[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":432},["ShallowReactive",2],{"navigation":3,"\u002Fistanbul":48},[4,8,12,16,20,24,28,32,36,40,44],{"title":5,"path":6,"stem":7},"AI: Useful Links","\u002Fai-links","ai-links",{"title":9,"path":10,"stem":11},"Things I wish I knew before traveling to Athens, Greece","\u002Fathens","athens",{"title":13,"path":14,"stem":15},"Being in Baku, Azerbaijan (2022)","\u002Fbaku","baku",{"title":17,"path":18,"stem":19},"Budapest: Bits of Travel Tips (2024)","\u002Fbudapest","budapest",{"title":21,"path":22,"stem":23},"Dev links","\u002Fdev-links","dev-links",{"title":25,"path":26,"stem":27},"Being in Istanbul, Türkiye (Turkey) 2026","\u002Fistanbul","istanbul",{"title":29,"path":30,"stem":31},"Prepper but Normal: How to Be Prepared and Not Be Weird","\u002Fprepper","prepper",{"title":33,"path":34,"stem":35},"Privacy Online","\u002Fprivacy","privacy",{"title":37,"path":38,"stem":39},"Sakartvelo (Georgia): Useful apps","\u002Fsakartvelo-apps","sakartvelo-apps",{"title":41,"path":42,"stem":43},"Sakartvelo (Georgia): Useful links","\u002Fsakartvelo-links","sakartvelo-links",{"title":45,"path":46,"stem":47},"Bits of Travel Tips","\u002Ftravel-tips","travel-tips",{"id":49,"title":25,"body":50,"created_at":412,"description":389,"extension":413,"image":414,"meta":417,"navigation":428,"path":26,"seo":429,"stem":27,"updated_at":430,"__hash__":431},"content_en\u002Fistanbul.md",{"type":51,"value":52,"toc":388},"minimark",[53,58,73,77,80,89,92,96,99,103,106,119,124,127,164,168,171,175,178,184,187,191,211,215,238,242,262,266,286,290,334,338,358,362,376,380],[54,55,57],"h2",{"id":56},"before-buy-an-e-sim","Before - buy an e-sim",[59,60,61,62,72],"p",{},"Before going to Türkiye, buy an e-sim. It is much cheaper than roaming or a local offer. Use my tip from ",[63,64,71],"a",{"href":65,"rel":66,"target":70},"https:\u002F\u002Fvoraczech.com\u002Ftravel-tips",[67,68,69],"nofollow","noopener","noreferrer","_blank","travel tips"," to get an e-sim. Also, for free Wi-Fi you need to register with your phone number, which does not work every time.",[54,74,76],{"id":75},"hotel-is-your-friend-airbnb-may-not-be","Hotel is your friend, Airbnb may not be",[59,78,79],{},"I had a bad experience with Airbnb in Türkiye in the past. There are definitely good ones, but a hotel is always a safe choice in this country if you travel for vacation.",[54,81,83,84,88],{"id":82},"water-is-not-drinkable-potable-unless-otherwise-stated","Water is not ",[85,86,87],"del",{},"drinkable"," potable (unless otherwise stated)",[59,90,91],{},"The best water you can buy is from a Bim shop. There is also a service providing water delivery to your door.",[54,93,95],{"id":94},"turkish-toilets-are-not-a-thing","Turkish toilets are not a thing",[59,97,98],{},"At the airport they are present, but newly (in 2026) there are pictograms on the doors. No need to discover it the hard way anymore. The \"normal\" toilets are the standard; sometimes there is a toilet shower as well.",[54,100,102],{"id":101},"atms-can-be-both-your-friend-and-an-enemy","ATMs can be both your friend and an enemy",[59,104,105],{},"Many banks charge a huge fee (even an 8% surcharge is common) and\u002For offer DCC (dynamic currency conversion) — you should always decline it (Decline is mostly on the left).",[59,107,108,109,114,115,118],{},"You can check the fees at ",[63,110,113],{"href":111,"rel":112,"target":70},"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikivoyage.org\u002Fwiki\u002FTurkey#ATMs",[67,68,69],"Wikivoyage",". ",[85,116,117],{},"Ziraat Bankası is a PRETTY safe choice, no added fees, you can decline DCC. Except for the fact it sometimes swallows a card."," Use Halkbank — no fees, decline DCC (select Other options and you have declined).",[120,121,123],"h3",{"id":122},"how-to-keep-your-card-safe","How to keep your card safe",[59,125,126],{},"It is more common than I thought that an ATM swallows your card. The ways it happens are different, so here comes the list of tips:",[128,129,130,134,142,145],"ul",{},[131,132,133],"li",{},"Go to ATMs at the bank since it is easier for them to help you (but they can retrieve a card from any of their ATMs).",[131,135,136,137,141],{},"If the ATM switches to Turkish, start pressing Cancel (the physical red button) or ",[138,139,140],"code",{},"hayır"," (means no) on the screen — this cancels the process and the card is returned.",[131,143,144],{},"If the card is stuck inside, calling the ATM's customer support won't help; just freeze your card (do not block it permanently).",[131,146,147,148],{},"Go to the bank's branch — the bigger the better, since there is a chance they will be competent and English-speaking.\n",[128,149,150,158,161],{},[131,151,152,157],{},[63,153,156],{"href":154,"rel":155,"target":70},"https:\u002F\u002Fmaps.app.goo.gl\u002FSDfHhJB9B7snVqaA8",[67,68,69],"This branch"," works for Ziraat Bankası (for any of their ATMs); go to the teller.",[131,159,160],{},"You should have your passport and, most importantly, your card details.",[131,162,163],{},"They can submit a return request — they have 15 days to process it; in my case they did it in 10.",[54,165,167],{"id":166},"hafiz-mustafa-is-expensive-but-worth-it","Hafiz Mustafa is expensive but worth it",[59,169,170],{},"Anything with pistachio (fıstık) will be worth your money — either baklava or The Story of Istanbul (a cake).",[54,172,174],{"id":173},"istanbulkart-is-the-biggest-unknown","Istanbulkart is the biggest unknown",[59,176,177],{},"You never know how much your ride will cost. You may be unsure whether you should buy the blue one or the red one (I have the red one and I think it is a good choice).",[59,179,180,183],{},[85,181,182],{},"I am not sure what the most cost-efficient option is for topping up money"," Top up with a 200 lira bill with a fixed 2 lira fee at the vending machines for cash payments. For some reason you can always top up with only one bill at a time.",[59,185,186],{},"You can top up for free at a Migros shop — use cash and go to a cashier; the self-service does not have this option.",[54,188,190],{"id":189},"itinerary","Itinerary",[128,192,193,196,199,202,205,208],{},[131,194,195],{},"Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and the Basilica Cistern (can be done in half a day)",[131,197,198],{},"Asian side (another half day)",[131,200,201],{},"Grand Bazaar (half a day, but take your time — it's better to spend a full day, including breaks)",[131,203,204],{},"Dolmabahçe, Galata, Taksim (half a day, or a full day if you take your time)",[131,206,207],{},"Grand Çamlıca Mosque",[131,209,210],{},"hammam",[54,212,214],{"id":213},"eat","Eat",[128,216,217,220,223,226,229,232,235],{},[131,218,219],{},"falafel",[131,221,222],{},"pilav",[131,224,225],{},"lahmacun",[131,227,228],{},"pide",[131,230,231],{},"börek",[131,233,234],{},"kebab — Urfa, Adana, Iskender (top), şiş",[131,236,237],{},"tantuni (with yogurt)",[120,239,241],{"id":240},"sweets","Sweets",[128,243,244,247,250,253,256,259],{},[131,245,246],{},"baklava",[131,248,249],{},"lokum",[131,251,252],{},"künefe",[131,254,255],{},"puddings",[131,257,258],{},"sütlaç",[131,260,261],{},"helva",[54,263,265],{"id":264},"drink","Drink",[128,267,268,271,274,277,280,283],{},[131,269,270],{},"Turkish tea",[131,272,273],{},"Turkish coffee",[131,275,276],{},"ayran",[131,278,279],{},"salep",[131,281,282],{},"şalgam",[131,284,285],{},"boza",[54,287,289],{"id":288},"a-few-words-to-know","A few words to know",[128,291,292,295,298,301,304,307,310,313,316,319,322,325,328,331],{},[131,293,294],{},"merhaba = hello",[131,296,297],{},"teşekkürler = thank you",[131,299,300],{},"evet = yes",[131,302,303],{},"yok = no",[131,305,306],{},"su = water",[131,308,309],{},"çay = tea",[131,311,312],{},"kahve = coffee",[131,314,315],{},"et = meat",[131,317,318],{},"tavuk = chicken",[131,320,321],{},"balık = fish",[131,323,324],{},"şeker = sugar",[131,326,327],{},"pamuk = cotton",[131,329,330],{},"indirim = discount",[131,332,333],{},"deniz = sea",[54,335,337],{"id":336},"buy","Buy",[128,339,340,342,344,347,350,353,355],{},[131,341,270],{},[131,343,273],{},[131,345,346],{},"clothes",[131,348,349],{},"perfumes",[131,351,352],{},"pharmacy",[131,354,246],{},[131,356,357],{},"a nice haircut",[54,359,361],{"id":360},"shops","Shops",[128,363,364,367,370,373],{},[131,365,366],{},"Hafiz Mustafa",[131,368,369],{},"Kahve Dünyası",[131,371,372],{},"Tudors",[131,374,375],{},"Sansiro Perfume (no experience)",[54,377,379],{"id":378},"history-to-know","History to know",[128,381,382,385],{},[131,383,384],{},"1453 — Fall of Constantinople",[131,386,387],{},"Mustafa Kemal Atatürk — founder of the Republic of Turkey, first president, and national hero. He is known for his reforms that modernized Turkey and his efforts to create a secular state.",{"title":389,"searchDepth":390,"depth":390,"links":391},"",2,[392,393,394,396,397,401,402,403,404,407,408,409,410,411],{"id":56,"depth":390,"text":57},{"id":75,"depth":390,"text":76},{"id":82,"depth":390,"text":395},"Water is not drinkable potable (unless otherwise stated)",{"id":94,"depth":390,"text":95},{"id":101,"depth":390,"text":102,"children":398},[399],{"id":122,"depth":400,"text":123},3,{"id":166,"depth":390,"text":167},{"id":173,"depth":390,"text":174},{"id":189,"depth":390,"text":190},{"id":213,"depth":390,"text":214,"children":405},[406],{"id":240,"depth":400,"text":241},{"id":264,"depth":390,"text":265},{"id":288,"depth":390,"text":289},{"id":336,"depth":390,"text":337},{"id":360,"depth":390,"text":361},{"id":378,"depth":390,"text":379},"2026-02-12","md",{"src":415,"alt":416},"\u002Ftravel\u002Fistanbul\u002Fistanbul.jpg","Istanbul view in the morning",{"tags":418,"readingTime":423},[419,420,27,421,422],"turkiye","turkey","travel","tips",{"text":424,"minutes":425,"time":426,"words":427},"4 min read",3.43,205800,686,true,{"title":25,"description":389},"2026-04-14","0S5FK2KNXHNZhJlUAAbu6TVJmPaiAYfY1E8ydYcHAkc",1776198199190]