About Istanbul time
Istanbul, straddling Europe and Asia, runs on Turkey Time, three hours ahead of UTC year-round.
Turkey’s 2016 decision to lock the clocks on permanent UTC+3 means winter mornings in Istanbul stay dark longer, a trade-off for lighter evenings. As the only major city on two continents, Istanbul keeps one clock across the Bosphorus even as commuters cross between Europe and Asia daily. Ramadan reshapes daily rhythms around the fast.
Permanent UTC+3 since 2016City on two continentsRamadan daily rhythm