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Practical info

Everything to know before and during your stay in Istanbul: money, safety, health, phone, local rules and good habits.

Drugs and Cannabis in Istanbul: Turkish Law and the Risks

No, cannabis is not legal in Istanbul, or anywhere else in Turkey: buying, possessing and using any drug ar...

Yes, you can smoke in Istanbul, but not everywhere: since 2008, Turkish law no. 4207 has banned cigarettes ...

The Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian Bazaar (the Spice Bazaar) are Istanbul's two historic covered markets, a ...

Istanbul is the city in Turkey where LGBT life is most visible, especially in Beyoğlu and Kadıköy, but the ...

Most of Istanbul's prohibitions fit in a few lines: do not photograph military installations, do not fly a ...

Istanbul has three great religious monuments that everyone wants to see: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and ...

Istanbul stays up late: the terraces of Beyoğlu, Kadıköy or Karaköy are full well after midnight, and the v...

Shopping in Istanbul means knowing three rhythms: that of the malls, open almost every day until late in th...

Istanbul has two great imperial palaces that tell the story of two eras of the Ottoman Empire. Topkapı, on ...