Turkey Travel Guide

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Shopping

Istanbul's Kapali Carsi Bazaar has jewelry, carpets and antiques for sale. There are also a large number of shops selling carpets and Turkish handicrafts in the Sultanahmet district. The Egyptian Bazaar near Galata Bridge is a good place to buy food products. Turkish handicrafts include a rich variety of textiles and embroideries, articles of copper, onyx and tile, mother-of-pearl, inlaid articles, leather and suede products, jewelry and, above all, carpets and kilims. Nargiles (water pipes) and musical instruments also make good, reasonably priced souvenirs, as do spices like saffron and sumac.

Outside Istanbul, most other cities and larger resorts have a market area where visitors can buy souvenirs and handicrafts. Often this is a covered bazaar area where the goods on sale are manufactured in workshops adjacent to the shops that sell the produce. Bargaining is essential, although you are unlikely to reduce the asking price by all that much unless it was completely unrealistic to start with. Begin bargaining at a price somewhat below what you are genuinely willing to pay. If buying an old carpet orkilim, it is important that the seller issues an invoice (fatura) that states the carpet's estimated age and purchase price in order to satisfy customs that it is not an antiquity. Beware of so-called ‘antiques' peddled at some archaeological sites like Ephesus. These are of very doubtful antiquity and, besides, would be illegal to export if they were genuine.

Shopping hours: Daily 0930-1900 in tourist areas. Closing hours vary, with some shops staying open until midnight. Outside tourist areas shops may close at lunchtime and on Sundays. Istanbul covered market: Mon-Sat 0800-1900 (closed Sunday).

Currency

New Turkish Lira (TRY; symbol YTL) = 100 New Kurus (Ykr). Notes are in denominations of YTL200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of YTL1 and 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 New Kurus.

Currency Exchange

Cash can usually be exchanged commission free in currency exchange offices (döviz bürosu). Banks usually charge commission. Traveller's checks can only be exchanged in banks with a passport. Travelers planning to exchange currency back before leaving Turkey, or making a major purchase which may need to be declared to customs, must retain transaction receipts to prove that the currency was legally exchanged.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs

Visa is the most popular, closely followed by MasterCard. American Express is accepted in top-flight hotels, restaurants and some gift shops. ATMs are widely found in most areas.

Travelers Checks

Traveller's checks can only be exchanged in banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. Credit cards are far more convenient.

Currency Restrictions

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local. The import and export of foreign currency exceeding US$5,000 must be declared.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0830-1200 and 1330-1700. Some banks in tourist areas and large cities are open daily.

Exchange Rate