| Official Name |
: |
The Republic of Turkey (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) |
| Capital |
: |
Ankara |
| Population |
: |
71.517.100 (as of 2008) |
| Language |
: |
Turkish (uses Latin Alphabet) |
| Currency |
: |
Turkish Lira (TL ) |
| Money |
: |
Foreign money can be exchanged in banks and in exchange offices.
Major credit cards are widely accepted |
| Banking Hours |
: |
Banks are open from Monday to Friday between 09:00-12:00 and 13:30-16:30 |
| GSM Operators |
: |
Turkcell , Vodafone, and Avea operators cooperate with various
foreign operators. |
| Location |
: |
Eastern Mediterranean. Located on two continents Europe and Asia.
The European part of Turkey is called Thrace, while
the Asian part is called Anatolia or ( Asia
Minor ) (Click for Map) |
| Area |
: |
814 578 Km2 (314 500 square miles)
% 3 on the European continent
% 97 on the Asian continent |
| Major Cities |
: |
Istanbul
|
12.6 million
|
Izmir |
3.3 million |
Konya |
2.2 million |
| Ankara |
4.5 million |
Bursa |
2.1 million |
Adana |
1.8 million |
|
| Religion |
: |
99 percent of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular state
that assures complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims. |
| Coastline |
: |
8333 Km. (5000 miles)
Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, by the Black
Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea
in the west. In the northwest there is also an important internal
sea, the Sea of Marmara, between the straits of the Dardanelles and
the Bosphorus |
| Famous Landmarks |
: |
Ayasofya Museum, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Dolmabahçe
Palace, ancient City of Troy, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Pergamon, Pamukkale,
Göreme- Cappadocia, Mt.Nemrut, Safranbolu |
| Local time |
: |
GMT + 2 hrs. (Summer)
|
Climate
|
: |
Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean coasts: These
coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and
mild winters
Black Sea Coast: Warm summers, mild winters,
and relatively high rainfall.
Central Anatolia: Steppe climate with hot,
dry summers; cold winters.
Eastern Anatolia: Long snowy cold winters
with mild summers.
Southeast Anatolia: Hot summer with mild,
rainy winters.
Weather: Turkish State Meteorological Service
( http://www.meteor.gov.tr/en-US/forecast-5days.aspx )
|
| Shopping Hours |
: |
Shops are open from 09:00 to 19:00 from Monday to Saturday.But
shopping malls are open from 10:00 to 22:00 every day including Sundays. |
| Tax Refund |
: |
All foreign visitors entitled to claim back the tax you pay on
your purchases. The v.a.t. rate in Turkey is 18% and 8%.Your total
purchases in a store should exceed 100 TL + v.a.t. |
| Tipping |
: |
At various establishments like hotels, restaurants, Turkish
baths, barbers and hairdressers, tipping at a rate of 5%-15% of
the total is common. Taxi and "dolmus" drivers on the
other hand, do not expect tips or even rounded fares.
|
| Electricity |
: |
50 Hz / 220 volts AC. |
| Pharmacy |
: |
(In Turkish ECZANE) Pharmacies are open from 08:00 to 19:30 except
Sundays. During Sundays and nights , some pharmacies are on duty
. Your Hotel will assist you. |
e-Turkey
|
: |
Prime Ministry
http://www.basbakanlik.gov.tr/
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
www.mfa.gov.tr
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
http://www.kulturturizm.gov.tr
|
