☀️ Solar Information
Daylight: 14h 12m
Sunrise06:12
Sunset20:24
Solar Noon13:18
Day Length14h 12m
Golden Hour19:42 - 20:24
Blue Hour20:24 - 20:54
UV Index5 Moderate
Solar Elevation45.2°
Solar Azimuth182.1°
See how Istanbul time compares to major world cities — updated every second.
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Precise astronomical data for Istanbul's latitude 41.01° N, longitude 28.95° E
Daylight: 14h 12m
Real-time weather conditions and forecast for Istanbul, Turkey.
Real-time countdowns to Turkey's most anticipated events — ticking every second.
Current time across major world cities.
Find the best overlapping business hours between Istanbul and another city.
Convert Istanbul time to any timezone instantly.
All cities share the same timezone: TRT (UTC+3).
Turkey uses Turkey Time (TRT), which is UTC+3 year-round. Since 2016, Turkey no longer observes daylight saving time, making it simple for travelers and businesses to coordinate. The entire country follows one unified timezone, from Istanbul on the Bosphorus to the eastern borders.
Most businesses in Istanbul operate from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM TRT, Monday through Friday. Banks typically open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Shopping malls open 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily. The Grand Bazaar opens 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Saturday.
For business calls, reach Istanbul between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM TRT. From New York (EST), call between 1:00 AM and 10:00 AM. From London, call between 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM. For personal calls, evenings (6 PM – 10 PM TRT) work well.
Hagia Sophia is open daily. The best time to visit is early morning (8:30 AM) or late afternoon (4:00 PM) to avoid crowds. During prayer times, the mosque is closed to tourists for approximately 90 minutes. Friday prayer closure is from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM.
The Grand Bazaar operates from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. It's closed on Sundays and public holidays. For the best experience and bargaining opportunities, visit between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM before peak tourist hours.
Bosphorus sunset cruises are Istanbul's most magical experience. In summer, sunset is around 8:15–8:30 PM; in winter around 5:00–5:30 PM. Book evening cruises departing 1.5 hours before sunset for golden hour photography of the iconic skyline.
Istanbul's nightlife scene starts late. Bars and clubs in Beyoğlu and Karaköy fill up after 11:00 PM and stay open until 4:00–5:00 AM. Rooftop bars along the Bosphorus are best visited at sunset. Weekend nights (Thursday–Saturday) are the liveliest.
Istanbul is 3 hours ahead of London, 8 hours ahead of New York. Arrive prepared with the local time already set. Public transport runs from 6:00 AM to midnight. Taxis are available 24/7. The city is busiest during June–September tourism season.
Prayer times in Istanbul vary by season. Fajr ranges from 3:45 AM (summer) to 6:30 AM (winter). The call to prayer (ezan) is broadcast from mosques five times daily. Many businesses briefly pause during Friday noon prayer (Cuma namazı) around 1:00 PM.
Besides the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul's Spice Market (Mısır Çarşısı) opens 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM daily. Local neighborhood markets (pazar) operate one day per week in different districts, typically from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, offering fresh produce, textiles, and crafts.
Turkey (UTC+3) aligns perfectly with Moscow, Riyadh, and Nairobi. It's 3 hours ahead of London, 8 ahead of New York, 1 behind Dubai, and 6 behind Tokyo. This central position makes Turkey ideal for international business bridging Europe, Middle East, and Asia.
The Bosphorus strait transforms throughout the day. Early morning (6–8 AM) offers misty, peaceful waters. Midday brings busy ferry traffic. Sunset (golden hour) paints the Asian and European shores in warm hues. At night, illuminated palaces and bridges create a magical cityscape.
Key moments in Istanbul's rich history.
Everything you need to know about time in Istanbul and Turkey.
Istanbul is in Turkey Time (TRT), which is UTC+3. This timezone is used year-round across all of Turkey since 2016 when the country permanently abandoned daylight saving time.
No. Since September 2016, Turkey permanently observes UTC+3 (TRT) and does not switch clocks for daylight saving. This simplifies time management for businesses and travelers.
Turkey is 3 hours ahead of London during GMT (winter). During British Summer Time (BST), the difference reduces to 2 hours since the UK moves to GMT+1 while Turkey stays at UTC+3.
Ankara is in the same timezone as Istanbul — TRT (UTC+3). All cities across Turkey share exactly the same local time, so Ankara's time is always identical to Istanbul's.
Yes! Turkey uses a single timezone (TRT, UTC+3) for the entire country. Antalya, Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and all other Turkish cities share the same exact time.
For business calls, the best time is 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM TRT. For personal calls, evenings between 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM TRT work well. Convert to your local time using the converter tool above.
This depends on the season. In summer (June), sunset is around 8:30 PM TRT, giving long evenings. In winter (December), sunset occurs around 5:00 PM. Check our live sunset countdown in the astronomy section above.
Turkey's international calling code is +90. For Istanbul specifically, the area code is 212 (European side) or 216 (Asian side). So a full Istanbul number looks like: +90 212 XXX XXXX.
Turkey uses UTC+3 permanently. This offset never changes throughout the year since Turkey does not observe daylight saving time. The timezone abbreviation is TRT (Turkey Time).
Despite spanning about 1,600 km east to west, Turkey adopted a single UTC+3 timezone in 2016 to simplify nationwide commerce, transportation schedules, and daily life. Before 2016, Turkey used UTC+2 with DST.
Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents — Europe and Asia — connected by the iconic Bosphorus Bridge.