İstanbul's history

For some knowledge about the history of İstanbul, please look at this website: https://istanbultarihi.ist/en

The Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Süleymaniye, Basilica Cistern, and others are within walking distance from the conference venue at the university.

 

Airport arrival

There are two airports in Istanbul: Istanbul Airport (IST) on the European side, and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) in Anatolia. You can use either of them; however, we suggest that you to use Istanbul Airport (IST) due to easy transfer to the conference venue. There are shuttle buses from both airports to Taksim, then you can use a taxi from Taksim to the conference venue. Taxi costs approximately 5USD; we suggest to use Turkish Lira in any situation for the payment of shuttle buses and taxis.

For those delegates that would like to have assistance upon arrival, a member of the Local Committee will be at the Istanbul Airport. This person will be in charge of accompanying IASA delegates from your arrival Terminal to your taxi. (Please note that this service will be possible only from Istanbul Airport which is located on the European side).

If you wish to receive this assistance, we kindly ask you to send an email to Gökhan Altınbaş (gitaristanbul@gmail.com) providing the following information:

  1. Name (and the names of your travel companions)
  2. Contact mobile number
  3. Airline and flight number
  4. Date and time of arrival
  5. Name and address of your accommodation

Visas

For visa requirements, see: https://www.mfa.gov.tr/visa-information-for-foreigners.en.mfa

Conference venue

Conference sessions will be held at İstanbul University, located in Beyazıt, Fatih. Address: İstanbul Üniversitesi Rektörlüğü 34452 Beyazıt/Fatih/İstanbul

For more details and images: https://2023.iasa-web.org/venue

Please find the location of the main venue of the conference, the Istanbul University Rectorate, in this map.

Accommodation

Below is a list of hotels that are recommended by the Local Organizing Committee. Other options can be found by using services like Trivago and Booking.com

Restaurants

Below is a map that shows restaurants within reach of the conference venue:

https://www.google.com/maps/search/fatih+laleli+restoranlar/@41.0086208,28.9551244,16z

Language

Turkey’s official language is Turkish but at most hotels and tourist places English is also spoken.

Time zone

Turkey’s time zone is GMT+03:00. The current time in Turkey can be seen at https://saatkac.info.tr/Istanbul

Weather

The average temperature in İstanbul during September is 21.1 degrees Celsius. Weather is usually moderate and sunny with some possibility of rain. It is recommended to bring a raincoat, umbrella and sweater. You can check the weather forecast in https://www.mgm.gov.tr/tahmin/il-ve-ilceler.aspx?il=%C4%B0stanbul

Electrical plugs

Turkey operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz. The power sockets are of type F. It is recommended to bring power plug adaptors as they aren’t available everywhere.

The congress venue will have a number of charging sockets for delegates' use. However we urge everyone to fully charge their mobiles and laptops in their hotels before arriving at the conference venue, especially those that will be using their devices for presentations or for the English/Turkish translation service that we will offer on Zoom.

Health

It is recommended to get travel and medical insurance. Do not drink tap water, only drink bottled water.

The closest hospital to the venue is İstanbul Tıp Fakültesi Hastanesi https://hastane-istanbultip.istanbul.edu.tr/tr/_

Safety considerations

Turkey’s main emergency telephone numbers:

  • Police: 155
  • Fire: 110
  • Ambulance: 112

Currency and exchange rate

The official currency in İstanbul is the Turkish Lira. You can find 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 Lira bills in circulation alongside 1, 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, and 0.50 Lira coins. Money can be exchanged on your arrival at the airport, or anytime at banks and exchange houses. For more about currency and exchange rates, visit: https://www.tcmb.gov.tr/wps/wcm/connect/EN/TCMB+EN/Main+Menu/Statistics/Exchange+Rates