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Historic tram on Istanbul’s İstiklal Avenue back in operation

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

The historic tram connecting Istanbul’s Tünel Square and Taksim Square was reopened on Dec. 30 after a year of renovations on İstiklal Avenue.

Rides on the tram will be free for one week, after which a ride will cost 2.6 Turkish Liras for a full fare and 1.25 liras for a discounted fare. The line, which spans the length of İstiklal Avenue, is 1.64 kilometers.

The reopening ceremony on Dec. 30 was attended by Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin Istanbul Mayor Mevlüt Uysal, and Beyoğlu District Mayor Misbah Demircan. Speaking at the ceremony, Uysal said the renewal of İstiklal Avenue – which has caused consternation on the historic thoroughfare for over a year – mean it will “hopefully” not have any problems in terms infrastructure for the next 20 to 30 years.

“Our shopkeeper friends here have had problems [due to the renovations]. But hopefully no problem will be experienced for the next 20 to 30 years,” he said.

“[Renewal of] Taksim Square started in 2015 and it is now almost over … The Atatürk Culture Center will also meet its new building, as the former building will be soon demolished,” Uysal added.

 Şahin also spoke at the ceremony, praising the thoroughness of the renewal work.

 "Perhaps our citizens and shopkeepers experienced troubles. But hopefully [thanks to the renovations] this will be worth the inconvenience they have gone through,” he said.

Following the ceremony, Şahin and Uysal got into the historic tram at the Tünel Square for a trip up İstiklal Avenue to Taksim Square.

The historic tram is the only vehicle permitted on İstiklal Avenue during regular hours besides official (police, state and municipal) vehicles.

The nostalgic tram operates with three mortises and two wagons, making 14,600 trips per year amounting to 23,944 kilometers. The tram carries an average of 6,000 passengers per day and has become one of the most recognizable symbols of Istanbul.

How to Get an Istanbul Kart

Istanbul Kart (Istanbul Card) is in essence an all-round public transportation boarding pass. To immediately answer the question raised in the title: yes it is worth getting one if you plan to use (the advantages of) public transportation multiple times during your stay in Istanbul. So, unless you prefer to do everything on foot or take a taxi to get around, please do continue reading to find out where to get it, how to use it, and the advantages it has.
What is Istanbul Kart?
The card was introduced in 2009. It’s a contact less or RFID (Radio-frequency identification) card for public transportation fare payment. It has the exact same size as a regular credit card, so it fits perfectly in your wallet. The card is pre-paid and easily rechargeable.

The Advantages of Istanbul Kart
There are quite a few advantages to getting an Istanbul Kart as opposed to buying tokens or ticket every time you’re going to use public transportation.
 

1. Multi-Purpose — This single card enables you to pay for multiple types of transportation: buses, metros, ferries, funiculars, and tramways (yes, even the nostalgic one running on Istiklal Caddesi). Moreover, most of these transportation types no longer accept cash payments, so you’ll have to buy some kind of token or ticket before boarding anyway.
 

2. Pre-Paid — Istanbul Kart is a prepaid and rechargeable card. This means that you don’t have to stand in line (and maybe miss the bus or tram) to get a valid boarding pass every time you plan to make use of public transportation. And uploading more credits can be done at designated machines, most of the times without a queue in front of you.

3. Ease of Use — It is not necessary to bring the Istanbul Kart in contact with the reader. You can pay for your fare by ‘waving’ the smart card within 8 cm (3.1 in) of the reader. In most cases you don’t even have to take it out of your wallet, purse or light hand bag. Upon making a successful payment, the reader will make a sound and the screen will light up showing the amount left on the card. In case of insufficient funds, the screen will read Kontör Yetersiz.
 

4. Multiple Travelers — There is no need to buy multiple cards since one Istanbul Kart can be used

for up to 5 passengers. After paying the fare for the first passenger, let him or her hop on or pass through the turnpike, wait a few seconds, and again wave the card in front of the reader.

5. Discounts — By using the card, you already benefit from a 10% discount over the normal fare. Instead of paying 5 TL per ride, you pay 2,6 TL. And there is more. You can make up until five transfers/connections within a two hour period, and you’ll pay less for every transfer, already only 2,4 TL for the first transfer.
 

Where to Get an Istanbul Kart
The easiest way to get the Istanbul Kart is at major transit stops such as the airport,Sultanahmet, and Eminönü. To buy an Istanbul Kart, you need to pay a non-refundable 10 TL fee (for the actual card and the service), and of course an amount of your choice to load onto the card.
How to Reload the Istanbul Kart
To reload the card, you can either go to newsstands and small shops (look for the phrase Akbil Dolum Noktası) which offer this service, use self-service special purpose machines at major transit stations. The machines accept notes of 5, 10, 20, and 50 TL and have instructions in multiple languages

Celebrating Christmas in Istanbul By Erlend Geerts

Celebrating Christmas in Istanbul 

The roots of Santa Claus lay in Turkey, to be precise in Patara near Myra. Already in the 4th century A.D.E. St Nicholas dropped bags of money down the chimneys to help people. But today, in a country with a 98% Muslim population, Christmas is a day like any other day. Yet, spending Christmas in Istanbul is not that odd an idea — here’s why.

5 Reasons Why Istanbul Is a Nice Christmas Destination

• Christmas Decoration — Starting mid-December, streets and stores are decorated in a similar fashion Western countries do for Christmas. You’ll find plenty of Christmas trees, (street) lights and even an occasional Santa Claus. Not that Turks celebrate the birth of Christ; they’re just gearing up for New Year celebrations. But the atmosphere leading up to that day is similar to what we’re used to for Christmas in the West.
• No Christmas Hype — You can enjoy the Christmas atmosphere without all the commercial elements. I personally don’t miss 30 repetitions a day of Jingle Bells or White Christmas, just to name a few. There simply aren’t any special celebrations, except for masses held at some churches (see below).
• Lesser Sightseeing Queues — In Istanbul, December 25th is business as usual. In other words, Istanbul spends the festive season in much the same way as it always does: bustling and at your service. Not only are all the historic sights open, on top of it they are fairly quiet with pretty short queues — a blessing.

• Christmas Masses — If you wish to attend a special Christmas mass, that’s no problem. Just go to Anthony of Padua, the largest Catholic church in Istanbul. It’s located on Istiklal Caddesi, on your left as you walk from Taksim towards Tünel. On foot it will take about 20-25 minutes. To be on the safe side, please check out mass hours at least a day beforehand.
• It’s Only a Week from New Year — Istanbul’s New Year celebrations are famous. On New Year’s Eve Istanbul is at full swing with restaurants, cafes, bars and night clubs fully booked. And if you prefer to celebrate outdoors, head for Nişantası‘s giant street party. So why not combine both year-end festivities while you’re here?

Why an Istanbul Christmas May Not Be Your Cup of Tea

• Not Really Low Season — Istanbul’s winter is not the most attractive travel weather for the average tourist. Yet, the last week of the year hotel prices tend to rise a bit. Be on the lookout for early booking discounts.
• It’s Winter Time — If you don’t like the summer heat, the festive season is a great alternative. But Istanbul winters can be wet and cold. To make sure you’ll have a fantastic time, pack something waterproof and wear lots of layers.

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