What cultural etiquette should I know for Istanbul?

Istanbul's mosques are active places of worship, not museums with turnstiles. The single biggest mistake first-timers make at the Sultanahmet Camii or Süleymaniye is walking in with shoes on. You'll see plastic bags and shoe racks at every entrance — use them. The marble floors inside feel cool and smooth underfoot, and the thick carpets in the prayer hall carry a faint scent of rosewater and wool. Prayers happen five times daily; the call to prayer rings out across the city from loudspeakers on every minaret, a sound that fills the gaps between car horns and ferry whistles. You don't need to stop walking or stand still, but turning down your music and lowering your voice during the ezan is baseline respect. During Friday noon prayers, major mosques close to tourists for about 90 minutes — plan around this if Süleymaniye is on your morning list.

Turkish hospitality runs on çay — those small tulip-shaped glasses of black tea you'll see on every shop counter, office desk, and carpet seller's table in the Grand Bazaar. If someone offers you tea, accept it. Declining is read as cold, even rude. You don't have to buy the carpet; you do have to drink the tea. The glass will be scalding hot — hold it by the rim, not the belly. Sugar cubes sit in a small bowl beside it; milk never appears. This tea ritual is how Istanbullus build trust before any transaction, and it extends to negotiation at the Bazaar. The merchant expects you to haggle — paying the first price asked is seen as either naive or insulting. Start at about 40-50% of the quoted number and work up from there. If you're not interested, a firm 'teşekkürler, bakmıyorum' (thanks, I'm not looking) is direct enough without being rude.

'Merhaba' works everywhere and with everyone — shopkeepers in Eminönü, taxi drivers on the Asian side, the waiter at your Karaköy breakfast spot. For warmth, add 'nasılsınız?' (how are you?). Men shake hands; between close friends of the same gender, expect a light cheek-to-cheek touch on both sides. Handshakes here tend to be softer than what North Americans are used to — match the pressure you receive rather than gripping hard. Eye contact matters during greetings, but sustained staring at strangers on the tram or Kadıköy ferry reads as aggressive. The left hand is traditionally the unclean hand; pass money, food, or gifts with your right hand or both hands together. Pointing your index finger at people is rude — Turks gesture with an open palm or a nod of the chin instead.

Tipping in Istanbul sits somewhere between the American expectation and the European shrug. At sit-down restaurants in Beyoğlu or Karaköy, 5-10% is the norm — some upscale places add a servis ücreti (service charge), so check the bill before doubling up. For the waiter who carried four plates of meze up the narrow stairs at a Nevizade meyhane, warm fish smell trailing behind him, 10% is right. Cab drivers: round up to the nearest 5 or 10 lira. Hotel porters: 20-30 TRY per bag. Hamam attendants at a traditional bath like Çemberlitaş or Kılıç Ali Paşa: 50-100 TRY on top of the entrance fee, handed directly to the attendant who scrubbed you down. At a simit cart or döner window, nobody tips. Mind you, these numbers shift with inflation — the lira has been losing ground steadily, so what felt generous six months ago might feel stingy now.