Calendar, schedules and time in Turkey

What you should know

Like its geographical location, Turkey’s pace of life and timetables are halfway between Europe and the Muslim world. halfway between Europe and the Muslim world..
En esta página te contamos algunos aspectos que debes tener en cuenta sobre la hora de Turquía, puesto que influirá en el modo de organizar tu tiempo durante el viaje a este país.

Table of Contents

What is the time in Turkey

The time in Turkey is UTC+03:00 (UTC=Coordinated Universal Time).
That is, it is the same time as the time at
Eastern Europe in summer (Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, etc.).etc.). In Turkey, since 2016, the time is not changed neither in March nor in October, i.e., it keeps the same time throughout the year.
In addition, all of Turkey uses
same time zoneThe time in Turkey: although the distance between the far east and west is considerable, the whole country uses the same time to promote unity and synchronization of national services.
These peculiarities mean that in technical jargon, Turkey’s time is known by its own acronym:
TRT.

For the tourist visiting the country, this is also an advantage, as he/she will not have to worry about changing the time during the circuit.

The time in Turkey in relation to the time in your country

As you can check with your cell phone or internet-connected smartwatch, the time on your device will automatically change when you step on Turkish soil.
But if you still wear a classic wristwatch or want to know what time it is in Turkey and in your home country at the same time, you will do well to know the following equivalences:

  • When in Turkey it is 13.00 (1PM)
    • in Spain it is 11.00 (11AM) in autumn/winter and 12.00 (12AM) in spring/summer (one hour earlier in the Canary Islands).
    • in Buenos Aires, Argentina it is 7.00 (7AM) in autumn/winter and 8.00 (8AM) in spring/summer.
    • in Mexico City the time is 4.00 (4AM)
    • in Santiago de Chile is 7.00 (7AM) in autumn/winter and 8.00 (8AM) in spring/summer.
    • in Miami, USA is 5.00 (5AM) in autumn/winter and 6.00 (6AM) in spring/summer.

  • And vice versa: when it is 13.00 in
    • Spain (except Canary Islands), in Turkey it is 15.00 (3PM) in autumn/winter and 14.00 (2PM) in spring/summer.
    • Buenos Aires, Argentinain Turkey it is 19.00 (7PM) in autumn/winter and 18.00 (6PM) in spring/summer.
    • Mexico Cityin Turkey it is 22.00 (10PM)
    • Santiago de Chilein Turkey is 19.00 (7PM) in autumn/winter and 18.00 (6PM) in spring/summer.
    • Miami, USAin Turkey is 21.00 (9PM) in autumn/winter and 20.00 (8PM) in spring/summer.

To make it easier to understand the times, public places such as train and bus stations often use the 24-hour format to express the time (e.g. 9.00 a.m., 8.00 p.m., etc.).
But in colloquial, everyday language, it is common to refer to the 12-hour format (e.g. 9 a.m., 8 p.m., etc.).

Timetables during the day in Turkey

The pace of life in Turkey is comparable to that of most Western countries.
For example, it is normal for a commercial establishment to open its doors at
9.00 and close at 18.00.
No obstante,
in tourist areas, these schedules are more flexible to adapt to the more relaxed and varied to accommodate the more relaxed and varied pace of foreign tourists.

In general, this is a list of the usual schedules in the different sectors of Turkey:

  • RestorationThe kitchen is usually open from 12:30 to 14:30, while in the evening it is usually open from 19:30 to 22:00.
    In busier areas, kitchens do not close at midday, although this is more common in fast food outlets than in classic restaurants.
  • Stores: 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m., with the possibility of closing later in tourist areas.
  • Opening hours for the public (banks, tourist information, etc.) (banks, tourist information, etc.): from 8:30 or 9:00 to 12:00 or 12:30, and from 13:00 or 13:30 to 17:00 or 17:30.

Of course, these schedules are no longer valid during Ramadan. RamadanDuring this period, which varies from year to year, life slows down during the day, with most places remaining closed and opening at sunset.

Población turquía

The weekly rhythm of life in Turkey

As far as the pace of the week in Turkey is concerned, it must be said that the concept of the weekend is similar to that of the Western world: offices and many workplaces are closed on Saturday and Sunday. and many workplaces are closed on Saturday and Sundayas well as public holidays (see below).
It is true that the main prayer of the week takes place on Friday at noon, but except in the most religious regions of the country, such as Kayseri or Konya, Friday is just another working day, with a break for prayer.

As far as the ‘tourist rhythm’ of Turkey is concerned, you should keep in mind that the closing day of the museums is usually Monday..
Además, debido a que hay menos horas de sol, en otoño/invierno suelen tener un horario reducido (una o dos horas menos de apertura), mientras que en primavera/verano se compensa con unos horarios más amplios.

Holidays in Turkey

It is noteworthy that Turkey’s work calendar integrates Muslim, national and Western Muslim, national and Western public holidays..
Estos son los días que se suelen señalar como no laborales los siguientes días:

  • January 1: New Year’s Day in the Western Calendar
  • April 23: National Independence Day
  • May 1: Labor Day
  • May 19: Anniversary of Atatürk’s birth
  • August 30: Victory Day (vs. Greece in 19200)
  • October 29: Republic Day
  • November 10: Atatürk’s Death Anniversary
  • Ascension of Mohammed to the Heavens: variable date each year
  • Feast of the Sacrifice of the Lamb: date varies from year to year.
  • Islamic New Year: variable date each year

Of course, each city has its own local holidays, which are added to the aforementioned dates.
For example, in the case of Istanbul, it is customary to celebrate the
Memorial Day (March 18)in reference to a Turkish naval victory over the Allies in the Dardanelles Strait, in World War I.

Calendar in Turkey

As you may have understood from reading the list of holidays in Turkey, their calendar is the same as the Western calendar: the Gregorian calendar. the western one: the Gregorian.
Es decir, un
solar calendar with 12 months and 365 or 366 days per year.
Es oficialmente así desde 1926, en tiempos de Atatürk, cuando se adoptó este sistema, refiriéndose a él como “era común”.
Los nombres de los meses en turco son:

  • January: ocak
  • February: şubat
  • March: mart
  • April: nisan
  • May: mayıs
  • June: haziran
  • July: temmuz
  • August: ağustos
  • September: eylül
  • October: ekim
  • November: kasım
  • December: aralık

Until 1926, the calendar used by the Ottoman Empire was the Rumi calendar, which was based on the Julian calendar (a predecessor of the Gregorian calendar) but numbered in relation to the Hegira (as in the Arabic calendar).
The
Arabic (lunar) calendarwhich is shorter, is not used for the daily conduct of life, but only to mark holidays and holy days. but only to mark religious holidays and holy days, which are common to those of the other Islamic countries. religious holidays and holy days, which are common to those of other Islamic countries.

In short: during your trip to Turkey, you will not notice any change in the dates of your daily life, as they are the same as those of the Western calendar (Gregorian), although expressed in Turkish, of course.

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