Istanbul, Turkey
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Time in Istanbul compared to other major cities right now.
About Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the only major city in the world that straddles two continents — Europe and Asia. Formerly Byzantium and then Constantinople, the city was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and features the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
Time zone details
Istanbul observes TRT (Europe/Istanbul in the IANA database). The UTC offset and any daylight saving transitions are handled automatically by your browser's time zone library. If you're scheduling a meeting or call, use our time zone converter for an exact difference on a specific date.
Calling Turkey from abroad
The international dialing code for Turkey is +90. To call a phone number in Istanbul, dial your country's international access code, then +90, then the local number (drop the leading zero if there is one).
Currency in Turkey
The official currency is TRY (₺). Exchange rates fluctuate daily — check a currency converter for the latest rate against your home currency before any transaction.
Languages spoken
Common languages include Turkish. Many businesses and tourist areas in Istanbul will also have English speakers.
Top places to visit in Istanbul
- Hagia Sophia — 1,500-year-old former Byzantine cathedral, then mosque, with stunning Christian-Islamic art.
- Blue Mosque — 17th-century imperial mosque with six minarets and 20,000 blue Iznik tiles.
- Grand Bazaar — One of the world's oldest covered markets, with 4,000+ shops since 1461.
Top local foods of Istanbul
- Kebab — From shish to doner to Adana — Turkish kebabs come in dozens of regional styles.
- Baklava — Layered phyllo pastry with pistachios and honey syrup — best from a güneşli baklavacı.
- Turkish breakfast (kahvaltı) — Elaborate spread of cheeses, olives, eggs, jams, breads, and tea.
Working with someone in Istanbul
When scheduling a call or meeting with someone in Istanbul, the time difference from your location is shown at the top of this page. For deeper coordination tips, see our guide on working across time zones and time zone etiquette for global meetings.