r/istanbul 21d ago

Monthly Megathread Visiting İstanbul? Have a quick question? Ask here, don't create a new post.

5 Upvotes

Merhaba! Welcome to r/istanbul. Please be kind and respectful to the locals. We are wishing to make this subreddit more than a tourist information stand. If you have a quick question, you can ask for anything here. Questions both in Turkish and English are welcome.

We have prepared some useful resources that answers common questions.

Travelling to Istanbul

Music, events, matches and more

Tickets for concerts, events, theatres, sports matches and more, here's the trusted ticket sale websites:

  • Biletix most used website for tickets in Turkey, various acts can be found.
  • Passo main website for football tickets, basketball tickets, also good for concerts, various other tickets can be found.
  • Biletinial good for theatres, stand-up shows, operas and volleyball tickets.
  • Biletino mostly for electronic/alternative music concerts and stand-ups.
  • Mobilet good for various events and basketball tickets.
  • Bubilet good for concerts and theatres.
  • Bugece good for techno/electronic music events.

Enjoy your time in Istanbul, don't forget to pet the cats!


r/istanbul 21d ago

Monthly Megathread r/istanbul monthly bulletin board - r/istanbul aylık ilan tahtası

2 Upvotes

Welcome to r/istanbul bulletin board. Use this post when you need to post about:

  • Academic surveys
  • Lost&found items
  • Missing person
  • Spare event tickets (Black marketeering is prohibited)
  • Selling your second hand stuff
  • Blood donations
  • Finding a home for pets
  • Looking for a event/drinking buddy

Things that we don't allow:

  • Advertisements
  • Promoting your own brand/blog/channel or anything similar
  • Black marketeering
  • Spamming comments
  • Cases where fraud is obvious
  • Begging for money
  • Asking/offering drugs or any illegal activities

Keep in mind that this post is moderated so behavior in accordance is expected.

Merhaba! r/istanbul aylık ilan tahtasına hoşgeldiniz. Aşağıdaki listelenen konularda gönderi paylaşmanız gerektiğinde bu postu kullanabilirsiniz:

  • Akademik anketler
  • Kayıp ve buluntu eşyalar
  • Kayıp kişiler
  • Fazla etkinlik biletleri (karaborsacılık yasaktır)
  • Kendi ikinci el eşyalarınızın satışı
  • Kan aranıyor ilanları
  • Tüylü dostlarımız için yuva aranıyor ilanları
  • Etkinlik veya buluşma arkadaşı arayanlar

Şunlara ise izin vermiyoruz:

  • Reklamlar
  • Kendi marka, blog, kanal vb. tanıtımını yapmak
  • Karaborsacılık
  • Yorum spamlamak
  • Dolandırıcılık olduğu açık durumlar
  • Dilencilik yapmak
  • Uyuşturucu veya herhangi bir yasa dışı aktivite istekleri/teklifleri

Bu gönderinin moderasyondan geçtiğini ve buna uygun davranış sergilemenizin beklendiğini unutmayın.


r/istanbul 9h ago

Looking for... Ceramic lamps in Istanbul

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6 Upvotes

Where can I buy those ceramic lamps? The Grand Bazaar seems a bit too overpriced, I need a cheaper option... Also, how much do they typically cost, please?


r/istanbul 4h ago

Discussion Where can I find places in Istanbul that sell ingredients for Asian cuisine?

2 Upvotes

I couldn’t find any new posts about people living in Istanbul who are interested in Asian cuisine and prefer shopping at physical grocery stores rather than online.

When I looked into it, I didn’t find many options on the Asian side of the city. I ate at and shopped at Kore Maru once. The prices seemed reasonable back then, but I don’t know what they’re like now.

Are there any of you who have shopped at other markets and had a positive experience? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences so I can explore other places as well.


r/istanbul 4h ago

Question İstanbuldaki en iyi antika pazarları nerede?

2 Upvotes

İstanbuldaki en iyi antika pazarları nerede? Özellikle pikap tarzı ve fotoğraf makinesi şeyler için


r/istanbul 10h ago

Travel Looking to connect with Istanbul tour companies that are ready to scale.

0 Upvotes

I’m looking for a reliable local tour company in Istanbul that can curate complete activity packages for incoming tourists.

The goal is simple: manage the entire guest activities under one roof. Day 1: Activities A, B, C; Day 2: Activities D, E, F, and so on. If you need to partner with other trusted local agencies to cover certain activities, that works, as long as the client experience is seamless.

I’ve successfully built and scaled this model in other countries, and it works exceptionally well. If you’re a tour operator who can handle this, I would love to shed more light on this.


r/istanbul 1d ago

Travel Payment options in Istanbul

5 Upvotes

Edit: for more context, I will be in karaköy near galataport, so any places to exchange currency/avoid advice?

Hello, I am planning to visit Istanbul and wanted to get an idea of payment options generally. I have two cards that use Discover network and wondering how widely that is accepted? Someone i am traveling with has a Visa debit card, but they have had trouble with it internationally in the past.

How feasible is bringing cash to convert to Turkish Lira for most payments (dining, shopping, etc) vs using one of our cards?

Any advice at all is appreciated for our first visit (payment related or otherwise).


r/istanbul 1d ago

Question 1 hour to go from international gate to domestic gate

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2 Upvotes

r/istanbul 2d ago

Discussion Ottoman Constantinople in 19 + 20th century paint: part 3

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160 Upvotes

r/istanbul 2d ago

Question How do vendors inside the grand bazaar stay in business?

36 Upvotes

So many of the shops sell such very similar items; how do the inner shops of the grand bazaar manage to stay in business?

Simply because of the total number of daily visitors?

Seems to me like they would really struggle to stay in business because of the amount of competition.


r/istanbul 1d ago

Looking for... Couple friendly hammam

4 Upvotes

Hi all, I will be visiting Istanbul and staying at Mukarnas Pera Hotel. Do you have any couple friendly Hammam to share? Hoping to do it in a private room. Don't have to be so traditional just want to experience a Turkish bath as a life experience

Thank you


r/istanbul 1d ago

News Fenerbahçe UEFA Avrupa Ligi Ön Eleme Maçı Kadıköy'de, Allah trafiktelilere sabırlar versin şimdiden.

1 Upvotes

Fenerbahçe, Şampiyonlar Ligi 2. eleme turu ilk maçında bu akşam saat 21.00’de Górnik Zabrze’yi Chobani Stadyumu’nda ağırlayacak.

Maç nedeniyle saat 15.45’ten itibaren stadyum çevresindeki bazı yolların trafiğe kapatılacağı duyuruldu. Henüz cadde cadde ayrıntılı bir liste paylaşılmadığı için yanlış yönlendirmemek adına güzergâh yazmıyorum.

Öğleden sonra Kadıköy tarafında işi olanların erken çıkmasında fayda var. Bölgede güncel kapanış veya yönlendirme gören olursa yorumlara eklesin, herkes faydalansın.

Bu arada görseli ve duyuruyu Mahal Uygulamasından aldım. Uygulama böyle planlı yol kapanışlarını ve çevrenizde yaşanan trafik ve asayiş olaylarını mümkün olduğunca önceden duyurmaya çalışıyor. İstanbul trafiğinde sonradan öğrenmenin pek faydası olmuyor malum. Merak edenler App Store ve Google Play’de “Mahal” diye aratabilir.

Fenerbahçe’ye Avrupa yolunda başarılar. 💛💙


r/istanbul 2d ago

Question Freedom Park, the one next to Goztepe Marmaray

5 Upvotes

Would this be a good place to meet someone online as a get to know you low pressure date?


r/istanbul 2d ago

Question Üsküdar’da kentsel dönüşüm ruhsatı çıkması ne kadar sürüyor?

3 Upvotes

Merhaba. Kiracı olarak yaşadığım 6 bloklu, 84 daireli site tüm bloklar olarak aynı müteahhit firmayla anlaştı, dün imzayı attılar. Belediyeye imar ruhsatı için herhalde kısa zamanda başvurur firma. İznin çıkması ne kadar sürer?

Ne kadar süre daha oturabileceğiz onu görmeye çalışıyorum. 😕


r/istanbul 3d ago

Travel Tips for booking a Bosphorus cruise? Where from? Best time of day? Best company

7 Upvotes

I’m finding a lot of offers online, some with admittedly good prices, but I don’t want to end up in a tourist trap.. what should I look for? Where are the best boats docked? What package is best for a family of 4 (ideally meal or at least snacks included)?


r/istanbul 2d ago

Looking for... Looking for Turkic-inspired Clothing and Boots

4 Upvotes

I am looking for women's embroidered boots with a heel or without a heel (flat heel). I purchased pair about 12 years ago from the Grand Bazaar and they are still in amazing condition. I paid $100 in cash (the seller preferred US dollars). I know prices will be higher this time around. Where can I find them inside or outside of the Grand Bazaar?

Also interested in Turkic-inspired clothing with traditional prints from Crimea, Uzbekistan, XUAR, and Kyrgyzstan. Also looking for iznik tiles.

This will be my fourth time in Istanbul and I am very excited!


r/istanbul 3d ago

Discussion İstanbul büyük ada yardım plaj

3 Upvotes

Selam yarın büyük adaya gideceğiz kız arkadaşımla beltur plajını düşünüyoruz ama daha önce hiö gitmedik fiyatlar bütçe nasıl bir şey olur sizce sormak istedim bu yıl giden var mı yeme içme ne alemde vapur vs


r/istanbul 3d ago

Question Question about Zorlu PSM (The Prodigy concert)

4 Upvotes

Merhaba dear friends!🧝🏻‍♀️Visiting my neighbor country for the first time!
I have a question about Zorlu PSM - Turkcell sahnesi: all the pictures I found are with sitting chairs and no standing places at all. Will they remove sitting places for the Prodigy concert?
I am planning to buy "sahneüstü" ticket, am I right that those will be standing tickets close to the scene?
Do you think that's a good option in terms of visibility? It also suggests buying Uzak Görüs - Oturmalı - Orkestra and I assume those will be further ones woth no visibility.

Thank you in advance for your help💛


r/istanbul 3d ago

Looking for... Moving back to Turkey with our 2-year-old – looking for the best Montessori nursery & family-friendly areas in Istanbul

10 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

My husband and I are planning to move back to Turkey after spending many years living in a developing country. We feel that our current environment offers limited activities and opportunities for our child, so we believe it may be the right time to return home.
My husband and I both work remotely, so we’re lucky to be flexible about where we live in Istanbul. We’d really like to choose the area based on what would be best for our 2-year-old.

Our biggest priority is finding an excellent nursery. We’re especially interested in genuine Montessori schools, not places that only use the name for marketing. However, we’re also open to other outstanding nurseries that genuinely focus on developing independence, curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
I’d really appreciate hearing from parents who have first-hand experience.

We also have a few questions:
-Which Montessori nurseries in Istanbul are genuinely authentic and worth looking into?
-Are there any exceptional non-Montessori nurseries that families have had a very positive experience with?
-Which neighbourhoods are especially suitable for families with toddlers?
-We’d love an area with plenty of parks, playgrounds, green spaces and a strong sense of community.
-Are there regular playgroups, toddler activities, parent-child classes or children’s cafés where families with young children tend to meet?

Many thanks!


r/istanbul 3d ago

Question Little Plastic bags full of bread

8 Upvotes

From one side of Istanbul to the other I keep seeing little plastic bags of bread left out or hung on fences. Why are people doing that?


r/istanbul 3d ago

Question Beyoğlu tomtom mahallesi

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68 Upvotes

Arkadaşlar kasım gibi istanbula iş için taşınacağım çalışacağım yer cihangire çok yakın bunun için o bölgeden evlere bakıyorum da o civarı çok bilmiyorum sizce yaşanılır mı ve güvenli midir ?


r/istanbul 3d ago

Question Magnolya yemek istiyorum

0 Upvotes

İstanbulda magnolya söyleyebileceğim en iyi yer neresidir sizce


r/istanbul 3d ago

Question Relaxing sunny places to read ?

5 Upvotes

Hi all, going to Istanbul for 8 days with family. My sister and I much prefer a more relaxing lounging and reading kind of holiday and are somewhat dreading that Istanbul won’t recharge us. We have been to Istanbul many many times and have done all the touristy sights.

Anyone know of somewhere quiet with a good view where we can relax and read and spend hours perhaps with a good view but near amenities such as bathrooms and cafes?
(Outdoor preferred but indoor also welcome)

Please note we are staying in the Fatih area


r/istanbul 4d ago

Discussion İstanbul’dan ev almak

4 Upvotes

İstanbul’dan ev almak mantıklı mı?


r/istanbul 3d ago

Looking for... halısaha rakip lazım

0 Upvotes

hepimiz 18 yaşındayız 7v7 halısaha yapıcak rakip lazım anadolu yakası kadıköy caddebostan maltepe ataşehir. Buralara yakın olursa çok iyi olur. Temmuz-Ağustos gibi müsait olanlar yazsın tarih net değil.