about accommodation location i would like to suggest you avoid to stay in Taksim Area ,maybe you can get some better price hotel in Taksim but you will pay more in transportation and will lost more time in transportation its quite far from, Sultanahment and old city where you have to come for see sights and enjoy your Istanbul trip,doesn't matter where and in which area you are booking hotel , remember one thing very good .Istanbul is a city which has upswing in all the city and because of this many hotels have basement rooms. at your booking time make sure your room should not be in basement otherwise it will not comfortable to stay,windows open road side and you can see walking people's foot from room, if you are decided to stay in Old city then better not stay in Grand Bazar Area .it is not so far from Sultanahmet but not good place to stay.too much noise till late nights because of bazaar and not comfortable in night.So better if you search hotel in "Sultanahmet " in all the way it will comfortable for you.there are many best hotels in "Sultanahmet "
"Hotel Perula "
is no more good choice, Now they are charging 60 to 70 Euro, Per Night as per hospitality and facilities it's good choice at 30-32 Euro. But in 60 Euro. you can find 5 times more good hospitality and facilities in another hotel. So better to search another one and you can find more good options. like Turkoman Hotel 30 to 35 Euro and it's just infromt of Blue Mosque.
Airport to your Hotel. all most all hotels provide airport transfer,the transfer price are vary and some hotels offer free also but around 20 Euro is normal price, if your hotel asking more then this then you can bargaining and i hope they will accept your offer. if you are not talking hotel's transfer service then there is no worry. at Ataturk airport there are many options available for you to reached your hotel. visit here and you can read more about Artaturk Airport transport Site http://www.ataturkairport.com/en-EN/Transportation/Pages/AirportTrasnportation.aspx
These are some Transfer Service companies by them you can even book your transfer in advance before fly http://istanbul.safeairporttransfer.com http://www.istanbulairportshuttle.com/en/home/ http://ataturkairporttransfer.com
Above mentions sites we found by local people and tourist companies in Istanbul .if you are going to take any service its your choice and risk i personally suggest to book transfer by Hotel if you are first time visitor.its more safe.
Transportation In Istanbul. So you reached to your hotel and now it's your time to enjoy your Istanbul trip and of course you need transportation for move one place to another place , well if you are staying in Sultanahmet Area then Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia ,Gulhana Park, Topkapi Museum ,Basilica Cistern ,you can visit by walk its all around near by But for another places you need transport so lets talk about transport,as i found Istanbul transports are well managed and good service providers.there are both types of transport available in city,Private mini bus and taxis and Gov. Operated bus , Tram, Metro,if you do not like to use public transport and prefer to use taxi then better not use yellow private taxi because same as well as another country's taxi drivers do not expect must honesty from taxi driver, there is a rule in Istanbul every taxi must use meter and go by meter so passenger pay money as meter shows ,well it also not so good because if you are lucky and your driver is good then you will pay normal price but if not ,then , they use long way so they can make more money . so if you like to use taxi only, then my advice to you very first go to Google play or i store and download the App "BiTaksi " https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitaksi.musteri&hl=en this is app base taxi service provider company.as you will download app you can choice your language and you can use it in the same way as you are using any app base taxi in your city.you can see fare in advance how much is it. and you already knows how much you will pay.just remember one thing sometime because of traffic you may pay little more like just 4-5 lira. but if there is more difference in fare price so do not hesitate to argue with taxi driver. and if taxi driver misbehave you or harass you, then just note down his car number and give to your hotel manager or by your self give it to any police man.they take a serious note on tourist's problem.
Well. if you are going to use public transport its good idea too ,but very first thing you have to do this download this app trafi https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trafi.android.tr&referrer=utm_source%3Dtrafi.com its very helpful app ,you can use this app in your language and write from where to where you want to go and this app will show you perfectly right transport tram which number you must use and bus which number you must use its show perfect route , one best thing about this app is , if you do not want download app then you can use this service by your web browser for that you have to open this link https://web.trafi.com/ about Istanbul public transport there is one very good thing that you no need to buy ticket every time for every transport .for all the public transport like , Tramway , Bus , Metro, you can use one "Istanbul Card" Istanbul card its a card by that you can use all the public transport and its save your money also. for example if you are going by Tramway. so you need to pay 4 Lira for one Entry or one time. but if you will use Istanbul card then you will pay 2.40 Lira or some time 1.40 Lira, its depend how much time you are using in the day but in all Istanbul Card is great idea for people those want to use public transport regularly,if you are going to use Istanbul card,one thing you must remember, usually you can use one Istanbul card for up to 5 people. but if you will use Istanbul card for more then one person so there will be no discount for 2nd person, it will take full money for 2nd person and for 3rd person. So if you want save good money then you have to use one Istanbul card just for one person.each card for every person
Where and how to buy Istanbul card. :- Every kiosk , news paper shop or grocery store sell Istanbul card the price will be 7 to 10 Lira on the shops, there is no any fix price of Istanbul card, shops sell it as par tourist and the card will be empty you need to refill it for your use .and before leave the city you can give back this card to same shop where you bought it and they will give you back near to 5 Lira , but forget about some balance if you have in card , they will not pay .so i do not suggest you to buy Istanbul card by shop if you can take it in more good price. do not by Istanbul card from shop . just walk to any Tram station. and near Tram station you will see some machines just like ATM machine. normally in the day time near machine you can see some teen age boys and girls wearing Blue T shirt Written "ask me" so you can ask them and they will help you to buy Istanbul card by machine and they will tell you how to refill every time , its very easy and comfortable. So if you will buy Istanbul card by machine then you will pay 6 Lira , and the card come with 5 Lira balance which you can use for your travel. refill Istanbul card as per your use not lots of money in one time. and before leave Istanbul you can sell this card to any shop in price 5 Lira.
What to see in Istanbul :- Many things you can see in Istanbul and enjoy your tour. some most famous and important tourist places are these
(1)Hagia Sophia Museum (2)Topkapi Place Museum (3)Hagia Irine Museum (4)history of science and tachnology in islam , Museum(5)Mosaic Museum (6)istanbul Archaelogical museum(7) chora museum (8) Galata mevlevi house museum (9) Rumeli hisar museum(10) fethiya Museum(1)Blue Mosque (free) (3)Gulhana Park (free ) (4)Galata Tower (20 Lira) (2)Basilica Cistern ( 20 lira) (5)Suleman Mosque (free) (6) Balikili Monastery (free)(7) Grand Bazar (8) Ezypt Bazar Spices Bazar (9) Bosporus
if you like to visit museums and decided to visit all these museum in Istanbul then i advice you to buy Museum Card,Museum card cost is 85 Lira per person and its valid for 5 days and its cover all these 10 museums. you can buy this card, ticket window at Topkapi palace museum or Hagia Sophia Museum Ticket window .its save your money and time because if you are not interested to buy this 85 Lira card then you will pay more money for each one museum and every time you have to stay in line for buy ticket.Topkapi place museum is cost 40 Lira and 20 Lira for Haram in Topkapi place . Hagia Sophia is 40 Lira. Hagia irene is 20 Lira .another museum ticket cost also same like this if small its 20 Lira if big its 40 Lira .so better to buy one card 85 Lira and visit all 10 museums and 5 days its enough time to visit all these museums. just Galata mevlevi house museum and Rumeli hisar museum is little far but another all near by.if you do not like stone paintings then you can avoid to visit Mosaic Museum.there is nothing interesting for you if you are not stone painting fan,and remember one thing Hagia irene is inside Topkapi place Building. as you enter in main first topkapi place building at the left side little walk and its Hagia irene. so you can visit this before topkapi or after topkapi. in the same way as you walk 300-400 m. there is a way in left side , its go to Istanbul Archaeological museum. Istanbul Archaeological museum,Topkapi,Hagia Sophia Museum,Hagia Irine Museum you can visit in one day comfortably.definitely you have to visit grand bazaar and Egypt bazaar(spices bazaar) but i do not advice you to shopping there because i found the prices are more higher and you can not be sure for quality so better to avoid shopping there but its good experience to visit and see these bazar , yes some spices you can buy is Egypt Bazar and if you like something and want to buy then keep it in mind there is a room for bargaining in these market.do not hesitate and offer the 1/3 prize of goods. if something is 60 Lira then without hesitating offer 20 Lira little up down and till 25 Lira you will get deal
Cruise if you love Cruise then do not miss Bosphorus Sunset Cruise in Istanbul .otherwise your tour will be incomplete. you can take this tour by local tour operators.and of course you can do bargaining about price.there are so many Bosphorus Sunset Cruise so you can see details and you can choose as per your choice.its really amazing to see sunset Turkish music and dance and ride on sea waves
Food in Istanbul. first let's talk about some grocery store because you will need it for some goods for your daily routine .Sultanahmet , Taksim , Grand Bazaar everywhere in street shop prices are not usual not good.they knows very well 90% their costumer are tourists so they keep their prices high .if you need some grocery , Tea or Water or something another for daily use then look for the 2 most big grocery chain in Istanbul . 1st Sok and 2nd carrefour , every 300-500 meter,you can find their store and buy products there. prices are very good.for example a water bottle of 500ml if you will buy in street regular shop you will pay 1 Lira or 1.50 Lira, in cafe and restaurant you will pay 2.30 Lira to till 3 Lira and inside topkapi you will pay 4 Lira .and the same water bottle same company when you will buy in grocery store chain Sok Or Carrefour you will pay 0.35 Lira so you can see the difference of prices.
As you know Istanbul is one of the big tourist hub so there is no problem about food ,if you are sweet lover then this country is heaven for you.you can see many varieties of sweets and really delicious something awesome, if we talk about street food , frankly speaking i did not find any special in street foods. they all are same as most of the another countries have. Doner kebab, pizza , sandwich, Chicken Doner price 8-10 Lira and Meat Doner 10-12 Lira , prices are vary as place.same price pizza and sandwich also. kashtane you can try ,i can't say it's something amazing taste but it's little different taste and compare to other things it's expensive 100 gm it's 7 Lira.
in Istanbul you can find everything every cuisine , food price in Istanbul is vary as per standard of cafe or restaurant,in Istanbul one thing is good about small cafe or street food that you no need to worry about hygienic or cleanness,even small cafes also careful about it and they cook carefully.if you are going to small street cafe then it will cost you 50-60 Lira for 2 person. and if you are going to eat in some restaurants then it will cost 70-90 Lira for 2 person. Burger-king and MacDonald are available every where and Donor Kababa is also you can see every 200 m .
what you must eat in Istanbul :- i would like to say you must try all,there are very big range in Turkish cuisine. they cook Kababs in lots of verities and different different type.but you must try Turkish Pide . its something like Georgian khachapuri . and its tasty,ayran is good drink, no doubt in turkey its tasty,if you are fish lover and you want to taste just real fish taste without any make up ,then you have to visit Eminönü ,when you will reached to Eminönü Tram station , just walk to sea side and you will see Kiosks selling fresh Fish sandwich.its really Awesome , they take fresh fishes from sea and fry them on grill and serve you hot without any spices just little salt.if you are in turkey and you are not going to taste Turkish coffee which prepared on sand heat and amazing tasty unique Turkish ice cream Dondurma then you are going to miss something original Turkish Flavor.you must try these.coffee is near to 3-5 Lira and Dondurma 10-12 Lira.
Here is some my favorite place to eat in Istanbul. very first i want to tell you about
Old Ottoman Cafe and Restaurant ,this is one of the best place in Istanbul ,fantastic delicious food with good price. these Guys are Awesome beautiful Nature.they really serve by heart. if you are in Sultanahmet Area ,you can go to Old Ottoman Cafe and Restaurant by walk.and if you are in any another place then just take tram to Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque) and walk little,you will have great experience.they have lots of Turkish food.and they are best.
Address :- Prof.Dr. Kazım ismail gürkan cd. Cağaloğlu Hamamı sk. No: 17/J Sultanahmet
Istanbul, Turkey 34122 , +902125145500 ) visit there and you will love to eat .
2nd its "Hamdi Restaurant" they don't have much authentic Turkish food but they have lots of Kebab Varieties and food is really tasty and place is good.if you want to enjoy your food while sea view then call and book your table in advance because its really tough to find place in Hamdi , they are full every time .Hamdi Restaurant is located in Eminönü , if you are near to Blue Mosque then come to Tramway station.one minute by walk and take tram Towards Kabatag .after sultanahmet next station is Gulhana Park.then Sirkeci, then 3rd station is Eminönü. walk near 200m and left side you will see 5 floor building Hamdi restaurant.
Address :- Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, Tahmis Caddesi/Kalçın Sokak No:11, 34116 Eminönü/Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 528 03 90
Olive Restaurant Another my favorite "Olive Restaurant" is located near to gulhane park and there is huge Turkish food choices you can get and taste is really good . from Blue Mosque you can go by walk till Gulhana Park Tramway station and just before station left hand side there is a street. turn and walk 100 meter in street and you will see Olive Restaurant.
Address :- Sultanahmet, Ebusuud Cad. No:12 Sirkeci, 34410 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 528 13 47
Serbethane Cafe&Restaurant Next in my list ,good food nice place and if you like to enjoy Hukka (hookah) then its perfect place for you.Serbethane Cafe&Restaurant is located Just behind Blue Mosque , in Arasta Bazaar
Address :- Kabasakal Cad. Arasta Carsisi No: 117 istanbul Turkey
Sultanahmet Koftecisi if you want to enjoy some real Turkish Kofte then you have to visit "Sultanahmet Koftecisi" delicious Kofte Dish and good prices. Sultanahmet Koftecisi located just in near to sultanahmet Tramway station.
Address :- Alemdar Mh., Divan Yolu Cd. No:12, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 513 64 68
And in this street there are many restaurants they also serve good food.
Shopping in Istanbul if you love to do shopping and if you want great shopping in Istanbul while your trip so you have to manage your trip in the way so from 1st July to 16 July some days you spend in Istanbul ,Because from 1st July to 16 July there is a shopping festival in Istanbul which recently become world famous.in this time you can get great deal and huge discount.if you want to do clothing shopping in good price and quality cloths and accessories so you should look for these 3 Brands and retail chain in Istanbul ,
LcWikiki .Wikiki is one one the biggest company and retail chain in Istanbul , its turkey Brand and in LCWikiki you can found lots of good clothing.and quality is really good.Jeans you can search in price 40 Lira to till 60 Lira , T shirts and Shirts 7 lira to 20-25 or some 30-25 Lira. genuine leather belt around 14-20 Lira ,jackets near to 60-70 Lira.if you are looking for leather jacket then do not look here because it will not genuine leather. where to buy genuine leather i will write below. LcWikiki have Tax free service. if you will do shopping more then 108 Lira then you can ask them to do bill tax free and they will do it so you can get some money back at Airport. detail about tax free i will write below.
Koton is 2nd biggest Turkey Brand and retail chain. well same as well as name in Koton you can search great koton clothing but its not only all about Koton ,there are many interesting things you can find for you .Koton also have Tax free service.
Defacto ,Defacto is also one of the best company and retailing chain with outstanding qualities .but defacto do not have tax free service .
These all 3 Brands deal in all 3 section , men women and children a part from it in Istanbul you can find every Brand like lee, levi's,disel,Colin's, hugo boss, and they also have good prices. for example . lee, levi's, us polo jeans you can buy from 110 - 150 Lira.
now the point is where to buy ? well , i do not advice you to do shopping in Sultanahmet , Baeyzid ,Aksaray,Laleli,or street shops.not good prices and not good quality.people those do not know where to do good shopping only they buy in these area and pay big money for not good quality.So if you want to do good shopping then do it in shopping malls. but which shopping malls are best i am going to tell you.
212 Power Outlet Shopping Mall. best thing about this mall is , here all most all the outlets are direct from Company and they sell goods on Factory Price. it is one of the biggest shopping mall and the outlets are really in big area ,if you want to look LcWikiki you need maybe more then 2 Hours. same as Koton and Defecto..how to reached 212 power outlet.from sultanahmet Taxi charge about 50-55 Lira. by Public transport you can reached within 7 Lira.from your place how you can reached 212power Outlet you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Staion .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1and your last station is "Pazartekke " left Tram and walk to Bus Station "Millet Caddesi " which is just in front of Tram Station . from Bus station Take Bus Number 89c and your last Station is "ikitelli koprusu" left the Bus and walk straight 1 minutes and take right Turn walk 100-150 m. and you are at 212 Power Outlet.
Address :- Mahmutbey Merkez Mah. Taşocağı Cad. No: 5 34217Bağcılar / İstanbul / Türkiye , Phone : +90 444 4 212 info@212istanbul.com
Olivium Outlet Center next good price mall is Olivium " here also you can find all most all good Turkish and world Famous Brands ,how to reached Olivium .from sultanahmet Taxi charge about 20-25 Lira. by Public transport you can reached within 7 Lira.from your place how you can reached Olivium you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1 and your last station is "Pazartekke " left Tram and walk to Bus Station "Millet Caddesi " which is just in front of Tram Station . from Bus station Take Bus Number 93T , 93 and 93C and your last Station is "Olivium " left the Bus and walk About 3-4 minutes and you are at Olivium.Address:-Prof. Muammer Aksoy Cad. No:30/1 Zeytinburnu/İST.+90 212 547 74 53
İstanbul Cevahir :- this is also one of the biggest shopping mall in Istanbul, how to reached Cevahir .from sultanahmet Taxi charge about 30-35 Lira. by Public transport its more cheap..from your place how you can reached Cevahir you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1 and your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Shishli" just one minute walk and you are at Cevahir
Address :- Büyükdere Cad. No: 22 34400 Şişli / İSTANBUL Tel : 0 212 368 69 00
Metro City AVM, MetroCity AVM is a modern shopping mall on the Büyükdere Avenue in the finance and business quarter of 1. Levent in Istanbul, Turkey, with a direct connection to the Levent subway station. if you are going by metro then you no need to go out of station its just connect with metro way. how to reached Metro City AVM .from sultanahmet Taxi charge near to 36-40 Lira. but its more comfortable by metro ..from your place how you can reached Metro City AVM you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1line your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Levent " you no need to go outside or Metro station building. just up stairs and its connect with mall.
Kanyon Istanbul Shopping Mall .Kanyon an urban oasis in Istanbul. Turkey’s most distinguished shopping mall. The fabulous new shopping center Kanyon opened in Istanbul (Turkey) May 2006, offering 400,000 square feet of retail space, 26 Tower floors of offices, and 179 luxury residences.how to reached Kanyon .from sultanahmet Taxi charge near to 36-40 Lira. and public transport aslo comfortable ,from your place how you can reached Kanyon you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1
and your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Levent " come out from metro station and walk just 5 minutes and you are at Kanyon
City’s Nisantasi City’s Nisantasi shopping center is located on the street of Tesvikiye that is the heart of retail shopping in the luxurious district of NISANTASI in Istanbul.Nisantasi is the center of fashion in Turkey, and the most prestigious national and international trademarks can be found in the district.Nisantasi is one of the most historical districts of Istanbul. The most elite people lived in this neighborhood throughout its history.
how to reached City’s Nisantasi shopping center .from sultanahmet Taxi charge near 25-30 Lira. from your place how you can reached City’s Nisantasi shopping center you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1
and your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Osmanbey" walk just 5-8 minuts and you are at City’s Nisantasi shopping center
Some Another best shopping Malls in istanbul
1.Palladium Istanbul Address: Palladium Istanbul Barbaros Mah. Halk Cad. No:8, Yeni Sahra,Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 0216-6631500
2.The Mall of Istanbul, is one of the biggest malls of Turkey and hosts the leading brands in the world and Turkey.With its 350 stores, gourmet center, MOiPark, the first specially designed theme park, traditional arts street and performance arts center, Mall of Istanbul Shopping Center gives a distinct dynamism and poised to be Turkey’s most functional shopping center with this concept.
3.Istinye Park shopping mall features 300 shops, the first IMAX Theater, top local and global brands, cafes, and exclusive restaurants.The shopping center is a unique urban lifestyle environment situated on a natural topographical “amphitheater” of residential neighborhoods. Above, a grand circular arrival plaza sits between an open-air lifestyle center and a glass-roofed indoor retail area.
Address: Istinye Park Istinye Bayiri Caddesi 34460, Istinye – Istanbul Tel: +90 212 345 5555
4.Zorlu Center is the new meeting venue in Istanbul. Zorlu Center features a luxurious shopping center, a center for performance arts, a 5-star hotel, offices, and residences.
Zorlu Center is home to approximately 180 different stores.
Address: Zorlu Center Levazim Mah. Koru Sok. No:2, 34340 Beşiktaş, Istanbul
5.Forum Istanbul shopping center is Europe’s largest shopping center. The shopping mall employs 5,000 people and houses some 280 national and international brands. It is expected to draw 20 million visitors annually.
Address: Forum Istanbul Shopping Center Kocatepe Mahallesi, Paşa Caddesi, Bayrampaşa, 34045 Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 443 1350
6.Astoria Istanbul Shopping Center brings together leading Turkish and international brands, in a unique lifestyle space.Featuring everything from luxury restaurants and cafes serving cuisine from around the world, the world-famous Far Eastern Spa, Anantara, a fitness club with the latest high-tech workout equipment, and an indoor swimming pool to a multiplex cinema.
Address: Astoria Istanbul Buyukdere Caddesi Astoria Kuleleri No:127, 34394 Esentepe – Istanbul Tel: +90 212 215 2222
7.Akbati Shopping and Lifestyle Center brings new meaning to the istanbul west side shopping and raise the living standard of the area with its modern design and shop mix that you will sense the Akmerkez experience and quality in every step.
Address :- Koza Mahallesi, 1655. Sokak Esenkent Mevkii No:6, 34538 Şamlar Köyü/Esenyurt/Esenyurt/İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 397 70 70
i hope you will enjoy your shopping.now lets talk about leather . which is best in turkey and most of the tourist want to bring latest genuine leather jacket from Turkey. So how and where you can buy genuine leather jacket.well as i said before i do not advice to buy in street shops because prices are more higher and you do not know you are buying genuine leather or just faux leather,risk of buying faux leather is more when you do not know how to know its real leather or faux leather.so if you are going to buy in reliable shops you no need to worry what you are buying its real and you are paying for real goods. first i want to tell you one trick how you can cheek its genuine leather or faux leather. if you are looking for jacket . then hold jacket in your hands and put your one hand inside jacket and do separate jacket line ( inside cloth ) and by another hand hold front part and rub fingers . if you feel back side of front part is smooth then its not genuine leather its faux and if you feel back side of front part is rough and not comfortable to rub so its genuine leather. in this text actually you have to feel back side of front part of jacket(back side of Leather) that its rough or not ,if its smooth its not real leather.
Genuine leather jacket you can buy in Istanbul around 700-1200 Lira.
where to buy :- some people said about store prens leather. but if i say true i did not found any interesting , old collection and prices are more higher then Derimod and Levinson.but if you want you can try prens leather stores also maybe you search something interesting for you.but as my personal experience these some companies i found best in leather goods and the best thing about these companies that.if there is no item to fit as your size or design then they can stitch as per your desire as your measurements.
1. Derimod . Derimod is one of the best and big company in Istanbul which deal in leather goods and the all leather goods are real genuine leather . all most every shopping mall has Derimod store. and some places also have Derimod store and one big store is located in Zeytinburnu. actually this area Zeytinburnu has many good and big leather companies. if you don't find your leather jacket or leather item in shopping malls then you can visit Zeytinburnu , Derimod and some other companies are also there .
Address: - DERİMOD Merkez Mağaza No:14 Kazlıçeşme Mh., Beşkardeşler 4. Sk., 34020 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 547 16 04.
Levinson Fur and Leather Levinson do not have stores in shopping malls. they have their own outlet and they do work for another companies also. Levinson Fur and Leather is located just near to Derimod in Zeytinburnu, outstanding collection and best quality leather goods you can buy here.
Address: Kazlıçeşme Mh., Hacı Reşit Bey Sk. 7-9, 34020 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 664 24 53
ADAMO Fur & Leather Company. ADAMO is also one of the best leather goods company in istanbul .they have some stores in another areas but biggest one is in Zeytinburnu .
Address: Kazlıçeşme Mh., Zeytinburnu Kennedy Bağlantı Yolu No:34, 34020 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Turkey
What to bring Home :-
Baklava and Lokum Definitely you will bring some sweets Baklawa and Lokum yes this country is known for these sweets but its not mean at every place or any shop has fresh and with good taste so before buy do not feel hesitation to taste.just ask for taste and feel its fresh or not .Koska is one of good shop chain in Istanbul fresh and real taste and 2nd is "Tuqba " good prices and fresh sweets and some many another Turkish food items you can by here .if you are in Sultanahmet area or grand bazar then its near to you .Tuqba is located near to Baeyzid (grand Bazar ) tram station.
Mesir :- yes you must bring it home because you will not find it anywhere other than Turkey .its kind of sweet paste which contain 40-45 Herbs and spices , its very healthy and boost immunity system. 400 gm Bottle price is near to 17 Lira. "Tuqba" Has Very good quality Mesir.
spices:- if you are foodie person then you must bring some Turkish spices to home they are really aromatic ,(1) for kofte ,(2)For Syup (3)for salat (4) Osmani these spices you can buy in Egypt Bazar ( spices Bazar) the prices are near to 40-60 Lira per Kg. do bargaining because they will tell you prices from 70-100 Lira par Kg. if you are going to buy just ask them to pack in vacuum packing. there is no extra charge for it. they all have this machine and they do it without any problem .
Coffee :- Turkish Coffee is really tasty ,if you are coffee lover and you want enjoy some great natural coffee then you have to buy coffee just from Shop "Mehmet Efendi" 100 gm near to 2.5 Lira the shop is located in Egypt Bazar ( spices Bazar) for more conform address you can visit their site www.mehmetefendi.com you will never forget taste and aroma of this coffee.
Olive Oil and Olive :- Turkey has a very good quality of Olive oil and Olive.In 2013, Turkey became the fifth-largest olive oil producer in the world after Italy, Spain, Greece, and Tunisia. As much as 70 percent of unbranded exported Turkish olive oil is blended with lower-quality oils to produce less-expensive oil.Many of the established olive oil manufacturers in Turkey operate via boutique shops in Istanbul, as well as their online stores, which deliver selected goods anywhere in the country.there are many kind of Olive in turkey ,if you are going to buy Olive Oil then go for "Komlili " outstanding Quality. 2L is 61 Lira.
Decorative Lamps And Ceramics :- Turkey Make decorative lamps very very beautiful.Authentic Turkish Mosaic lamps create a warm ambiance of romantic intrigue. Use one lamp artfully displayed or collect a multitude for breathtaking impact. The lamps come in a variety of colour and shape, and can be lit electrically or by candle votives. They can also be used as a hanging vase for fresh or dried flowers.prices are vary,its very fragile but beautiful item.if you can you will really want to have one this in your home.If you buy one,ask the shop to package it up well so that it withstands pressure in your suitcase or its more good if you carry this item in hand bag
Leather goods:- Turkish leather is pretty good ,The roots of the Turkish leather industry go back to the 12th century, according to the sources. However, the importance of leather industry had been realized in Turkey in 1970’s. The industry has succeeded a sharp progress as a result of the export-led growth policy of 1980’s ,Turkey is probably the best place to buy high quality leather and prices are lower than in other countries. You can buy jackets, coats, bags, shoes, gloves, wallets in every part of Turkey, each city has a store or market with leather but the best city for leather shopping is Istanbul.so definitely you will love to bring some leather goods to home
Tax Free :- Turkey is one of that country who offer tax free shopping.what is tax free and how its done.Tax free its a system which some countries use to boost their Sells by tourists.so when you buy some goods and you have documents from shop so before your departure at the airport you can get back some Tax. money which you payed at shop.
one thing is very clear every shop or store do not entertain tax free.but some do so you can ask to shop and store if the entertain tax free .you have to buy more then 108 Lira goods to make tax free.if your goods are more then 108 Lira then told to Shop you need Tax free so they will give you special Document with Bill and Stamp it.
how you can get tax back.There are 2 option at Ataturk airport to get your tax back.1st before immigration (passport control ) and one After passport control.
1st . if your tax free goods are in baggage .not in hand luggage .so first go to check in counter of your Airlines . do check in and told them you need tax free. they will do formalities and tag your Baggage . then with your baggage you have to come counter Number D.31-32 . there will be costume officer who will look your bills and goods and then will put stamp on your bill.and they will self send your bag to your flight. and when you will come to gate area there is counter refund point.you have to go there with your bills ,they will calculate your tax and they will give you your tax money Dollar or Euro as you wish.it will be between 8% to 18 % depend how much tax you payed.
in this option the bad thing is this you can not wrapping your bag.if its ok for you then you can go for it. but if you want to wrap your baggage then you have to go for 2nd option.
2nd . you must keep your all tax free goods in hand baggage.after check in and immigration (passport control) when you will come in gate area. just turn left side and walk straight near to 300 m and you will see tax free. go that side and there will be officer who will check your bills and goods and will put stamp on bill.then go back to near security check. there is a counter refund point.and they will refund your tax. Take your tax back and Fly to your country.
I hope you found this post helpful ,if yes please like share and comments your suggestions and feedback. if you want to ask any que please feel free to write me.
Happy Journey !!!
These are some Transfer Service companies by them you can even book your transfer in advance before fly http://istanbul.safeairporttransfer.com http://www.istanbulairportshuttle.com/en/home/ http://ataturkairporttransfer.com
Above mentions sites we found by local people and tourist companies in Istanbul .if you are going to take any service its your choice and risk i personally suggest to book transfer by Hotel if you are first time visitor.its more safe.
Transportation In Istanbul. So you reached to your hotel and now it's your time to enjoy your Istanbul trip and of course you need transportation for move one place to another place , well if you are staying in Sultanahmet Area then Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia ,Gulhana Park, Topkapi Museum ,Basilica Cistern ,you can visit by walk its all around near by But for another places you need transport so lets talk about transport,as i found Istanbul transports are well managed and good service providers.there are both types of transport available in city,Private mini bus and taxis and Gov. Operated bus , Tram, Metro,if you do not like to use public transport and prefer to use taxi then better not use yellow private taxi because same as well as another country's taxi drivers do not expect must honesty from taxi driver, there is a rule in Istanbul every taxi must use meter and go by meter so passenger pay money as meter shows ,well it also not so good because if you are lucky and your driver is good then you will pay normal price but if not ,then , they use long way so they can make more money . so if you like to use taxi only, then my advice to you very first go to Google play or i store and download the App "BiTaksi " https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bitaksi.musteri&hl=en this is app base taxi service provider company.as you will download app you can choice your language and you can use it in the same way as you are using any app base taxi in your city.you can see fare in advance how much is it. and you already knows how much you will pay.just remember one thing sometime because of traffic you may pay little more like just 4-5 lira. but if there is more difference in fare price so do not hesitate to argue with taxi driver. and if taxi driver misbehave you or harass you, then just note down his car number and give to your hotel manager or by your self give it to any police man.they take a serious note on tourist's problem.
Well. if you are going to use public transport its good idea too ,but very first thing you have to do this download this app trafi https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trafi.android.tr&referrer=utm_source%3Dtrafi.com its very helpful app ,you can use this app in your language and write from where to where you want to go and this app will show you perfectly right transport tram which number you must use and bus which number you must use its show perfect route , one best thing about this app is , if you do not want download app then you can use this service by your web browser for that you have to open this link https://web.trafi.com/ about Istanbul public transport there is one very good thing that you no need to buy ticket every time for every transport .for all the public transport like , Tramway , Bus , Metro, you can use one "Istanbul Card" Istanbul card its a card by that you can use all the public transport and its save your money also. for example if you are going by Tramway. so you need to pay 4 Lira for one Entry or one time. but if you will use Istanbul card then you will pay 2.40 Lira or some time 1.40 Lira, its depend how much time you are using in the day but in all Istanbul Card is great idea for people those want to use public transport regularly,if you are going to use Istanbul card,one thing you must remember, usually you can use one Istanbul card for up to 5 people. but if you will use Istanbul card for more then one person so there will be no discount for 2nd person, it will take full money for 2nd person and for 3rd person. So if you want save good money then you have to use one Istanbul card just for one person.each card for every person
Where and how to buy Istanbul card. :- Every kiosk , news paper shop or grocery store sell Istanbul card the price will be 7 to 10 Lira on the shops, there is no any fix price of Istanbul card, shops sell it as par tourist and the card will be empty you need to refill it for your use .and before leave the city you can give back this card to same shop where you bought it and they will give you back near to 5 Lira , but forget about some balance if you have in card , they will not pay .so i do not suggest you to buy Istanbul card by shop if you can take it in more good price. do not by Istanbul card from shop . just walk to any Tram station. and near Tram station you will see some machines just like ATM machine. normally in the day time near machine you can see some teen age boys and girls wearing Blue T shirt Written "ask me" so you can ask them and they will help you to buy Istanbul card by machine and they will tell you how to refill every time , its very easy and comfortable. So if you will buy Istanbul card by machine then you will pay 6 Lira , and the card come with 5 Lira balance which you can use for your travel. refill Istanbul card as per your use not lots of money in one time. and before leave Istanbul you can sell this card to any shop in price 5 Lira.What to see in Istanbul :- Many things you can see in Istanbul and enjoy your tour. some most famous and important tourist places are these
(1)Hagia Sophia Museum (2)Topkapi Place Museum (3)Hagia Irine Museum (4)history of science and tachnology in islam , Museum(5)Mosaic Museum (6)istanbul Archaelogical museum(7) chora museum (8) Galata mevlevi house museum (9) Rumeli hisar museum(10) fethiya Museum(1)Blue Mosque (free) (3)Gulhana Park (free ) (4)Galata Tower (20 Lira) (2)Basilica Cistern ( 20 lira) (5)Suleman Mosque (free) (6) Balikili Monastery (free)(7) Grand Bazar (8) Ezypt Bazar Spices Bazar (9) Bosporus
if you like to visit museums and decided to visit all these museum in Istanbul then i advice you to buy Museum Card,Museum card cost is 85 Lira per person and its valid for 5 days and its cover all these 10 museums. you can buy this card, ticket window at Topkapi palace museum or Hagia Sophia Museum Ticket window .its save your money and time because if you are not interested to buy this 85 Lira card then you will pay more money for each one museum and every time you have to stay in line for buy ticket.Topkapi place museum is cost 40 Lira and 20 Lira for Haram in Topkapi place . Hagia Sophia is 40 Lira. Hagia irene is 20 Lira .another museum ticket cost also same like this if small its 20 Lira if big its 40 Lira .so better to buy one card 85 Lira and visit all 10 museums and 5 days its enough time to visit all these museums. just Galata mevlevi house museum and Rumeli hisar museum is little far but another all near by.if you do not like stone paintings then you can avoid to visit Mosaic Museum.there is nothing interesting for you if you are not stone painting fan,and remember one thing Hagia irene is inside Topkapi place Building. as you enter in main first topkapi place building at the left side little walk and its Hagia irene. so you can visit this before topkapi or after topkapi. in the same way as you walk 300-400 m. there is a way in left side , its go to Istanbul Archaeological museum. Istanbul Archaeological museum,Topkapi,Hagia Sophia Museum,Hagia Irine Museum you can visit in one day comfortably.definitely you have to visit grand bazaar and Egypt bazaar(spices bazaar) but i do not advice you to shopping there because i found the prices are more higher and you can not be sure for quality so better to avoid shopping there but its good experience to visit and see these bazar , yes some spices you can buy is Egypt Bazar and if you like something and want to buy then keep it in mind there is a room for bargaining in these market.do not hesitate and offer the 1/3 prize of goods. if something is 60 Lira then without hesitating offer 20 Lira little up down and till 25 Lira you will get dealCruise if you love Cruise then do not miss Bosphorus Sunset Cruise in Istanbul .otherwise your tour will be incomplete. you can take this tour by local tour operators.and of course you can do bargaining about price.there are so many Bosphorus Sunset Cruise so you can see details and you can choose as per your choice.its really amazing to see sunset Turkish music and dance and ride on sea waves
Food in Istanbul. first let's talk about some grocery store because you will need it for some goods for your daily routine .Sultanahmet , Taksim , Grand Bazaar everywhere in street shop prices are not usual not good.they knows very well 90% their costumer are tourists so they keep their prices high .if you need some grocery , Tea or Water or something another for daily use then look for the 2 most big grocery chain in Istanbul . 1st Sok and 2nd carrefour , every 300-500 meter,you can find their store and buy products there. prices are very good.for example a water bottle of 500ml if you will buy in street regular shop you will pay 1 Lira or 1.50 Lira, in cafe and restaurant you will pay 2.30 Lira to till 3 Lira and inside topkapi you will pay 4 Lira .and the same water bottle same company when you will buy in grocery store chain Sok Or Carrefour you will pay 0.35 Lira so you can see the difference of prices.
As you know Istanbul is one of the big tourist hub so there is no problem about food ,if you are sweet lover then this country is heaven for you.you can see many varieties of sweets and really delicious something awesome, if we talk about street food , frankly speaking i did not find any special in street foods. they all are same as most of the another countries have. Doner kebab, pizza , sandwich, Chicken Doner price 8-10 Lira and Meat Doner 10-12 Lira , prices are vary as place.same price pizza and sandwich also. kashtane you can try ,i can't say it's something amazing taste but it's little different taste and compare to other things it's expensive 100 gm it's 7 Lira.
in Istanbul you can find everything every cuisine , food price in Istanbul is vary as per standard of cafe or restaurant,in Istanbul one thing is good about small cafe or street food that you no need to worry about hygienic or cleanness,even small cafes also careful about it and they cook carefully.if you are going to small street cafe then it will cost you 50-60 Lira for 2 person. and if you are going to eat in some restaurants then it will cost 70-90 Lira for 2 person. Burger-king and MacDonald are available every where and Donor Kababa is also you can see every 200 m .
what you must eat in Istanbul :- i would like to say you must try all,there are very big range in Turkish cuisine. they cook Kababs in lots of verities and different different type.but you must try Turkish Pide . its something like Georgian khachapuri . and its tasty,ayran is good drink, no doubt in turkey its tasty,if you are fish lover and you want to taste just real fish taste without any make up ,then you have to visit Eminönü ,when you will reached to Eminönü Tram station , just walk to sea side and you will see Kiosks selling fresh Fish sandwich.its really Awesome , they take fresh fishes from sea and fry them on grill and serve you hot without any spices just little salt.if you are in turkey and you are not going to taste Turkish coffee which prepared on sand heat and amazing tasty unique Turkish ice cream Dondurma then you are going to miss something original Turkish Flavor.you must try these.coffee is near to 3-5 Lira and Dondurma 10-12 Lira.
Here is some my favorite place to eat in Istanbul. very first i want to tell you about
Old Ottoman Cafe and Restaurant ,this is one of the best place in Istanbul ,fantastic delicious food with good price. these Guys are Awesome beautiful Nature.they really serve by heart. if you are in Sultanahmet Area ,you can go to Old Ottoman Cafe and Restaurant by walk.and if you are in any another place then just take tram to Sultanahmet (Blue Mosque) and walk little,you will have great experience.they have lots of Turkish food.and they are best.
Address :- Prof.Dr. Kazım ismail gürkan cd. Cağaloğlu Hamamı sk. No: 17/J Sultanahmet
Istanbul, Turkey 34122 , +902125145500 ) visit there and you will love to eat .
2nd its "Hamdi Restaurant" they don't have much authentic Turkish food but they have lots of Kebab Varieties and food is really tasty and place is good.if you want to enjoy your food while sea view then call and book your table in advance because its really tough to find place in Hamdi , they are full every time .Hamdi Restaurant is located in Eminönü , if you are near to Blue Mosque then come to Tramway station.one minute by walk and take tram Towards Kabatag .after sultanahmet next station is Gulhana Park.then Sirkeci, then 3rd station is Eminönü. walk near 200m and left side you will see 5 floor building Hamdi restaurant.
Address :- Rüstem Paşa Mahallesi, Tahmis Caddesi/Kalçın Sokak No:11, 34116 Eminönü/Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 528 03 90
Olive Restaurant Another my favorite "Olive Restaurant" is located near to gulhane park and there is huge Turkish food choices you can get and taste is really good . from Blue Mosque you can go by walk till Gulhana Park Tramway station and just before station left hand side there is a street. turn and walk 100 meter in street and you will see Olive Restaurant.
Address :- Sultanahmet, Ebusuud Cad. No:12 Sirkeci, 34410 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 528 13 47
Serbethane Cafe&Restaurant Next in my list ,good food nice place and if you like to enjoy Hukka (hookah) then its perfect place for you.Serbethane Cafe&Restaurant is located Just behind Blue Mosque , in Arasta Bazaar
Address :- Kabasakal Cad. Arasta Carsisi No: 117 istanbul Turkey
Sultanahmet Koftecisi if you want to enjoy some real Turkish Kofte then you have to visit "Sultanahmet Koftecisi" delicious Kofte Dish and good prices. Sultanahmet Koftecisi located just in near to sultanahmet Tramway station.
Address :- Alemdar Mh., Divan Yolu Cd. No:12, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 513 64 68
And in this street there are many restaurants they also serve good food.
Shopping in Istanbul if you love to do shopping and if you want great shopping in Istanbul while your trip so you have to manage your trip in the way so from 1st July to 16 July some days you spend in Istanbul ,Because from 1st July to 16 July there is a shopping festival in Istanbul which recently become world famous.in this time you can get great deal and huge discount.if you want to do clothing shopping in good price and quality cloths and accessories so you should look for these 3 Brands and retail chain in Istanbul ,
LcWikiki .Wikiki is one one the biggest company and retail chain in Istanbul , its turkey Brand and in LCWikiki you can found lots of good clothing.and quality is really good.Jeans you can search in price 40 Lira to till 60 Lira , T shirts and Shirts 7 lira to 20-25 or some 30-25 Lira. genuine leather belt around 14-20 Lira ,jackets near to 60-70 Lira.if you are looking for leather jacket then do not look here because it will not genuine leather. where to buy genuine leather i will write below. LcWikiki have Tax free service. if you will do shopping more then 108 Lira then you can ask them to do bill tax free and they will do it so you can get some money back at Airport. detail about tax free i will write below.
Koton is 2nd biggest Turkey Brand and retail chain. well same as well as name in Koton you can search great koton clothing but its not only all about Koton ,there are many interesting things you can find for you .Koton also have Tax free service.
Defacto ,Defacto is also one of the best company and retailing chain with outstanding qualities .but defacto do not have tax free service .
These all 3 Brands deal in all 3 section , men women and children a part from it in Istanbul you can find every Brand like lee, levi's,disel,Colin's, hugo boss, and they also have good prices. for example . lee, levi's, us polo jeans you can buy from 110 - 150 Lira.
now the point is where to buy ? well , i do not advice you to do shopping in Sultanahmet , Baeyzid ,Aksaray,Laleli,or street shops.not good prices and not good quality.people those do not know where to do good shopping only they buy in these area and pay big money for not good quality.So if you want to do good shopping then do it in shopping malls. but which shopping malls are best i am going to tell you.
212 Power Outlet Shopping Mall. best thing about this mall is , here all most all the outlets are direct from Company and they sell goods on Factory Price. it is one of the biggest shopping mall and the outlets are really in big area ,if you want to look LcWikiki you need maybe more then 2 Hours. same as Koton and Defecto..how to reached 212 power outlet.from sultanahmet Taxi charge about 50-55 Lira. by Public transport you can reached within 7 Lira.from your place how you can reached 212power Outlet you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Staion .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1and your last station is "Pazartekke " left Tram and walk to Bus Station "Millet Caddesi " which is just in front of Tram Station . from Bus station Take Bus Number 89c and your last Station is "ikitelli koprusu" left the Bus and walk straight 1 minutes and take right Turn walk 100-150 m. and you are at 212 Power Outlet.
Address :- Mahmutbey Merkez Mah. Taşocağı Cad. No: 5 34217Bağcılar / İstanbul / Türkiye , Phone : +90 444 4 212 info@212istanbul.com
Olivium Outlet Center next good price mall is Olivium " here also you can find all most all good Turkish and world Famous Brands ,how to reached Olivium .from sultanahmet Taxi charge about 20-25 Lira. by Public transport you can reached within 7 Lira.from your place how you can reached Olivium you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1 and your last station is "Pazartekke " left Tram and walk to Bus Station "Millet Caddesi " which is just in front of Tram Station . from Bus station Take Bus Number 93T , 93 and 93C and your last Station is "Olivium " left the Bus and walk About 3-4 minutes and you are at Olivium.Address:-Prof. Muammer Aksoy Cad. No:30/1 Zeytinburnu/İST.+90 212 547 74 53
İstanbul Cevahir :- this is also one of the biggest shopping mall in Istanbul, how to reached Cevahir .from sultanahmet Taxi charge about 30-35 Lira. by Public transport its more cheap..from your place how you can reached Cevahir you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1 and your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Shishli" just one minute walk and you are at Cevahir
Address :- Büyükdere Cad. No: 22 34400 Şişli / İSTANBUL Tel : 0 212 368 69 00
Metro City AVM, MetroCity AVM is a modern shopping mall on the Büyükdere Avenue in the finance and business quarter of 1. Levent in Istanbul, Turkey, with a direct connection to the Levent subway station. if you are going by metro then you no need to go out of station its just connect with metro way. how to reached Metro City AVM .from sultanahmet Taxi charge near to 36-40 Lira. but its more comfortable by metro ..from your place how you can reached Metro City AVM you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1line your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Levent " you no need to go outside or Metro station building. just up stairs and its connect with mall.
Kanyon Istanbul Shopping Mall .Kanyon an urban oasis in Istanbul. Turkey’s most distinguished shopping mall. The fabulous new shopping center Kanyon opened in Istanbul (Turkey) May 2006, offering 400,000 square feet of retail space, 26 Tower floors of offices, and 179 luxury residences.how to reached Kanyon .from sultanahmet Taxi charge near to 36-40 Lira. and public transport aslo comfortable ,from your place how you can reached Kanyon you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1
and your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Levent " come out from metro station and walk just 5 minutes and you are at Kanyon
City’s Nisantasi City’s Nisantasi shopping center is located on the street of Tesvikiye that is the heart of retail shopping in the luxurious district of NISANTASI in Istanbul.Nisantasi is the center of fashion in Turkey, and the most prestigious national and international trademarks can be found in the district.Nisantasi is one of the most historical districts of Istanbul. The most elite people lived in this neighborhood throughout its history.
how to reached City’s Nisantasi shopping center .from sultanahmet Taxi charge near 25-30 Lira. from your place how you can reached City’s Nisantasi shopping center you can cheek in app Trafi but im writing here route from (Blue Mosque) Sultanahmet Tram Station .From Sultanahmet Tram Station , Take Tram toward "Bagcilar " Tram Line T1
and your last station is "Laleli-universite" left Tram and walk to Metro Station "vezneciler " which is in the street right side of Tram Station . from Metro station Take Metro Line M2 Haciosman , your last Station is "Osmanbey" walk just 5-8 minuts and you are at City’s Nisantasi shopping center
Some Another best shopping Malls in istanbul
1.Palladium Istanbul Address: Palladium Istanbul Barbaros Mah. Halk Cad. No:8, Yeni Sahra,Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 0216-6631500
2.The Mall of Istanbul, is one of the biggest malls of Turkey and hosts the leading brands in the world and Turkey.With its 350 stores, gourmet center, MOiPark, the first specially designed theme park, traditional arts street and performance arts center, Mall of Istanbul Shopping Center gives a distinct dynamism and poised to be Turkey’s most functional shopping center with this concept.
3.Istinye Park shopping mall features 300 shops, the first IMAX Theater, top local and global brands, cafes, and exclusive restaurants.The shopping center is a unique urban lifestyle environment situated on a natural topographical “amphitheater” of residential neighborhoods. Above, a grand circular arrival plaza sits between an open-air lifestyle center and a glass-roofed indoor retail area.
Address: Istinye Park Istinye Bayiri Caddesi 34460, Istinye – Istanbul Tel: +90 212 345 5555
4.Zorlu Center is the new meeting venue in Istanbul. Zorlu Center features a luxurious shopping center, a center for performance arts, a 5-star hotel, offices, and residences.
Zorlu Center is home to approximately 180 different stores.
Address: Zorlu Center Levazim Mah. Koru Sok. No:2, 34340 Beşiktaş, Istanbul
5.Forum Istanbul shopping center is Europe’s largest shopping center. The shopping mall employs 5,000 people and houses some 280 national and international brands. It is expected to draw 20 million visitors annually.
Address: Forum Istanbul Shopping Center Kocatepe Mahallesi, Paşa Caddesi, Bayrampaşa, 34045 Istanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 443 1350
6.Astoria Istanbul Shopping Center brings together leading Turkish and international brands, in a unique lifestyle space.Featuring everything from luxury restaurants and cafes serving cuisine from around the world, the world-famous Far Eastern Spa, Anantara, a fitness club with the latest high-tech workout equipment, and an indoor swimming pool to a multiplex cinema.
Address: Astoria Istanbul Buyukdere Caddesi Astoria Kuleleri No:127, 34394 Esentepe – Istanbul Tel: +90 212 215 2222
7.Akbati Shopping and Lifestyle Center brings new meaning to the istanbul west side shopping and raise the living standard of the area with its modern design and shop mix that you will sense the Akmerkez experience and quality in every step.
Address :- Koza Mahallesi, 1655. Sokak Esenkent Mevkii No:6, 34538 Şamlar Köyü/Esenyurt/Esenyurt/İstanbul, Turkey Telephone: +90 212 397 70 70
i hope you will enjoy your shopping.now lets talk about leather . which is best in turkey and most of the tourist want to bring latest genuine leather jacket from Turkey. So how and where you can buy genuine leather jacket.well as i said before i do not advice to buy in street shops because prices are more higher and you do not know you are buying genuine leather or just faux leather,risk of buying faux leather is more when you do not know how to know its real leather or faux leather.so if you are going to buy in reliable shops you no need to worry what you are buying its real and you are paying for real goods. first i want to tell you one trick how you can cheek its genuine leather or faux leather. if you are looking for jacket . then hold jacket in your hands and put your one hand inside jacket and do separate jacket line ( inside cloth ) and by another hand hold front part and rub fingers . if you feel back side of front part is smooth then its not genuine leather its faux and if you feel back side of front part is rough and not comfortable to rub so its genuine leather. in this text actually you have to feel back side of front part of jacket(back side of Leather) that its rough or not ,if its smooth its not real leather.
Genuine leather jacket you can buy in Istanbul around 700-1200 Lira.
where to buy :- some people said about store prens leather. but if i say true i did not found any interesting , old collection and prices are more higher then Derimod and Levinson.but if you want you can try prens leather stores also maybe you search something interesting for you.but as my personal experience these some companies i found best in leather goods and the best thing about these companies that.if there is no item to fit as your size or design then they can stitch as per your desire as your measurements.
1. Derimod . Derimod is one of the best and big company in Istanbul which deal in leather goods and the all leather goods are real genuine leather . all most every shopping mall has Derimod store. and some places also have Derimod store and one big store is located in Zeytinburnu. actually this area Zeytinburnu has many good and big leather companies. if you don't find your leather jacket or leather item in shopping malls then you can visit Zeytinburnu , Derimod and some other companies are also there .
Address: - DERİMOD Merkez Mağaza No:14 Kazlıçeşme Mh., Beşkardeşler 4. Sk., 34020 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Turkey Phone: +90 212 547 16 04.
Levinson Fur and Leather Levinson do not have stores in shopping malls. they have their own outlet and they do work for another companies also. Levinson Fur and Leather is located just near to Derimod in Zeytinburnu, outstanding collection and best quality leather goods you can buy here.
Address: Kazlıçeşme Mh., Hacı Reşit Bey Sk. 7-9, 34020 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Turkey
Phone: +90 212 664 24 53
ADAMO Fur & Leather Company. ADAMO is also one of the best leather goods company in istanbul .they have some stores in another areas but biggest one is in Zeytinburnu .
Address: Kazlıçeşme Mh., Zeytinburnu Kennedy Bağlantı Yolu No:34, 34020 Zeytinburnu/İstanbul, Turkey
What to bring Home :-
spices:- if you are foodie person then you must bring some Turkish spices to home they are really aromatic ,(1) for kofte ,(2)For Syup (3)for salat (4) Osmani these spices you can buy in Egypt Bazar ( spices Bazar) the prices are near to 40-60 Lira per Kg. do bargaining because they will tell you prices from 70-100 Lira par Kg. if you are going to buy just ask them to pack in vacuum packing. there is no extra charge for it. they all have this machine and they do it without any problem .
Olive Oil and Olive :- Turkey has a very good quality of Olive oil and Olive.In 2013, Turkey became the fifth-largest olive oil producer in the world after Italy, Spain, Greece, and Tunisia. As much as 70 percent of unbranded exported Turkish olive oil is blended with lower-quality oils to produce less-expensive oil.Many of the established olive oil manufacturers in Turkey operate via boutique shops in Istanbul, as well as their online stores, which deliver selected goods anywhere in the country.there are many kind of Olive in turkey ,if you are going to buy Olive Oil then go for "Komlili " outstanding Quality. 2L is 61 Lira.
Tax Free :- Turkey is one of that country who offer tax free shopping.what is tax free and how its done.Tax free its a system which some countries use to boost their Sells by tourists.so when you buy some goods and you have documents from shop so before your departure at the airport you can get back some Tax. money which you payed at shop.
one thing is very clear every shop or store do not entertain tax free.but some do so you can ask to shop and store if the entertain tax free .you have to buy more then 108 Lira goods to make tax free.if your goods are more then 108 Lira then told to Shop you need Tax free so they will give you special Document with Bill and Stamp it.
how you can get tax back.There are 2 option at Ataturk airport to get your tax back.1st before immigration (passport control ) and one After passport control.
1st . if your tax free goods are in baggage .not in hand luggage .so first go to check in counter of your Airlines . do check in and told them you need tax free. they will do formalities and tag your Baggage . then with your baggage you have to come counter Number D.31-32 . there will be costume officer who will look your bills and goods and then will put stamp on your bill.and they will self send your bag to your flight. and when you will come to gate area there is counter refund point.you have to go there with your bills ,they will calculate your tax and they will give you your tax money Dollar or Euro as you wish.it will be between 8% to 18 % depend how much tax you payed.
in this option the bad thing is this you can not wrapping your bag.if its ok for you then you can go for it. but if you want to wrap your baggage then you have to go for 2nd option.
2nd . you must keep your all tax free goods in hand baggage.after check in and immigration (passport control) when you will come in gate area. just turn left side and walk straight near to 300 m and you will see tax free. go that side and there will be officer who will check your bills and goods and will put stamp on bill.then go back to near security check. there is a counter refund point.and they will refund your tax. Take your tax back and Fly to your country.
I hope you found this post helpful ,if yes please like share and comments your suggestions and feedback. if you want to ask any que please feel free to write me.
Happy Journey !!!
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