Istanbul, Türkiye
Istanbul
Istanbul is a major city in Türkiye, close to the sea. It has a population of about 15,655,924 (2023). The climate is classified as hot-summer Mediterranean (Köppen Csa), with dry, sunny summers and mild, wetter winters.
Now22°C
Best timeMay–Jun · Sep
Population15.7M
Local time15:53
41.01° N, 28.95° EElevation 39 mUTC+3 · Türkiye Standard Time
Postal codes34096, 34098 …October: high / low20° / 13°
Rain this month90mm
Sea this month19°
Best timeMay–Jun · Sep
Best: May–Jun · Sep. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.
Istanbul at a glance
Sunrise · sunset07:23 · 18:1510 h 52 min of daylightThe moon tonightWaxing gibbous85% · Moonrise 16:15Next holiday29 OctoberRepublic DayNext eclipse21 Feb 2027Penumbral lunar eclipse
Best time to visitMay–Jun · Sep
The months with the highest weather score
Warmest month29°C
Average high in August
Coolest month4°C
Average low in January
Wettest monthJanuary
98 mm of rain
Driest monthJuly
29 mm of rain
Warmest sea24°C
August
Monuments nearby10+
6 of them World Heritage
How Istanbul has grown
People living in the built-up area (1,269 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.
+172%5.22M in 1975 → 14.2M in 2025Weather in Istanbul
Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.
22°C
Today hour by hourPartly cloudy · wind 3 km/h · humidity 57%
Today22 Oct24°13°
Fri23 Oct22°14°3.8 mm
Sat24 Oct20°13°
Sun25 Oct22°13°
Mon26 Oct20°15°
Tue27 Oct20°14°3.5 mm
Wed28 Oct18°12°2.5 mm
Thu29 Oct17°10°
Fri30 Oct17°9°0.5 mm
Sat31 Oct15°9°3 mm
When to go to Istanbul
Each month's weather score (warmth, sun, dry days) with its temperatures and rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 18 | 23 | 40 | 71 | 85 | 79 | 73 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 57 | 23 |
| High | 9° | 10° | 12° | 16° | 21° | 26° | 29° | 29° | 25° | 20° | 15° | 11° |
| Low | 4° | 4° | 5° | 8° | 13° | 17° | 20° | 21° | 17° | 13° | 9° | 6° |
| Rain (mm) | 98 | 79 | 70 | 48 | 34 | 35 | 29 | 33 | 50 | 90 | 98 | 123 |
| Wet days | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 14 |
| Sea | 9° | 8° | 9° | 11° | 16° | 21° | 23° | 24° | 22° | 19° | 15° | 12° |
What's on in Istanbul
Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.
Istanbul's festivals through the year
Monuments and museums in Istanbul
UNESCO2.6 km
Hagia SophiaBuilt 532
UNESCO2.5 km
Sultan Ahmed MosqueBuilt 1609
UNESCO1.2 km
Süleymaniye MosqueBuilt 1550
1.8 km
Nuruosmaniye MosqueBuilt 1755
UNESCO2.1 km
Chora ChurchBuilt 1001
2.2 km
Little Hagia SophiaBuilt 526
Museum2.9 km
Topkapı PalaceBuilt 1460
Museum2.7 km
Istanbul Archaeology MuseumsBuilt 1869More museums: Alay Köşkü · Amcazade Külliyesi · Hagia Irene · Aziz Mahmud Hüdayi Vakfı Gazanfer Ağa Medresesi Eğitim ve Kültür Merkezi · Cistern of Philoxenos · Borusan Art · Carpet Museum · Istanbul Photography Museum · Grand Bazaar · Stucco Museum · Lions Rug and kilims Art Gallery · MSGSÜ Kültür ve Sanat Merkezi
Outdoors around Istanbul
Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.
CesmeViewpoints
1.9 kmHarmony hotel terraceViewpoints
2.4 kmBoulderhaneClimbing
2.5 kmBiRL iKCamp sites
2.8 kmMiniatürkTheme parks
3.2 kmİstanbul DolphinariumZoos
3.7 kmInnovasub - Boğaziçi Underwater Research CenterDive site
7.3 kmTuruncu Dalış MerkeziDive site
9.7 kmNature around Istanbul
Wildlife in October
The birds and mammals of Türkiye seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.
The sky over Istanbul
Earthquakes around Istanbul
The last 30 days within 300 km, and the record since 1950.
Last 30 days0magnitude 2.5+ within 300 kmSince 195035magnitude 5+ within 150 kmSignificant earthquakes on record122within 300 km
Strongest nearby since 1950
7.6Derince 4 km →1999 · 82 km
7.3Gündoğan 2 km →1953 · 144 km
6.8Dağkadı 3 km ↘1964 · 106 km
6.2Marmaraereğlisi 25 km ↘2025 · 67 km
Fossil sites near this town
Fossil sites: 1 · 1 km
Quaternary · 1
Ancient sites nearby
Sites: 36
Cities and settlements · 21Temples and sanctuaries · 6Theatres and amphitheatres · 1Aqueducts and baths · 1Bridges, road stations and ports · 1Archaeological sites · 6
Cities and settlements
ConstantinopolisBefore 750 BC – Middle Ages · World Heritage
1.6 kmByzantiumBefore 750 BC – Late Antiquity
2.2 kmChalcedonArchaic period – Middle Ages
7.2 kmIstanbulBefore 750 BC – Middle Ages
2.4 kmBlachernaiRoman period – Late Antiquity
2.9 kmChrysopolisClassical period – Late Antiquity
5.4 kmHeraion / HiereiaLate Antiquity
8.6 kmHimerosLate Antiquity
6.6 kmKeposRoman period
1 kmPaulinesLate Antiquity
3 kmPegai / KrenidesRoman period – Late Antiquity
2.7 kmPegeLate Antiquity
3.2 kmAianteionRoman period
3.2 kmArgyropolis / BytharionLate Antiquity
2.9 kmBolosRoman period
2.6 kmChoiragriaRoman period
2.4 kmDelphin / KarandasRoman period
3.6 kmHierionLate Antiquity
2.9 kmKanoposRoman period
2.4 kmSykai / Ioustinianai / IoustinianoupolisRoman period – Late Antiquity
2.2 kmOstreodesRoman period
2.5 kmTemples and sanctuaries
Theatres and amphitheatres
Aqueducts and baths
Bridges, road stations and ports
Archaeological sites
Universities and research institutes
Istanbul UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1453
Fatih Sultan Mehmet Waqf UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1470
Galatasaray UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1481
Istanbul Technical UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1773
Naval AcademyUniversity or college · founded 1773
Boğaziçi UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1863
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1882
Marmara UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1883
University of Health SciencesUniversity or college · founded 1903
Kabataş Boys High SchoolUniversity or college · founded 1908
Yıldız Technical UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1911
Turkish Air Force AcademyUniversity or college · founded 1951
Koç UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1993
Sabancı UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1994
Fatih UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1996
Istanbul Bilgi UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1996
Işık UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1996
Yeditepe UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1996
Beykent UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1997
Doğuş UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1997
Istanbul Kültür UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1997
Kadir Has UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1997
Maltepe UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1997
Bahçeşehir UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1998
Haliç UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1998
Okan UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1999
Istanbul Commerce UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2001
Istanbul Aydın UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2003
Istanbul Bilim UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2006
Turkish-German UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2006
Acıbadem UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2007
Özyeğin UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2007
Altınbaş UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2008
Beykoz UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2008
Istanbul Şehir UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2008
Piri Reis UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2008
Istanbul Gelisim UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2008
Istanbul Foundation for Research and EducationUniversity or college · founded 2009
Istanbul Medipol UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2009
Istanbul Topkapi UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2009
Istanbul Yeni Yüzyıl UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2009
Bezmialem Vakıf UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2010
Istanbul 29 Mayis UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2010
Istanbul Medeniyet UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2010
Süleyman Şah UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2010
Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2010
Ataşehir Adıgüzel Meslek YüksekokuluUniversity or college · founded 2012
MEF UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2012
Nişantaşı Üniversitesi, İstanbul Nişantaşı ÜniversitesiUniversity or college · founded 2012
Istanbul Esenyurt UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2013
Ibn Haldun UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2015
Istinye UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2015
Istanbul Rumeli UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2015
Fenerbahçe UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2016
Istanbul Kent UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2016
National Defense UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2016
iFACE AcademyUniversity or college · founded 2016
Atlas UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2018
Istanbul University-CerrahpaşaUniversity or college · founded 2018
Gedik UniversityUniversity or college
Istanbul Health and Technology UniversityUniversity or college
Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National EducationUniversity or college
Istanbul Galata UniversityUniversity or college
Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research InstituteResearch institute · founded 1868
German Archaeological Institute, Istanbul DepartmentResearch institute · founded 1929
Institut Français d'Études AnatoliennesResearch institute · founded 1930
Netherlands Institute in TurkeyResearch institute · founded 1958
Feza Gürsey InstituteResearch institute · founded 1983
Istanbul Technical University National Center for High Performance Computing, National Center for High Performance ComputingResearch institute · founded 2010
Koç University Research Center for Translational MedicineResearch institute · founded 2017
Istanbul from above
Around Istanbul35 places to see, do and reach nearby
Kâğıthane CreekNature5.5 kmLycusNature4.3 kmLake KüçükçekmeceNature17 kmYarımburgaz CaveNature19 kmBathyniasNature18 kmGalatasaray IsletNature9.1 kmBüyükada, IstanbulNature22 kmBurgaz AdasıNature18 kmAydos HillMountain27 kmInnovasub - Boğaziçi Underwater Research CenterDive site7.3 kmTuruncu Dalış MerkeziDive site9.7 kmHagia SophiaMonument2.6 kmSultan Ahmed MosqueMonument2.5 kmSüleymaniye MosqueMonument1.2 kmNuruosmaniye MosqueMonument1.8 kmChora ChurchMonument2.1 kmLittle Hagia SophiaMonument2.2 kmSokollu Mehmed Pasha I MosqueMonument2.1 kmLaleli MosqueMonument0.7 kmTopkapı PalaceMuseum2.9 kmIstanbul Archaeology MuseumsMuseum2.7 kmPera MuseumMuseum2.9 kmIstanbul Railway MuseumMuseum2.3 kmGalata TowerMuseum2.4 kmYenikapıStation1.0 kmCerrahpaşaStation1.5 kmKumkapıStation1.6 kmİDO Yenikapı Feribot İskelesiFerry port1.4 kmTuryol İskelesiFerry port1.8 kmMecidiyeköyPlace7.2 kmBurgazPlace18 kmZekeriyaköyPlace22 kmPolonezPlace25 kmŞişliPlace6.1 kmZeytinburnuPlace4.4 km
Postal codes
340963409834173
Getting to Istanbul
Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International AirportSAW
33 kmİstanbul AirportIST
34 kmTekirdağ Çorlu AirportTEQ
88 kmYenikapıRailway station
1 kmCerrahpaşaRailway station
1.5 kmKumkapıRailway station
1.6 kmİDO Yenikapı Feribot İskelesiBostancı · Esenköy İDO iSKELESİ · Kadıköy Deniz Otobüsü İskelesi · İDO Bakırköy Terminali
1.4 kmTuryol İskelesiFerry port
1.8 kmPlaces near Istanbul
Places with a climate like Istanbul
Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Istanbul?
Based on 30-year climate normals, May, June and September offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Istanbul.
What is the hottest month in Istanbul?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 29°C and lows of 21°C.
What is the coldest month in Istanbul?
January is the coldest month, with average highs of 9°C and lows of 4°C.
What is the rainiest month in Istanbul?
January is the wettest month with about 98 mm of precipitation on 15 wet days.
How warm is the sea near Istanbul?
The sea is warmest in August at about 24°C and coolest in February at about 8°C.
What is the postal code of Istanbul?
Istanbul has 3 postal codes: 34096, 34098, 34173.