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Dates
The meeting will be held between August 16-21, 2009 in Istanbul / Turkey Meeting and Exhibition Venue
The meeting and exhibition venue is Harbiye Military Museum & Cultural Center.
Address: Military Museum & Cultural Center, Harbiye, Istanbul /Turkey Language
Official language of the meeting is English. Turkish is the official language in Turkey and written in Latin alphabet. English, German, French, Italian and Spanish are spoken in most of the 5star hotels, Covered Bazaar, fine touristic restaurants and touristic areas. Time Zone
Time is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2) in Turkey. Climate
Due to Turkey’s geographical location, all four winters are lived all around Turkey. The Mediterranean and Aegean coasts have mild winters and hot summers whereas the Black Sea coats have a wetter climate with rain all year round. The region of Marmara where Istanbul is located, climate is a combination of both with pleasantly warm spring and fall, with hot dry summer and relatively cold winter. Weather
The weather at this time of the year in Istanbul is sunny in the day time and warm in the evening. The average air temperature, in August, in Istanbul is 28°C / 82°F during day time and 19°C / 66°F in the evenings. Currency
The currency unit is the Turkish Lira (TL). Turkish Lira is convertible with all foreign currencies. You may exchange your money at the airport, hotels, banks and exchange bureaus at the daily announced current exchange rates. You may have the chance to pay in Euro or USD at the hotels, touristic restaurants, Covered Bazaar, most of the shopping malls and other touristic areas. Traveller’s checks can be cashed in banks and hotels. Credit Cards
Major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa and American Express) are widely used in almost all the hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and every kind of stores. Electricity
The electric current in Turkey is 220V AC. Most of the hotels, have 110V converters in the rooms available for guest use. You may have the chance to find and buy different types of current and plug converters at the airport and in the electronic stores. Calling to and from Turkey
The international dialing code for Turkey is 90, and the code for Istanbul city is 212.
National calls: 0 + city code + telephone number. International calls: 00 + country code + city code + telephone number. Pay phones (operating with tokens, pre-paid cards and credit cards) are available all around the city as well as at the airport, meeting venue, hotels, ports, major bus stops and touristic areas. Pre-paid phone cards and tokens are widely available in nearby shops. Mobile phones are widely used in Turkey. There are three operators; Turkcell, Avea and Vodafone. You may have the chance to use your own mobile phone and number all around Turkey. There are also companies renting mobile phones and local numbers. Cuisine
It is said that three major kinds of cuisine exist in the world; Turkish, Chinese, and French. Fully justifying its reputation, Turkish Cuisine is always a pleasant surprise for the visitor. In addition to being the refined product of centuries of experience, Turkish Cuisine has a very pure quality. The variety and simplicity of the recipes and the quality of the ingredients are guarantees of delicious meals. The hotel restaurants and numerous number of restaurants also serve international cuisines. You may also find Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Japan, Indian, Arabic restaurants all around the city. Shopping
Shopping is one of the great pleasures of a trip to Turkey. World famous Kapalıcarsi (Covered Bazaar) from the 15th century and known as the first shopping mall in the world with 18 main gates and more than 4,000 shops is located in Istanbul. Today Istanbul houses more than 20 modern shopping malls with almost all the world famous brands of textile, shoes, electronics, etc. Alongside the most modern objects, traditional handicrafts from villages and provinces can be found. The most popular objects for visitors are carpets, leather and suede goods, and copper and bronze wares, silver, ceramics, handicrafts, embroidery, and the famous Turkish meerschaum and onyx. Entertainment and Night Life
From the ubiquitous sounds of live, traditional Turkish music and dancing in restaurants throughout the city to cultural and artistic events, international festivals, and glitzy clubs and bars on the Bosphorus, Istanbul is a city that knows how to entertain, and it knows how to party. There's so much to do, from theatres and exhibitions to museums, historic and architectural tours and cruises. If you're looking for a night out, you need no more plan than to take a walk down Istiklal Caddesi in Taksim, the throbbing heart of modern Istanbul, a street that is always vibrantly alive with music, shops, restaurants, bars, and crowds. From Istiklal, it's just a duck down a side street and into just about any anonymous doorway, which you'll soon find may turn out to be a jazz bar, a quiet tavern for traditional Turkish meze appetizers washed down with abundant quantities of the national drink, raki, or it may turn out to be a set of stairs leading you upstairs to a terrace with a fabulous view of the city and the storied hill-lined waterways that front it. Nightlife in Istanbul is a way of life, and few cities in the world have such a variety of world-class clubs and bars. Do not miss to take a trip to the Ortakoy district of the city, where any number of fantastic clubs directly on the shores of the night-lit Bosphorus blare music, serve drinks, and generally cater to the elated masses until the wee hours of the morning, and beyond. Whether you're looking for family entertainment, educational events, or just looking for a night out that would make Dionysus proud, Istanbul's got it all, from the water-front clubs with internationally - recognized DJs to five-star dining and even sushi on the Bosphorus. Public Transportation in Istanbul Bus : Public bus transportation has a wide web of services across the city. The fare is around 1.-Euro. You have to buy tickets before boarding on a bus.
Taxi : Taxis are available 24 hours and 7 days all around the city. Taxis operate by the meter and start with an opening charge of around 1.-Euro. 50% surcharge is applied in late night between 24:00 and 06:00 hours. Boat: Ferry boats, small boats, fast catamarans and sea taxis operate between the two shores of Istanbul - between Europe and Asia. Tramway and Light Metro : Modern tramways and light metro operate in the European suburbs of Istanbul the airport and Aksaray, mainly in the old city. Metro : An underground metro system is available between Taksim Square and 4th Levent. Tipping
In some of the hotels and restaurants 10% tip is added to the bill. Generally there is no obligation but is customary to add 10% in taxis and restaurants if you are satisfied with the service. Insurance
The registration or accommodation fees do not include any kind of insurance. The meeting organizers can not accept liability for personal injuries sustained or for loss of or damage to property belonging to the meeting participants (or their accompanying persons) either during or as a result of the meeting. All participants are invited to arrange for their own insurance. Health and accident insurance or travel insurance is recommended and has to be purchased in your country of origin. Health Care
In all cities in Turkey, there are public hospitals, university hospitals and private hospitals as well as public and private medical clinics. Emergency clinics of the hospitals operate 24 hours and 7 days. In most of the hospitals major health insurances are accepted. Letter of Invitation
A letter of invitation will be sent to any individual requesting; after completion of registration and acceptance of application by the Organizing Committee. Visa
All participants are required a valid passport to enter Turkey. Participants of a country which requires a visa for entry to Turkey are strongly advised to make their- application in their home country (Turkish Embassy or Consulate) at least one month before the intended date of travel.
The most updated visa information can be received from the website of The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For further information please contact the nearest Turkish Embassy or Consulate to check the visa regulations. How to get to Istanbul By Air : THY (Turkish Airlines) is the national carrier. It takes less than a three-hour flight and there are direct flights of several airline companies from and to every European capital and most of the European cities as well as Asia, Africa, USA and the Middle East. Located at the crossroads of East and West, Istanbul offers easy air connections to hundreds of cities around the world. Istanbul Ataturk International Airport is modern and designed with passenger ease in mind from the 64 passport control checkpoints so that customs lines stay short and hassle-free, to the state-of-the-art security system that consistently receives top ratings from America's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Ataturk International Airport is 20 km from city centre. In addition to Ataturk International, Istanbul has a second airport located on the Asian side of the city, Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, which is an important arrival point especially for charter and cargo flights and special events. Located 40 km from Kadikoy-the main business district of Asian Istanbul, 50 km from Taksim. Sabiha Gokcen is an ideal alternative to Ataturk International with economic air fares. Atatürk International Airport Sabiha Gökçen International Airport By Road : Not surprisingly, Istanbul is well connected to every part of Turkey. Buses are frequent and plentiful, and the main coach station (otogar) is at Esenler, on the European side. There are countless private bus companies, all of whom have a ticket office at the station and the larger ones have offices dotted around town, especially in areas like Taksim, Sultanahmed and Besiktas. Prices vary slightly regarding quality of the vehicle. There are also departures from Harem, on the Asian side. For journeys further a field, there are buses to and from Greece, Macedonia, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Russia, Georgia, Romania, Bulgaria and Jordan. By Rail : Not as popular a mode of transport as buses, with a much smaller network, there are rail connections from Istanbul to Ankara, Izmir and Eastern Anatolian cities. Most of the services are slower than buses, although between the three main cities, there are the mavi tren, mototren or ekspress, which are faster and more comfortable. Reservations are essential for these journeys, and there are several classes of seats and sleepers. International services from Sirkeci (on the European side) and Haydarpasa (Asian side) stations include Vienna, Munich, Budapest, Salonica, (via Eskisehir, Konya, and Gaziantep), Aleppo, (via Tatvan and Van), Tehran, Moscow and Bucharest. Trains heading west leave from Sirkeci, and east from Haydarpasa station. By Sea : Istanbul is reachable via ship from Italy, Greece and other Mediterranean countries and is in addition a major port of call for cruise lines and chartered yachts. City Map Don't Leave Without - Seeing two of the master pieces of Turkish
- Islamic art of the world; Sultanahmet Mosque from the 16th century (The Blue Mosque) and the Süleymaniye Mosque from the 17th century(Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent).
- Visiting Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia) the Roman church of Divine Wisdom from the 6th century.
- Visiting the Chora Museum (Chora Church) the Roman church famous with religious mosaics.
- Visiting the Topkapı Palace, the first palace of the Ottomans from the 15th century and the Dolmabahçe Palace, the last palace of the Ottomans from the 19th century.
- Visiting Istanbul Archeological Museum and seeing the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great.
- Making a Bosphorus cruise- Watching Istanbul panorama from Galata Tower and Pierre Loti,
- Visiting Ortaköy bazaar,
- Having a tour via phaeton in Büyükada,
- Eating fish in Bosphorus.
- Buying carpet, jewelry, leather clothes in Kapalicarsi, and Turkish delight, baklava, pastırma and deserts in Spice Market (Egyptian Bazaar).
- Shopping in Beyoglu and visiting shopping malls.
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