The 14th IFLA ILDS Conference, Istanbul, Turkey

WELCOME

IFLA International Interlending and Document Supply Conference will be held for the 14th time this autumn in Istanbul

The name of the conference series originates from 1988 when the first ILDS conference was held in London. It was organized by the IFLA Office for UAP (Universal Availability of Publications) and International Interlending. The office had home in British Library Document Supply Centre in Boston Spa. The first conference was a success with 230 delegates from 28 countries. This encouraged the IFLA Office for International ILL to go on, and the second conference was arranged in 1990, again in London. After that the conference started to circulate: the third conference was in Budapest, Hungary 1993. The following conferences were organised biannually in Calgary, Canada (1995), Aarhus, Denmark (1997), Pretoria, South Africa (1999) and Ljubljana, Slovenia (2001).

IFLA Office for UAP and International Interlending was dissolved in 2003. After that many of the functions including organising ILDS conferences were given to IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section. Conference series continued in Canberra, Australia (2003), Tallinn, Estonia (2005), Singapore (2007), Hannover, Germany (2009), Chicago (2011) and Beijing (2013). The section is responsible for the contents and programme of the conference and local organiser takes care of the venue and social programme.

The conferences have been documented first in IFLA’s own publications and lately in Interlending and Document Supply journal, which was originally published by British Library and now by Emerald.

ILDS conference series has long been much else than strictly about interlending and document supply. The themes have been more about resource sharing, copyrights, the impact of digitations to collection cooperation and solutions to make better cooperation e.g. with resource sharing consortia. Maybe more accurate name of the conference series would be IFLA International Conference on Resource Sharing.

The organizer is Anatolian University Libraries Consortium, ANKOS.

IFLA will offer grants for librarians in the region to participate in the Istanbul ILDS.

Welcome to this important international library event.

Pentti Vattulainen
Chair, IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section

Document Delivery and Resource Sharing website: http://www.ifla.org/docdel/

Dear Distinguished Colleagues,

14th Interlending & Document Supply Conference which is held every two years by IFLA Document Delivery and Interlending Standing Committee will take place in Istanbul on 1-3 October 2015. The ILDS conference which will have the theme “Resource Sharing at the Crossroads”, is one of the most important meetings in the field of source sharing and document supply in the world.

We are glad as Anatolian University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS), to host ILDS 2015 Istanbul conference which will gather hundreds of ILL librarians from different countries in the world. The conference participants will have a chance to; meet colleagues who work in this field, share knowledge, attend the rich conference program, and also get to know and experience the city of Istanbul which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and had been a capital to the deep-rooted civilizations throughout the history.

I deeply thank to IFLA DDRSSC members who made the decision for the conference to take place in Istanbul, and to the national and international organization committee members we worked with during the event preparation.

Hope to see you in Istanbul

Sami CUKADAR
ANKOS President

ABSTRACTS

Call for Papers: 14th Interlending and Document Supply Conference, October 2015

The IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section Standing Committee invites papers for the 14th Interlending & Document Supply Conference, to be held 1-3 October 2015 in Istanbul hosted by the Anatolian University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS). The Conference will be held at T.R. Prime Ministry Directorate General of State Archives, Directorate of Ottoman Archive.

The conference theme is “Resource Sharing at the Crossroads” and the following topics are of particular interest for papers:

Open access impact on document supply
New models of purchase on demand/patron driven acquisition
Opportunities and threats for ILL staff in a period of dramatic changes
Copyright and contract – an uneasy relationship
Article usage/journal usage – focusing on low use material
OCLC WorldShare ILL
The state of ILL today
Search engines and ILL
Country studies – particularly Turkey but also neighbouring countries
International resource sharing concerns, such as: delivery methods, payment options, interoperability of systems, computer standards
Challenges and solutions to sharing electronic resources such as e-books and e-journals
Open source systems and their role in resource sharing
New frontiers for library consortia or collaboration between individual libraries

Proposals

Proposals for papers should be sent to Pentti Vattulainen, ([email protected]) no later than 8 May 2015 and should include the following details:

Author(s) name, title, institution, and contact information
Brief biographical sketch
Title of paper
Abstract (100 to 250 words)

The IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Standing Committee (hereafter, the SC) has sole responsibility for the final conference programme. All accepted papers must be:

Presented at the conference in English by at least one of the authors
Original contributions, i.e., not previously published or under review for publication elsewhere
Peer-reviewed by the SC and published in the full conference proceedings and if accepted in Interlending and Document Supply journal

Deadlines

8 May 2015 – Proposals due to the Standing Committee
22 May 2015 – SC notifies authors whether proposal was accepted
15 September 2015 – Completed papers submitted by approved speakers
Please note that expenses of attending the conference, including travel, hotel, and conference registration fees will be the responsibility of the authors and at least one of the authors must attend the conference to present the paper.

MEETING PROGRAMME

Download Meeting Programme

PARTICIPANTS

#	Name	Surname	Institution	Country
1	Liia	Ader	Tallinn University Academic Library	Estonia
2	Shadab	Ahmad	Qatar National Library	Qatar
3	Tuba	Akbayturk	ANKOS, Koc University	Turkey
4	Abdullah	Alfudhili	The Saudi Fund for Development	Saudi Arabia
5	Fahd Abdulaziz	Alsubaihi	Saudi Fund for Development	Saudi Arabia
6	Eva Bye	Andersen	Technical Informationcenter of Denmark, DTU	Denmark
7	Oya	Arus	Sabancı University	Turkey
8	Canay	Ataoz	Eastern Mediterranean University	Cyprus
9	Peter	Bae	Princeton University	United States Of America
10	Jean-Louis	BARAGGIOLI	Centre technique du livre de l\’enseignement supérieur (CTLes)	France
11	Faten / Abdullah	Barayyan	ing Abdullah University for Science and Technology	Saudi Arabia
12	Bahadır	Barut	Sabancı University	Turkey
13	Athina	Basha	OSCE Presence in Albania (also memmber of Albanian Library Association)	Albania
14	Camelia	Boca	The Central University Library	Roumania
15	Ayhan	Bozkurt	Ozyegin University	Turkey
16	Burcu	Bulut	Ipek University	Turkey
17	Mertcan	Çeki	METU Northern Cyprus Campus	Cyprus
18	Sema	Çelikbaş	ANKOS, Istanbul Technical University	Turkey
19	Zeki	Çelikbaş	ANKOS, Istanbul Technical University	Turkey
20	Carla	Chalhoub	American University of Beirut	Lebanon
21	marco	chiandoni	University of Trieste	Italy
22	Ertuğrul	Çimen	ANKOS, MEF University Library	Turkey
23	Nicole	Clasen	ZBW	Germany
24	Beth	Clausen	Northwestern University in Qatar	Qatar
25	Brigitte	CLEMENT	INIST-CNRS	France
26	Peter Douglas	Collins	University of Pennsylvania	United States Of America
27	Jennifer	Corsi	OCLC	Netherlands
28	Sami	ÇUKADAR	ANKOS, Istanbul Bilgi University	Turkey
29	Cees-Jan (CJ preferred)	de Jong	University of Alberta Libraries	Canada
30	Filiz	E. Flores Mamondi	Bogazici University	Turkey
31	Liv	Ellingsen	Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NMBU Library	Norway
32	Cecilia	Ericson	National Library of Sweden	Sweden
33	Poul	Erlandsen	The Royal Library / CULIS	Denmark
34	Faruk Nafiz	Ertürk	The Grand National Assembly of Turkey	Turkey
35	Ibrahim	Farah	University of Balamand	Lebanon
36	Robyn	Fleming	The Metropolitan Museum of Art	United States Of America
37	Thanos	Giannakopoulos	INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGEY AGENCY LIBRARY	Austria
38	MARIA FAUSTA	GIASOLLI	ITALIAN ANTITRUST AUTHORITY	Italy
39	Elizabeth	Graham	Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar Library	Qatar
40	Anne Helena	Granberg	Library, Hanken School of Economics	Finland
41	Gizem	Gültekin Dr.Várkonyi	Monguz Kft.	Hungary
42	Henrik	Haagensen	State and University Library	Denmark
43	Deniz	Han	Koc University	Turkey
44	Laurent	Hédoin	Centre technique du livre de l\’enseignement supérieur (CTLes)	France
45	Mary	Hollerich	Augsburg College	United States Of America
46	Elise	Ingversen	Technical University of Denmark, DTU	Denmark
47	Pavlína	Kafkova	National library of the Czech Republic	Czech Republic
48	Kerem	Kahvecioglu	ANKOS, Istanbul Bilgi University	Turkey
49	Nikola	KAZANSKI	Central Library of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences	Bulgaria
50	Sofija	Konjevic	Rudjer Boskovic Institute Library	Croatia
51	Stephanie	Krueger	National Library of Technology	Czech Republic
52	Joe	Lenkart	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	United States Of America
53	Aimee	Lind	Getty Research Library	United States Of America
54	Ylva	Lindgren	Chalmers University of Technology, The Library	Sweden
55	qingcai	liu	National Library of China	China
56	Jens	Ludvigsen	Copenhagen University Library	Denmark
57	Katriina	Lukkarinen	Rovaniemi City Library	Finland
58	Maria	Lushchik (Luštšik)	University of Tartu Library	Estonia
59	Clare	MacKeigan	Relais International	Canada
60	Silvana	Mangiaracina	National Research Council	Italy
61	Yvonne	May	Utrecht University Library	Netherlands
62	Mike	McGrath	Editor ILDS	United Kingdom
63	Katia	Medawar	Qatar National Library – Qatar Foundation	Qatar
64	Perseus Rex	Molina	De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde	Philippines
65	Daniel	Moussa	subito.Documents from libraires	Germany
66	Ari	Muhonen	Jyväskylä University Library	Finland
67	Allan	Mulondo	Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Procedural Law	Luxembourg
68	Kurt	Munson	Northwestern University	United States Of America
69	Lorna	Newman	University of Cincinnati	United States Of America
70	Katia	Nohra	Lebanese American University	Lebanon
71	Memet	Özberk	Utrecht University, University Library	Netherlands
72	János	Pancza	Monguz Kft.	Hungary
73	Dorthe Buur	Pedersen	The State and University Library	Denmark
74	Thurid	Petersen	Copenhagen University Library	Denmark
75	Lynne	Porat	University of Haifa	Israel
76	Janette	Raubenheimer	University of South Africa	South Africa
77	Ms.Chandra.	S	Apollo Hospital .	India
78	Jarmo	Saarti	University of Eastern Finland Library	Finland
79	Renke	Saerens	University of Antwerp	Belgium
80	Robert A.	Seal	Loyola University	United States Of America
81	Sasha	Skenderija	National Library of Technology	Czech Republic
82	Brigitte	Springmann	Universitaetsbibliothek Basel, Switzerland	Switzerland
83	Kevin	Stewart	Relais International	Canada
84	Marina	Stojkovic	National library of Serbia	Sirbistan
85	AYHAN	TUGLU	Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University	Turkey
86	Özge	ÜLKÜ	Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakif University	Turkey
87	Eyüp	ULUGÖL	Bilecik Şeyh Edebali Üniversitesi	Turkey
88	Pentti	Vattulainen	National Repository Library	Finland
89	David Thomas	Winter	University of British Columbia Library	Canada
90	Maryam	Zakerhamidi	Tavanir Organization	Iran

ACCOMMODATION

Hotel Information Sheet
Registrants are required to book their own accommodations directly with the hotel, which are indicated in the hotel information. Please use e-mail, fax or internet booking for the reservation and indicate that you are attending the ILDS2015 Meeting when making reservations. For more information registrants may contact directly to the hotels listed on Conference web page.

Meeting buses will operate between these hotels and meeting venue (T.R. Prime Ministry Directorate General of State Archives, Directorate of Ottoman Archives)

Important Notification for the Accommodation:

To get special discounted price for accommodation it is required to use the ILDS2015 code and to contact the recommended hotels directly by sending an e-mail given at the conference web page. This code is not applicable for the reservations through booking, tripadvisor or any other third party web pages & services.

Meeting Point:

Meeting Location & Date

September 30, 2015
Welcome Reception
17:40 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to İstanbul Technical University Maçka Campus
22:00 Buses Depart from İstanbul Technical University Maçka Campus to Conference Hotels-Taksim

October 1, 2015
07:30 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Conference Venue
17:00 Buses Depart from the Conference Venue to Conference Hotels-Taksim

October 2, 2015
07:45 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Conference Venue
17:10 Buses Depart from the Conference Venue to Conference Hotels-Taksim

Dinner Cruise: Bosphorus by Night: Cruise through the Bosphorus waterway separating the two continents of Europe and Asia, viewing the architectural masterpieces from the various eras of the city’s history.
18:30 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Boat
23:30 Buses Depart from the Boat to the Hotels-Taksim

October 3, 2015
08:00 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Conference Venue
13:00 Buses Depart from the Conference Venue to Conference Hotels-Taksim

RECOMMENDED HOTELS

HOTEL TROYA
Address: Meşrutiyet Cad. No:45 34430 Beyoğlu-İstanbul/Türkiye
Tel: +90 212 251 8206 Fax : +90 212 249 0438
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.hoteltroya.com/
Reservation Code : ILDS2015
Contact: Ömer ÖzserinSingle rooms are available at €80 per night and double rooms at €90 per night.
The price includes breakfast and VAT.

THE MARMARA PERA HOTELS
Address: Mesrutiyet Cad. Tepebasi 34430 Beyoğlu-İstanbul/Türkiye
Tel: +90 212 334 03 00 Fax : +90 212 249 80 33
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.themarmarahotels.com/
Reservation Code : ILDS2015
Contact: Güçlü Özkan/Selin KonalSingle rooms are available at €145 per night and double rooms at €155 per night.
The price includes breakfast. The VAT is not included to the price.

GRAND HOTEL de LONDRES
Address: Mesrutiyet Cad. No: 53 34430 Beyoğlu-İstanbul/Türkiye
Tel: +90 212 293 1619 Fax : +90 212 293 1619
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://londrahotel.net/
Reservation Code : ILDS2015
Contact: Azimet KarakuşSingle rooms are available at €50 per night and double rooms at €65 per night.
The price includes breakfast and VAT.

THE PERA HOTEL
Address: Meşrutiyet Cad. No: 113 34430 Beyoğlu-İstanbul/Türkiye
Tel: +90 212 292 5000 Fax : +90 212 292 5010
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://londrahotel.net/
Reservation Code : ILDS2015
Contact: Meri ElStandart rooms are available at €70 per night.
The price includes breakfast and VAT.

THE COLLAGE HOTEL
Address: Osmanlı Yokuşu Muhtar Kamil Sok. Basmacı Binası No:3 Kat:4 34437 Taksim- İstanbul/Türkiye
Tel: +90 212 243 18 22 Fax : +90 212 293 40 93
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.collagehotels.com
Reservation Code : ILDS2015
Contact: Mine YavuzDouble rooms are available at €80 per night.
Single rooms are available at €70 per night.
The price includes breakfast and VAT.

GRAND HOTEL HALİÇ
Address: Refik Saydam Cad.Tepebaşı Bulvarı No:37 Şişhane-Beyoğlu-İstanbul /Türkiye
Tel: +90 212 252 69 80 Fax : +90 212 249 70 66
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: http://www.grandhalic.com
Reservation Code : ILDS2015
Contact: Ayla AytekinDouble rooms are available at €90 per night.
Single rooms are available at €75 per night.
Triple rooms are available at €122 per night
De luxe corner room are available at €130 per night
The price includes breakfast and VAT

Additional hotels can be found at any of the following web sites:
http://www.grittipera.com/
http://www.hotelvillazurich.com/
http://www.taximhill.com/
http://www.leventotelistanbul.com/
http://peninsulagalata.com/
http://www.taximisthotel.com/overview.html
http://www.nexthousehotel.com/en/default.asp
http://gumusyan.com/
http://www.lamartinehotel.com/

VENUE

T.R. Prime Ministry Directorate General of State Archives, Directorate of Ottoman Archives
İmrahor Cad. Sadabad Mevkii Kağıthane / Istanbul (Map)

SOCIAL PROGRAM

Social Program

Reservation till 21.09.15 per e-mail([email protected]), payment on site)

TOUR 1- Half Day Classical Istanbul City Tour (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar) 03.10.2015 13:30-19:00

We begin our tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of old Istanbul, at Hagia Sophia*. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the early 6th century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, the church is one of the marvels of world architecture. Converted into a mosque in 1453, it is now a museum. Its massive dome still dominates the skyline of old Istanbul. It is also famed for its mosaics, including glittering portraits of emperors and empresses and a poignant Virgin and Child. Next we visit the Blue Mosque which takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Built by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century and designed by a pupil of Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman architects, it is the only imperial mosque with six minarets. Its courtyard is especially grand. The Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire. Of these, an Egyptian obelisk and a bronze sculpture of three entwined serpents from Delphi survive. Than we visit Grand Bazaar; the largest and the oldest covered market place in the world with more than 4,000 shops in the labyrinth of streets. Enjoy the colorful array of shops that offer an endless selection of goods that includes jewelry, fabrics, spices and local handicrafts.

Price p.P 29,-€ (includes transfers, guide and all entrance fees)

TOUR 2- Half Day Classical Istanbul City Tour (Topkapı Palace, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Grand Bazaar) 03.10.2015 13:30-19:00

We visit the magnificent Topkapi Palace, offering a true insight into the secret life of the Ottoman Empire. Topkapi Palace was from the 15th to the 19th century the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans. We will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and has unrivalled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the 3rd largest in the world. Next we visit the Blue Mosque which takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Built by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century and designed by a pupil of Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman architects, it is the only imperial mosque with six minarets. Its courtyard is especially grand. The Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire. Of these, an Egyptian obelisk and a bronze sculpture of three entwined serpents from Delphi survive. Than we visit Grand Bazaar; the largest and the oldest covered market place in the world with more than 4,000 shops in the labyrinth of streets. Enjoy the colorful array of shops that offer an endless selection of goods that includes jewelry, fabrics, spices and local handicrafts.

Price p.P 29,-€ (includes transfers, guide and all entrance fees)

TOUR 3- Bosporus Boat Trip / Half Day (with a private boat) 03.10.2015 13:30-16:30

At afternoon we enjoy the Bosporus boat trip. Istanbul’s winding straits for a chance to relax and admire the shoreline of beautiful mosques, lavish palaces and decadent villas. During the excursion you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace on the European coastline of the Bosphorus strait and Beylerbeyi Palace; the summer residence of Ottoman Sultans on the Asian.

Price p.P 25,-€ (includes transfers, guide and all entrance fees)

TOUR 4- Full Day Classical Istanbul City Tour (Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Topkapı Palace, Grand Bazaar) 04.10.2015 09:00-18:00

Morning: We begin our tour of the Sultanahmet district, the heart of old Istanbul, at Hagia Sophia*. Built by the Emperor Justinian in the early 6th century AD and designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodore of Miletus, the church is one of the marvels of world architecture. Converted into a mosque in 1453, it is now a museum. Its massive dome still dominates the skyline of old Istanbul. It is also famed for its mosaics, including glittering portraits of emperors and empresses and a poignant Virgin and Child. Next we visit the Blue Mosque which takes its name from the exquisite tiles adorning its interior. Built by Sultan Ahmet I in the early 17th century and designed by a pupil of Sinan, the greatest of Ottoman architects, it is the only imperial mosque with six minarets. Its courtyard is especially grand. The Hippodrome, the stadium of ancient Byzantium, held 100,000 spectators and featured objects from all corners of the empire. Of these, an Egyptian obelisk and a bronze sculpture of three entwined serpents from Delphi survive.

Free time for Lunch

Afternoon: We visit the magnificent Topkapi Palace, offering a true insight into the secret life of the Ottoman Empire. Topkapi Palace was from the 15th to the 19th century the principal residence of the Ottoman Sultans. We will visit the fabulous Imperial Treasury and the Baghdad Kiosk. Topkapi Palace is now a museum and has unrivalled collections of jewelry, including the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the 3rd largest in the world. Than we visit Grand Bazaar; the largest and the oldest covered market place in the world with more than 4,000 shops in the labyrinth of streets. Enjoy the colorful array of shops that offer an endless selection of goods that includes jewelry, fabrics, spices and local handicrafts.

Price p.P 45,-€ (includes transfers, guide and all entrance fees)

TRANSPORTATION

Meeting Location & Date

October 1, 2015
07:30 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Conference Venue
17:00 Buses Depart from the Conference Venue to Conference Hotels-Taksim

October 2, 2015
07:45 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Conference Venue
17:10 Buses Depart from the Conference Venue to Conference Hotels-Taksim

October 3, 2015
08:00 Buses Depart from in front of the Peak Hotel to the Conference Venue
13:00 Buses Depart from the Conference Venue to Conference Hotels-Taksim

Arrival in Istanbul

Istanbul has two international airports; Istanbul Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport Mostly the Ataturk Airport is used by major airlines as it is in the European side of Istanbul.

From the Ataturk Airport to the City Centre –Taksim Square (~25 km)

Ataturk International Airport is located 25 km from Taksim Square (city centre)

By Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the Taksim Square costs between 17€ to 20€. The trip takes between 35 and 65 minutes depending on stream of traffic. Note: The taxi rates are same all day long.

By Shuttles Buses: Shuttle Buses called “Havas” travel between Ataturk Airport and Taksim Square every 30 minutes. It takes approximately 45 and 75 minutes depending on stream of traffic. The ticket costs 5 €.

By Public Buses: The Bus 96T travel between Ataturk Airport and Taksim Square every 50 minutes. It takes approximately 60 and 90 minutes depending on stream of traffic. The ticket costs 1 €. Note: The Public Buses are available between 07:00 – 21:00 hours.

From the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport to the City Centre–Taksim Square (~50 km)

Sabiha Gokcen International Airport is located on the Anatolian shore of Istanbul and 50 km from Taksim Square (city centre).

By Taxi: A taxi from the airport to the Taksim Square costs between 35 € to 40 €. The trip takes between 50 and 90 minutes depending on stream of traffic.

By Shuttles Buses: Shuttle Buses called “Havas” travel between Sabiha Gokcen International Airport and Taksim Square every 1 hour. It takes approximately 70 and 90 minutes depending on stream of traffic. The ticket costs 6 €.

By Public Buses: The Bus E-3 travel between Ataturk Airport and 4.Levent Subway Station. It takes approximately 100 and 120 minutes depending on stream of traffic. The ticket costs 2,5 € . Note: The Public Buses are available between 02:00 – 23:00 hours.

ABOUT ISTANBUL

Istanbul maintains a distinguished position among the metropolis of the world with its unique geographical location and a cultural heritage of thousands of years. As one of the most energetic cities in the world Istanbul continually gets to be an attraction center.

The city offers a huge array of important historic buildings including the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It has a wealth of archaeological monuments as well as a vibrant and colourful local culture of tea gardens, taverns, and markets such as the spice bazaar and Grand Bazaar, ‘the world’s oldest shopping center’.

There is a sense of energy and innovation in the city which is again very fashionable as a world destination. There is a wealth of exciting new art galleries and museums as well as restaurants, bars and nightlife.

On this page, you can get more information about Istanbul, 2010 European Capital of Culture. Most of popular links are below. Hope that all the participants will have a good time…

Istanbul Maps

Transportation in Istanbul