Kurtköy Tattoo Studio | Five Minutes from Sabiha Gökçen

Around Kurtköy and Sabiha Gökçen: Bosphorus Ink Pendik

Kurtköy tattoo studio seekers: our Bosphorus Ink Pendik studio is five minutes from Sabiha Gökçen Airport. The idea of getting a tattoo within ten minutes of landing at Istanbul was unthinkable a few years ago — now it's routine for our airport clients.

Local Kurtköy residents and Pendik OSB workers benefit from the same proximity. Different people on the same road for different reasons — visitor off a plane, white-collar leaving the office, student finishing a lecture — but for all of them the studio is ten minutes away.

Getting Here from Sabiha Gökçen

Fastest option is a taxi from arrivals. Five to ten minutes via the E-5. Mornings and late evenings rarely stretch further, and even at peak it's manageable. Around 200 to 300 lira — about half of what a taxi to the European-side studio costs. The HAVAIST airport bus plus a short walk gets you here for 35 lira and takes fifteen minutes. The metro at Sabiha Gökçen is one stop; descend and walk, twelve minutes door to door.

Coming with your luggage is fine. Lens Istanbul has a left-luggage service you can use rather than carting a suitcase around. Most international visitors leave their bags there, get the work done, then head back to the airport. If you've messaged us before your flight, the design is ready when you arrive — no waiting around.

The Same-Day-Flight Scenario

The question I get most: I flew in from Berlin this morning, I've got an evening flight back, can I really get tattooed in between? It depends on the piece.

A small fine line — a date on the wrist, a word on the inner forearm, a minimal symbol on the back of the shoulder. If we've sorted the design over WhatsApp first, application takes 30 to 40 minutes. Bandage and aftercare brief, another five. Leave four hours between landing and your outbound flight and you're comfortable.

A medium-sized piece — 10 to 15 cm — needs 60 to 90 minutes in the chair. Six hours from landing to flight is the safer call. For realism portraits, full cover-ups, sleeves and other big projects, forget same-day departure: stay overnight. Frankly I wouldn't recommend it anyway — rushing to an airport after a long session isn't enjoyable and doesn't help the healing start well.

Pendik OSB and Marmara University Pendik

Local demand falls along two main lines. Pendik OSB has a mixed white-collar and blue-collar workforce — factory workers, engineers, sales teams, senior management. The 6 to 7pm slot is popular for those leaving the industrial zone; we're open until eight, which gives a comfortable window for small and medium pieces.

Marmara University Pendik campus is a different story. The student crowd leans heavily into fine line and minimal work, and for many of them it's their first tattoo. Our first tattoo guide gets shared with this group regularly. We run student campaigns at various points in the year — WhatsApp us for the current offer.

Kurtköy's residential streets bring more variety still. Adult children from family-housing developments, established families working at OSB, siblings studying at the university. That variety shows in what people ask for.

EU REACH and Pigments — Specifically for International Visitors

A topic that comes up regularly with European clients: EU REACH regulations on tattoo pigments. Since January 2022, the EU has banned several inks — Pigment Blue 15:3, Pigment Green 7, and others. Turkey isn't covered by REACH, so we're able to use these pigments here. In practice that means a broader colour palette for realism and watercolour work.

We work with certified brand inks with documented safety profiles. During the consultation, feel free to ask which ones we use — we're equally happy to show them. If you've ever wondered why a realism portrait done in Europe looks more muted than it could, REACH bans are usually the reason. International visitors who know the difference often come to us specifically for this.

Walk-Ins, Payment, the Practicalities

We take walk-ins, but for international visitors I'd strongly recommend a WhatsApp before your flight to check availability — +90 552 184 07 34. Booking a slot while you're still on the plane is better than landing and finding we're full.

Cash in lira, dollars, euros or pounds; cards from Visa, Mastercard, Amex; bank transfer with the IBAN if you prefer. No need to change money before you arrive.

Passport isn't strictly required — just any ID showing you're over eighteen. If you're visiting from abroad, your passport is on you anyway. We don't tattoo under-18s, parental consent or otherwise.

Same-day work for small and medium pieces, no problem. Larger projects need at least a week of notice.

Aftercare — Before and After the Flight

If you're flying the same day, a few things to know. Don't touch the bandage in the cab, don't peek at it on the plane. Wear loose clothing over the area. Long flights are dehydrating, and you'll notice the skin around the tattoo tightening three hours in; a sub-100ml unscented, alcohol-free moisturiser fits in carry-on and is worth packing.

Once you're home, take the bandage off within 24 hours, wash with pH-neutral soap, dry-press with a clean cloth. Our thirty-day aftercare guide covers the rest. We point long-haul clients at this article specifically.

If you're staying in Turkey, two rules: no swimming in the sea for two to three weeks, no direct sun for four to six. Marmara, Pendik beach, Tuzla's thermal springs, Black Sea swims — same rule. SPF 50+ after that, for life. If you want the linework still sharp in ten years, it really is that simple.

The Closest Studio to Sabiha Gökçen

The closest studio to Sabiha Gökçen — and the nearest professional atelier for visitors from Kartal, Maltepe and the surrounding districts.

Address: Lens Istanbul, Yenişehir, Millet Caddesi No:34 B Block, 34912 Pendik / Istanbul.

WhatsApp for Pendik: +90 552 184 07 34. For Polat Tower: +90 545 131 07 34.

Get off the plane and you're with us. Book your appointment here