What's considered rude that travelers do in Istanbul?
Entering a mosque without removing your shoes is the most common offense, and locals notice immediately — leave them at the door rack, not tucked under your arm. Equally important: women should cover their hair inside mosques, and both sexes should have shoulders and knees covered; Sultanahmet Mosque keeps loaner scarves at the entrance, but bringing your own is cleaner. Eating or drinking openly on the street during Ramadan daytime hours reads as inconsiderate in conservative neighborhoods like Fatih, even if no one says anything. Haggling aggressively in the Grand Bazaar and then walking away without buying anything after a shopkeeper has spent twenty minutes with you crosses a line the tourist doesn't realize they've crossed. Photographing people, especially older women in headscarves, without asking first is widely resented. And pointing the sole of your foot toward someone while sitting, or handing something over with your left hand, carries a low-grade rudeness that registers even if it won't ruin a transaction.
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