What is .istanbul?
ICANN's records put the delegation of .istanbul on July 11, 2015. Like most of the newer endings, it was applied for in the 2012 New gTLD Program round and its registry agreement was signed on August 28, 2014.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality also runs one other TLD, including .ist.
Under the hood, the root zone points to 4 name servers for .istanbul, every one of them reachable over IPv6. The delegation is DNSSEC-signed, so resolvers can verify that answers for .istanbul haven't been tampered with on the way. Registration data is published over RDAP and WHOIS (the WHOIS server is whois.nic.istanbul).
Same registry, other endings
1 other TLD shares this operator.
.istanbul FAQ
What does .istanbul mean?
.istanbul is a generic top-level domain named for the word "istanbul", and it's aimed at cities & regions. It doesn't belong to any country.
What is .istanbul used for?
.istanbul is mostly used for cities & regions. Like most gTLDs, it's a label of intent rather than a guarantee — check the site, not just the ending.
What country is .istanbul?
None. .istanbul is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .istanbul domain extension?
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality operates .istanbul as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .istanbul created?
.istanbul was delegated to the DNS root zone on July 11, 2015.
Is .istanbul a valid domain?
Yes. .istanbul is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2015, so .istanbul addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .istanbul domain?
.istanbul names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's policy if you're unsure.
Is .istanbul DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .istanbul.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed August 28, 2025. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
