Meeting halls
The meetings will take place at a hall which will be announced closer to the date of the meetings on the South Campus (Güney Kampüsü) of Boğaziçi University (click here for its location on Google Maps).
(The building will be indicated on our campus map).
Visa
It is now possible to get e-visa to enter Turkey at https://www.evisa.gov.tr/. It is in fact more economical to get an e-visa than getting it at the port of entry.
Citizens of many countries don't need a visa, but others can get it as e-visa. Please make sure that you check with your local authorities if you need a visa to enter Turkey. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides information here.
Travel to and from Istanbul
Istanbul is served by two airports, one on the European side (Atatürk Airport – abbreviated as IST), one on the Asian side (Sabiha Gökçen Airport – abbreviated as SAW). The one on the European side is closer to "central" Istanbul, but most low cost carriers fly into the one on the Asian side.
More information about the airports can be found here:
Atatürk Airport (Europe)
/ Sabiha Gökçen Airport (Asia)
- Turkish Airports have security controls also at the entrances, so once you leave the airport, you need to go through security to get back in again in case you want to re-enter the terminal building for some reason.
Travel to and from the airports
It is now possible to get to the city (and all the way to Bogazici University) by subway straight from the airport. Once you take the subway line from the airport, you get off at the last stop, which is called Yenikapi. There you need to transfer to the line Yenikapi-Haci Osman, which will take to most of the stops in the heart of the city. The subway trip from Ataturk Airport to Taksim, for example, takes about 45-40 minutes, bypassing all the traffic jams Istanbul is famous for.
If you have reserved a room at the guesthouse of the University, you need to make another transfer at Levent to the line Levent-Bogazici University/Hisarustu.
One has to pay at each transfer. It is therefore advisable that you get an Istanbul Card at Ataturk Airport just before you take the subway. Istanbul Card will not only be your transport card which you can reload if need be but will also make you eligible for some discounts at museums, etc.
- Another way to get to town is the bus service offered by the company Havataş: Buses run every half hour between Atatürk Airport and Taksim Area (price: 11 TL) as well as Sabiha Gökçen Airport and Taksim Area (price: 12 TL). The Havataş buses leave right in front of the airports and have their terminus close to Taksim Square, which is the major transport hub on the European side of Istanbul.
Travel from Taksim to Boğaziçi University
İstanbul has an efficient public transportation system.
- The metro line to Boğaziçi University is now finished. The map of the rail system of Istanbul is available at this page.
- If you prefer to take a bus, getting from Taksim Square to Boğaziçi University involves a bus ride on the bus 559C, which runs in 10 minute intervals. It leaves roughly opposite of the Marmara Hotel, the highest building on Taksim Square. If you have arrived at Taksim Square by a Havataş bus and want to go to Boğaziçi right away, you don't have to walk far: the stop of the 559C is right next to the stop of the Havataş bus, you just have to walk down some steps. Taksim Square is the starting point of the 559C.
- The bus ride from Taksim Square to Boğaziçi University takes between 40 and 60 minutes (depending on traffic), and the stop is "Boğaziçi Üniversitesi". The last three stops before "Boğaziçi Üniversitesi" are "Basın Sitesi", "Cengiz Topel", "Nispetiye" (and then "Boğaziçi Üniversitesi"). Many, but not all, buses announce the stops.
- There are also buses between other parts of the city and Boğaziçi University. It is also possible to make connections between the bus lines as well as between the bus routes and the subway system.
City travel tips
- Buses may only be entered through the front door.
- Bus tickets are not sold by the drivers. Tickets need to be procured before one gets on the bus.
- It is advisable to get Istanbul Card. At the airport, at Taksim Square or in many other places there are shops/kiosks that have a sign "Istanbul Kart".
- Taxis are yellow, have a sign "Taksi" and are generally easy to find. There is a basic fee, and the price increases by distance (not time). This is the same at any time of the day and independent of the number of passengers. Taxi drivers are not tipped, but they will round up the price to the next full Lira
Weather
The weather should be hot and humid at the time of the conference. Usually no rain is expected in July and August, although the global climate change has also been affecting the Istanbul weather, causing precipitation in the summers as well.
Tourist attractions
Where to begin? Among the most commonly visited sites are the Topkapı Palace, Ayasofya, the Blue Mosque, the Underground Cisterns and of course the Covered Bazaar. One might want to go to a hamam or take a boat ride on the Bosphorus on a free afternoon. Or just a stroll. For more details on what to do in Istanbul, you might want to take a look at www.istanbul.com , and the Wikipedia entry of Istanbul and/or get a good travel guide.