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Our #TurkeyIsOpen campaign

#TurkeyIsOpen is campaign – launched by visitTurkey.co – to show that Turkey is united and open for business.

Our #TurkeyIsOpen campaign

It shows the world that Turkey remains entrepreneurial, international and full of creativity and possibility. It reassures the more than one million foreign nationals who live in Turkey that they will always be welcome, and that any form of discrimination will not be tolerated.

Turkey is the best country in the world. We’re entrepreneurial, international and outward looking. The key ingredient of our country’s success has been the flow of brilliant ideas and talent from across the globe. Our country is comfortable in its diversity, proud of its history and optimistic about its future. Turkey is open.

Our #TurkeyIsOpen campaign

Our #TurkeyIsOpen campaign

Shopping Centers in Istanbul

Shopping Centers in Istanbul
Shopping Centers in Istanbul

Shopping centers can be considered as a very young concept in Turkey, since the history goes back only to the late 80s. However, once the malls appeared on the shopping scene, the Turks embraced them. Almost every neighborhood has at least one. Following you can find some of the biggest and fanciest shopping centers in Istanbul. They are mostly close to the Taksim area, thus very easy to reach by bus, subway, or taxi. Oh yes, as a rule of thumb, we can say that they are open between 10 am and 10 pm.

Aerial view of Istinye Park in Istanbul.

Akmerkez

Picture of Akmerkez Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Akmerkez is located in Etiler, a neighborhood of the Beşiktaş district and one of the favorite areas among Istanbul’s elite. It is also close to the business quarters of Levent and Maslak.

This four-storey mall with almost 250 stores covers an area of 180.000 sq meters. It can be easily reached by tourists and locals alike thanks to their free transportation service from and to close range neighborhoods and hotels. It opened its doors in December 1993 and is open between 10 am and 10 pm every day.

Akmerkez was chosen the best shopping center in Europe in 1995 by ICSC. In 1996 it was recognized as the best shopping center in the world, moreover it also received the International Design and Development Award. Akmerkez is a unique shopping center, since no other shopping center in the world has both of these titles. In 2010, Akmerkez was awarded with the prize for best interior design by the European Commercial Property Awards.

Address: Ulus Caddesi No:3, Etiler – Istanbul
http://www.akmerkez.com.tr/

Istinye Park

Picture of Istinye Park Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Located in the Istinye neighborhood of the Sarıyer district, Istinye Park has brought a new dimension to Istanbul’s shopping concept. Spread out over an area of 242.000 sqm, the shopping center offers a variety of outdoor and glass roofed indoor sections such as a green central park, Fashion District, street side shopping, a kids’ entertainment center of 1.500 sqm, Hillside Sports and Leisure Club, The Bazaar — an area inspired by historical Turkish architecture — and 12 movie halls, one of which being IMAX 3D.

Green, eco-friendly, humane and eye for details is how you can best describe Istinye Park. There are three waste collecting centers and a waste oil collector. Wheelchairs, lockers to leave your valuables, baby buggies free of charge and immediate tax refund are only some of the thoughtful services provided.

Address: İstinye Bayırı Cad. No: 73, Sarıyer – Istanbul
http://www.istinyepark.com

Kanyon

Picture of Kanyon Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Kanyon. © Kanyon
As a four-storey shopping center located in the financial district of Levent, the 37.500 sqm shopping center has 160 stores among which Turkey’s and the world’s most selected brands, gourmet restaurants, cafes, a health and sports club and movie halls.

Kanyon was awarded with the 2006 Cityscape Architectural Review Award in the “Commercial Built” category.

Address: Büyükdere Caddesi No:185
http://www.kanyon.com.tr/#/en/homepage/

City’s

Picture of City’s Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
City’s. © City’s
In case you enjoy being in the center of fashion, let alone shopping, you have got to see City’s in Nişantaşı, part of the Şişli district and very close to Taksim. City’s is a shopping center which blends in with the historical texture of the area.

City’s concept is described as a Life Style Center. It sure deserves this stylish title, considering the variety of the stores, cafes, restaurants and the vital 24 hour six-storey parking service it provides to the populous area.

Address: Teşvikiye Mahallesi Teşvikiye Caddesi No:162, Nişantaşı – Istanbul
http://www.citysnisantasi.com/

Nişantaşı

Picture of Nişantaşı, an upmarket shopping district in Istanbul, Turkey.
Nişantaşı.
This is not a shopping center, but a district within walking distance of Taksim known for committed shoppers in search of sophistication.

In the mid 19th century, Sultan Abdülmecid I initiated the decent living in Nişantaşı. Today, Nişantaşı has the third largest community of foreign residents in Istanbul. It is a fashionable shopping and an upper-scale residential area. The locals of the district are known as dignified, well-mannered and educated.

Abdi İpekçi is, based on the monthly lease prices, the most expensive and classy street with prominent Turkish brands as well as world-known luxury retail stores such as Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier, Dior, Gucci, Gianfranco Ferre, DKNY and many more.

Besides the shopping euphoria, Nişantaşı has become a well-known culture and art center. Moreover, its cafes and restaurants in the area, especially on MimKemal Öke and Atiye streets are luscious.

Bağdat Caddesi

Picture of Bağdat Caddesi, Istanbul’s famous shopping street.
Bağdat Caddesi.
On the Asian side of the city and roughly parallel to the shore of the Marmara Sea, Bağdat Avenue is a rather green and glossy 14 km long high street. The first residential steps in the area were the luxurious wooden chalet mansions built after 1870’s. Some still exist and contribute to the wealthy look of the upper-scale residential area. As well as the shopping exuberance, Bağdat Avenue is famous for international and local cuisine restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Bagdat Avenue scored 83 out of 100 and became 4th (!) on a ranking list of the world’s most famous shopping streets made by a Paris-based market consulting company in 2012.

The criterias of the mystery shoppers were:

Appearance (cleanliness, lighting)
Welcome (staff greetings, courtesy, availability)
Atmosphere (garbage cans available, open space, clean pavement)
Contact with passers-by (friendliness, helpfulness to people passing through the store)
The outstanding line for shoppers is the 6 km long stretch with one-way traffic from Bostancı to Kızıltoprak. You can track down most of the shopping malls and fashion stores in the direction westward between Suadiye, Şaşkınbakkal, Erenköy and Caddebostan neighborhoods.

I recommend you to get to Bostancı and then walk back towards Kadıköy – in the direction of the traffic flow. You will easily spend a full day in the Bağdat Caddesi.

Forum Istanbul

Picture of Forum Istanbul Shopping Center in Turkey.
Forum Istanbul. © Forum Istanbul
Whatever you may need, you can almost bet on it that you can find it in Forum Istanbul. The shopping center made its debut in 2009 and is built on an enormous area of 495.000 sq meters. About 8.000 sq meters of it is occupied by Turkey’s first gigantic aquarium Turkuazoo and the first ice museum, Magic Ice.

The rest is shared among big stores like IKEA, the sports store Decathlon, Praktiker, several technology stores, 62 domestic and international clothing and shoe stores, 15 cafes, 34 restaurants and 10 movie halls.

Address: Kocatepe Mahallesi,Paşa Caddesi, Bayrampasa – Istanbul
http://www.forumistanbul.com.tr

Galleria

Picture of Galleria Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Galleria. © Galleria
You have just left the airport upon arrival and there is an emergency. You need to do some shopping! Tell your taxi driver to take the seaside road because the place to be is Galleria, the very first shopping center in Istanbul.

In the 80’s Turkey faced a lot of social changes. The mastermind was the innovative Prime Minister Turgut Özal who recommended building such a shopping center since he was inspired by the shopping mall Houston Galleria in Houston, Texas, USA. Located on the seaside of the Ataköy suburb, Galleria was built on a covered area of 77.000 sq meters.

It has several elite stores, restaurants, movie halls, a bowling hall and an ice skating rink. Galleria was recognized as the world’s most outstanding mall in 1990 by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) for sophisticated blueprint design, rapid construction, and unique structural features.

Address: Bakırköy Ataköy arası sahilyolu, Istanbul
http://www.galleria-atakoy.com.tr/

Metrocity

Picture of Metrocity Shopping Center in Istanbul, Turkey.
Metrocity. © Metrocity
A four-storey shopping center housing 140 stores located in the finance district of Levent. Teflon coated fiberglass fabric was used for the roof construction, which brightens up the shopping pleasure.

Metrocity is directly connected to the M2 metro line.

Address: Büyükdere Cad. No:171 1. Levent
http://www.metrocity.com.tr/

Bonus: Zorlu Center

Picture of Zorlu Shopping Mall in Istanbul, Turkey.
Zorlu Shopping Mall. © Zorlu Center
Zorlu is the newest addition to Istanbul’s shopping mall scene. It is built on 105.000 m² of land, including a 10.000 m² main court. There is also a second court of 12.000 m², and a leasable area of 70.000 m², home to about 180 stores.

Zorlu Shopping Mall put the focus on gourmet, with shops and restaurants such as Eataly, Jamie Oliver’s Italian, Tom’s Kitchen and Morini, as well as local restaurants such as Köşebaşı, Günaydın, Far East and Welldone.

Address: Zorlu Center, Beşiktaş – Istanbul
www.zorlucenter.com

In order to make the most use of the valuable land, most of the recently built shopping centers are combined with at least two towers for residencial and/or office purposes. Therefore, most of them have this majestic look.

Further Recommended Reading

LIFESTYLE IN TURKEY

LIFESTYLE IN TURKEY
LIFESTYLE IN TURKEY

Turkish lifestyle is a vivid mosaic, juxtaposing the West and the East, the modern and the ancient. Also life in Turkey is a rich variety of cultures and traditions, some dating back centuries and others or more recent heritage. Any visitor to Turkey will find a great deal that is exotic, and much that is reassuringly familiar. The surprising blend of East and West makes up the Turkish lifestyle.

  • Turkish Hospitality
  • Religion in Turkey
  • Turkish Language
  • Modern and Traditional Clothing in Turkey

ALL ABOUT TURKEY

About Turkey | Turkey Map
About Turkey | Turkey Map

Turkey is a modern country with a captivating blend of antiquity and contemporary and of East and West. Get interesting information about Turkey and read up on our history, culture and art, nature and geography, traditional culinary culture, real Turkish lifestyle and more. All you need to know about Turkey and beyond.

  • Turkish Lifestyle
  • Turkish Culinary Culture
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  • Culture and Art in Turkey
  • History of Turkey

TURKEY, DISCOVER THE POTENTIAL

Come to Turkey, the other half of your soul is here. Turkey, discover the potential.

MORE ABOUT TURKEY

Learn all about what the weather is like, useful Turkish words and phrases, general information and statistics.

  • Seasons, Weather and Climate in Turkey
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Flying & Ballooning

Cappadocia Balloon Ride
Cappadocia Balloon Ride

Plane gliding, hang gliding, parachuting, paragliding and single engine flights are catered for as well as services that provide instruction courses. Best areas are Fethiye, Eskisehir, Pamukkale, Ephesus and Istanbul.

Hot Air Balloon rides can be taken daily over Cappadocia near Nevsehir province. Each flight is a fantastic experience as you float intimately amongst the fairy chimneys and soar over the magnificent Cappadocian landscape. They usually carry between 6 and 24 passengers and depart very early in the morning to catch the sunrise and gentle winds, lasting for about 1-1.5 hours. Lately, there are also balloon rides organized in Pamukkale.

Fishing

Bosphorus Fishing Istanbul
Bosphorus Fishing Istanbul

Fishing can be done without a license in non-prohibited and non-military areas as long as you’re an amateur, using amateur and non-commercial equipment, multi-hooked lines, and fishing nets not weighing more than 5 kilograms. Commercial fishing by foreigners might result in heavy penalties. Latest details concerning fishing zones, the minimum sizes of fish that can be caught, and the numbers of fish that can be caught per person, can be obtained from the Department of Fisheries at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Especially Aegean and Mediterranean seas are rich fishing areas.

Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding
Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding or Kitesurfing is one of the latest popular water sports in the world, as well as in Turkey. In the past 10 years many kiteboarding centers are opened along the Turkish coastline, frequented by the locals and foreigners during the summer months.

There are several good kiteboarding locations and kiteboard schools in Turkey where it’s possible to practice this sport for about six months during the summer, such as in Akyaka at Gokova Gulf near Marmaris, Pirlanta beach and Alacati in Cesme, Icmeler – Urla near Izmir, and Burc beach in Istanbul. Gokova has constant smooth winds and regular small waves for kiteboarders and has a long beach for them. Pirlanta beach has some strong winds as it’s open to the Aegean Sea thus usually experienced kiteboarders choose this spot. Alacati has gentle winds and shallow waters therefore it’s good for beginners. Also Urla has shallow waters and gentle wind so it’s good for the starters. The Burc beach is located in Kilyos on the Black Sea coast of Istanbul and has some strong winds and high waves towards a long beach, it’s a good location for pro’s. Generally speaking, in most of these kiteboard locations you get a gentle meltemi wind in the morning hours, getting stronger constantly with the flux of the air in the afternoon going up to an average of 4-5 Beaufort, and in some days can go up to 5-7 Beaufort and continue blowing day and night. During the strong windy days or off-season, pro’s can practice some freestyle and wave riding especially in Cesme peninsula and in Kilyos.

Rafting & Canoeing

Rafting & Canoeing
Rafting & Canoeing

Rafting & Canoeing

Turkey’s rivers provide perfect conditions for canoeing and rafting, for both beginners and experienced, because of their length, depth and water regime. Some of the best rivers for rafting are: Coruh, Barhal, Berta, Firtina, Colak, Koprucay, Manavgat, Dragon, Goksu (Silifke), Zamanti, Goksu (Feke), Kizilirmak and Dalaman Cayi. Especially Coruh river (grade 5 and 4) is rated as one of the Top 10 white water rafting places in the world. 4th World Water sports Championships was held here in 1993 with approximately 300 competitors from 28 countries. Kayaking is also getting popular in some of the rivers.

Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving
Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving

Mediterranean and Aegean coasts are the best places to dive. It is also possible to dive to shipwrecks from World War I (with special permission of local authorities) in Gallipoli, Canakkale. Diving for purposes of sport, with proper equipment and in non-restricted areas, is permitted. Foreign divers should have official documentation of their qualification, training and must be accompanied, when diving, by a licensed Turkish guide. The limit for diving with diving gear is 30 meters. For educational purposes, this limit is extended to 42 meters. Dives exceeding 30 meters must be done with proper diving and medical equipment. In order to protect Turkish archaeological and cultural treasures, it is strictly forbidden to transport or export Turkish antiquities or natural specimens. Detailed information can be obtained from any Turkish Tourist Information Office.

Scuba Diving
Scuba Diving

As an achievement, a young Turkish woman Yasemin Dalkilic broke several world records in Free diving category by diving with an unsupported fixed weight at a depth of 46,05 meters in 1:51 minutes in 2001, with a limited variable weight at a depth of 105 meters in 2:38 minutes in 2001, and with an unlimited variable weight at a depth of 120 meters in 2000.

Seyhan Dam

Seyhan Dam

The Seyhan Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Seyhan River north of Adana, Turkey

The dam was built in the 1950s as the first in a series of hydroelectric projects funded by the World Bank. The construction project was authorized by Prime Minister Adnan Menderes. The project manager was Süleyman Demirel. Later prime minister and 9th president of Turkey.

Travel Insider

Weather in Turkey

Istanbul
broken clouds
16.4 ° C
19.1 °
16.2 °
58 %
1kmh
75 %
Thu
16 °
Fri
19 °
Sat
20 °
Sun
20 °
Mon
20 °
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