İstanbul

Istanbul is the only major city spanning two continents, and that position, plus its scale as Turkey's commercial and cultural capital, keeps it central to the country's booming television drama export industry alongside advertising, fashion, and tourism production. The Grand Bazaar and Bosphorus waterfront give brands and location scouts an unusually distinct visual identity to draw on. A large domestic textile and fashion manufacturing base supports steady catalog and lookbook work. The city's tourism sector, built on Ottoman-era sites like the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace, keeps hospitality and event staffing active year-round. Istanbul's size, over 15 million people, also means one of the deepest local talent pools in the region. For the country baseline on industries and market structure, see /countries/turkey.

Meze spreads, doner and other kebab varieties, and balik ekmek are daily staples, alongside strong Turkish tea culture that runs through the whole day rather than just mealtimes. Simit, a sesame-crusted bread ring, is the standard grab-and-go breakfast. Ferries across the Bosphorus are a genuine and pleasant part of daily transit, alongside a modern tram and metro network; road traffic is heavy and best avoided for tight schedules. Tipping around 10% is standard at restaurants. For the country baseline on visas, tipping, and Bosphorus transit norms, see /countries/turkey.