Official Holidays

Like in every country, official and religious holidays are celebrated with great joy.

Therefore, in Turkey, both official and religious days are holidays. These holidays include:

New Year’s Day, 1 January

The Feast of Ramadan, (3.5 days)

The Feast of Sacrifice, (4.5 days)

National Sovereignty, Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day, 19 May

Victory Day, 30 August

Republic Day, 29 October

Working Hours

The hours of business for official establishments, banks and private businesses are generally between 8.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. A lunch break occurs between noon and 1.30 p.m. Stores, restaurants and markets often have different hours of business. Large shopping centers remain open until 9.00 p.m. or 10.00 p.m., depending on the season. In Istanbul’s neighborhoods of Şişli, Beyoğlu and Etiler, there are bars, nightclubs and restaurants that are open 24 hours a day.

Banks And Credit Cards

On weekdays, banks are open at 8.30 or 9.00 in the morning and close at 5.00 p.m. or 5.30 p.m. Most banks are closed for lunch between noon and 1.30 p.m. We recommend that you call the bank that you wish to visit ahead of time in order to find out their exact hours of operation.

Internationally-recognized credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) are generally accepted at most types of restaurants, stores, travel agencies, hotels.

Visiting Museums

Do you want to visit some of Istanbul’s famous museums? Just make sure that you do not choose to do so on a Monday, on which they are closed! Museums are open six days a week, from 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. In the museums, you may or may not be able to take photographs. In certain museums, you must pay an additional fee in order to take photographs.