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Hotel Class: 
3.5 Stars - 9 Opinions
Buyuk Resit Pasa Caddesi.Ahmet Suayip Sokak No:12, Istanbul, 34480, Turkey
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of people enjoy staying here
9 Opinions
Meeting room - Baroque style - Topkapi Palace
Gate facing Süleymaniye Camii in snow - Jan 2010
The nearby street market
Hafiz Mustafa, 2009
Hi All,
Next month I will be flying out from New York to India via Istanbul aboard Turkish Airlines. I have a 9.5 hour transit layover in Istanbul's Ataturk Airport before flying out to India. Since this layover is during the day-time, I was planning on visiting the nearby Sultan Ahmet area in Istanbul for a couple of hours.
I am an Indian Citizen currently working in the USA on H1 working visa. In order to get my Turkey Tourist Visa for this 9.5 hour layover, I am planning to apply through VisaHQ website (http://turkey.visahq.com/requirements/India/resident-United_States/). In their application form they have a section to fill out the confirmed hotel reservation details but since I will not be spending the night in Turkey, I wasn't sure what to fill out in that section. I would really appreciate any help in this regard.
Also if there is alternative easier way to get Turkey visa, or if I am missing out anything regarding travelling during this layover, please do let me know.
Thank you.
I don't know about Turkey specifically, but when faced with similar situations in the past:
1. See if there is a "transit visa" available. They are available in some countries and are specifically designed for what you are trying to do.
2. Put down the airline / flight number you are connecting to where they ask about your hotel.
Thanks for your reply... Regarding transit visa for Turkey - If the connecting flight to the third country does not require an overnight stay in Turkey, then no visa is necessary. In other words, Turkey does not issue Airport Transit Visa (ATV). That is directly from the Turkisk Embassy website.
http://www.washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/ConsularServices.aspx?ID=6
Therefore I guess the only option for me would be to get the regular 30 day visitor visa. I like your suggestion regarding putting the connecting flight details in the Hotel Reservation section.
Any other thoughts?
Thanks!
Hi - VisaHQ is a visa service. You can apply online for a transit visa through the Turkish Consulate itself - http://www.e-konsolosluk.net/Visa/Visa_Status.aspx -
You should have enough time to see Sultan Ahmet and Hagia Sophia or stop in at the Grand Bazaar. Just make sure to leave enough time to get back to the airport and check-in.
Sorry just saw that overnight stay bit. You can still apply online for a tourist visa. Go to the site I suggested and back to homepage. You should have to fill out your arrival/departure date so if that's the same date, you should be able to just put your flight details in for hotel. If you have any questions, call the consulate. One of the few consulates we had no hassles with!!
Thanks! Would I need to appear for a visa interview at the Turkish consulate in Washington DC?
No interview. :-))
Go in through the Consulate's DC website if you are going to apply online. The one I gave was NY's and I don't know if it covers DC.
I would check your India state dept. page for Turkey. For US citizens, for instance, it is not necessary to engage a visa service, the Visa is purchased upon landing in Turkey - it was around $30, they place a cool looking sticker in your passport, and off you go.
Nomad - Indian citizens do not qualify for visa on arrival and must get a visa before going to/entering Turkey.
Thanks Donna & Nomad...
I just received a reply from the Turkey e-consulate NY mentioning that I could apply for the transit visa for my situation, and that I would need to put "Transit" in the Hotel Reservation details while applying in the Online application form on their website.
That's great news! Enjoy Istanbul!
< Indian citizens do not qualify for visa on arrival >
Too bad, it's quite convenient! This is why I always like to include "check with your country". Odd how different countries operate.
visit a mosque - look inside the Dolmabahce Mosque in my picture.The mosque is located at the shores of the Bosphorus, south of Dolmabahce Palace and isn't so full of tourists as more known ones.Its interior is rich in ornaments and decorations in the rococo style.
Istanbul is divided in two parts by a waterway. And there are two bridges that are connecting both sides. The first bridge is called the "Bosphorus Bridge" with a length of 1065m and the second "Fatih Sultan Mehmed Bridge" with a length of 1090 meter, it was the 6th longest bridge in the world when it was constructed..
The bridges easily reflects the power of steel.. The power that can connect two continents.. In modern Istanbul these two bridges are the main transit ways in the city, to connect the residential part of Istanbul (Asian side) to the commercial side of Istanbul (European side)..
I never did tip at resturants but then theydo include it in the service charge. Be nice and smile to people greet them by saying hello and thank you in Turkish and you will find Turkish people are very pleasant and hospitable and warm people.
As you can see from the pic the tall guy is Bora a VT member who lives in istanbul and the short (handsome) guy is me.
Built by Mehmet the Conqueror to aid his campaign against the Byzantine emperor, Rumeli Hisari still stands 450 plus years late on the western shore of the Bosphorus near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (or the Second Bridge as Istanbulis call it). The fort was built in a miraculous 4 months in 1452. It was strategically placed opposite the ruins of a fort on the eastern shore, Anadolu Hisari. By doing so, Mehmet could control Bosphorus traffic and prevent aid from reaching Constantinople. The strategy worked and Mehmet was soon able to conquer the city and the Byzantine Empire.
These days the fort is perodically used for outdoor concerts in its amphitheater and is a nice place to stroll through (after paying an entance fee) and get great views of the Bosphorus and the Asian side by hiking along the ramparts and walls. Be careful, however, as there aren't many guard rails that would prevent one from falling quite a few/several feet.
Take a bus from Besiktas and the bus will pass right by the fortress on Yahya Kemal Caddesi.
I have been a loyal customer or Timucin Balkan for several years now. Timucin was recommended to me by a good friend who used to live in Istanbul. She is still his client. I believe that the craftmanship of the jewelry made by Timucin is excellent and the price is fair. The gems are of hignest quality and cut and the gold comes in various shades from yellow gold to rose gold. They are also beautiful pieces that will stand the test of time. I never go to Istanbul without visiting his shop, sometimes just to say hello and share a cup of tea with Timucin. I always feel welcome there as if I were visiting an old friend. His people are highly professional and several laguages are spoken there as well as English and Turkish. Either 18 carat gold pieces with gem stones, pearls, vintage watches, something special for a spouse or a loved one, Timucin has it. It depends on the style of the jewelry, the stone and the weight of the gold. His prices are fair, I believe.
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