We often have guests arriving from around the world, many for their first-ever trip to İstanbul. Since I have seen the usual tourist sites too many times to be counted, I generally send friends off for the day with a map and a list of the places that are must-sees for any novice visitor. Nevertheless, last week I went along with a friend and her daughter and spent a day in Sultanahmet, visiting the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. Since it has been quite a while since I have been to these sites, I was unaware of how much the price of entry fees have risen over the last couple of years.

For me, however, the admission fees did not really matter since I have a MüzeKart (http://www.muzekart.com/). In my opinion, this new pass, released just this year, has got to be one of the best deals in the country. For a paltry YTL 20 a year, Turkish citizens gain access to the majority of historical sites in the country at no additional cost. There are a few places where this handy card is not valid, but even so, while out sightseeing, it can save a small fortune, as I discovered. My friends were required to dip deep into their purses for the required entry fees, while my only outlay for the day was YTL 15 to tour the Harem at Topkapı. Since I first purchased my card while on holiday in Cappadocia in early July, I have saved a good-sized chunk of money in entry fees around the country. Just having the card in my wallet, and knowing that entry is free to most sites, I have noticed that I am more inclined to get out and sightsee more often. I did notice, though, that many of the Turks in line did not have this deal of a card and were paying the same fees as the tourists. Apparently, word has not gotten out yet about the advantages of the MüzeKart.

Read more: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=151764 

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Pity that many Turks don´t know this Müzekart, it saves a lot of money!