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Congress Date
April 13 - 17,2008
Congress Language
Official language of the congress is English.
Working Hours and Holidays
Banks are open weekdays from 8:30 AM until noon or 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM until 5.00 PM. However, there are some banks which continue to serve during lunch breaks. Museums are generally open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 AM until 5.00 PM or 5:30 PM and closed on Monday. Palaces are open the same hours but are closed on Thursday.Shops and bazaars are normally open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 1.00 PM and from 2.00 PM to 7.00 PM, and closed all day on Sunday. But most stores in shopping malls and crowded streets are open seven days a week, including lunch breaks. You can find restaurants or cafes open virtually at any time of the day or night.
PTT Services
Post offices are painted bright yellow and have PTT (Post, Telegraph, and Telephone) signs on the front. The central Post office is open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 9 PM, Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM.
Currency
The monetary unit is New Turkish Lira (YTL), which comes in bank notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.- YTL ( New Turkish Lira).
Smaller denominations come in coins of 5 kurus , 10 kurus, 25 kurus , 50 kurus and 1 YTL ( 1 YTL = 100 kuruş ). In Istanbul, traveler's checks are rarely accepted.
ATMs can be found everywhere. All major credit cards or bank cards (a strip of logos is usually displayed above the ATM) are widely accepted.
Almost all ATMs have a language key to enable you to read the instructions in English.
VAT
Value-added tax is nearly always included in quoted prices.
Certain shops are authorized to refund the tax (ask).
Electricity
The electrical current in Turkey is 220 volts, 50 cycles alternating current (AC); wall outlets take continental-type plugs, with two or three round prongs.
Safety & Security
The streets of Istanbul are considerably safer than their counterparts in the United States or Western Europe.
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