Incorrect. As of 1 April 2004 Turkey has reduced the visa fee for US travellers to $20. If you have an EU passport, it's € 10. Buy the visa at the immigration desk before you go in line to have your passport stamped.

Turkey is Asia Minor, with a history of over 30 centuries. It was the heartland of Byzantium. Constantinople and its history are very visual in Istanbul. For over 5 centuries the Ottoman Empire was ruled from Istanbul. It is one of the greatest cities on earth.

For years the Turkish Lira suffers from high inflation. For this reason Turkish travel agencies and hotels are eager to be paid in US$ or EU€. Just make sure you check the rate when arriving. Paying by credit card is more expensive. Amex will charge a higher rate than what you get in Turkish banks. Taxis run by the meter and are fast and safe way to get to the city from the airport. Everybody accepts dollars or euros. Just make sure you know the rate when arriving. And have some 10 and 20 notes with you. Changing at the airport banks is more expensive than in the city.

Note that Turks are no Arabs. They are a proud people with a great military tradition. Moreover they had the highly respected Atatürk transforming their society before WW2. Which does not mean that you can not encounter any hassle. People recognise you on physiognomy and clothing as a foreigner and know that you have hard currency. Often you will be approached for carpets or whatever. Unemployment is high and people have to survive. Stay friendly and firm and stick to a kind ‘No thank you’. What helps a lot, is looking the guy straight in the eye when you friendly say ‘Thank you, I am not interested’. Smile and walk on. Should he approach you again do the same. Some postcard sellers are so desperate to make some money that they will walk with you. Do not let it spoil your good mood. Stay friendly and firm and the guy will leave you alone in less than a minute.

The Turkish tourist industry is well organised. There are a number of agencies on Divan Yolu on the northern end of the Hippodrome (Atmeydani). Just shop around. I recommend a small friendly agency in Sifa Hamami Sokak, downhill on the southern side of Atmeydani. They have is a webside with prices of all their tours: Phosphorescence Tours.

Remark that HRS is an excellent tool when searching for a hotel in Istanbul. Go to the HRS website. Choose English, Zulu, or whatever language is convenient for you. Do a hotel search on the city or region you intend to visit. A list of available hotels appears with the lowest priced hotels listed first. Distance to Airport etc. is mentioned. Click on the hotel name. Pages with the specifics of the hotel will pop-up. You can check on 1) Directions & Distances 2) Hotel photos 3) Facilities 4) Street map.