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    • .ist

    Generic top-level domainsIDNDNSSEC

    Overview

    .ist is a geographical top-level domain (GeoTLD) created as a short-form for "Istanbul". It was applied for under ICANN's New gTLD Program to promote the IST brand, provide an alternative to .istanbul, and serve local and global businesses, tourism, and cultural initiatives associated with Istanbul.

    History

    • Applied for as part of ICANN's New gTLD Program by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM).
    • The application succeeded and .ist was delegated to the DNS Root Zone on 11 July 2015.
    • The registry backend provider listed is Afilias; the IMM is the registry/operator.
    • The applicant also applied for .istanbul. The Geographic Names Panel determined that the term does not meet ICANN's definition of a geographic name, a determination noted during evaluation but not described as preventing delegation.

    Usage and Audience

    • Target audience:
      • Local businesses and entrepreneurs in Istanbul
      • Tourism and cultural organizations promoting Istanbul
      • Trademark holders (both local and global) seeking early protection via Sunrise phases
      • General registrants seeking a short-form Istanbul identity online
    • Positioning and goals (as stated by the applicant/IMM):
      • Create and market the "IST" brand nationally and internationally
      • Provide an alternative to .istanbul for shorter, brandable names
      • Encourage innovation, help local businesses, and promote tourism
      • Offer new opportunities for the IMM and portfolio owners to generate revenue and support city development

    Registration Rules

    • General stance: proposed as an unrestricted gTLD allowing broad registration, with a launch plan to manage initial demand and rights protection.
    • Start-up / launch plan overview:
      • Announcement: IMM planned a public announcement at least 120 days (four months) before opening to the general public.
      • Start-up period expected to last more than four months and include multiple phases to deter abusive registrations and enable orderly allocation.
    • Launch phases summary:
      • Phase 1 — Grandfathering (1 month): priority for existing registrants of third-level names under the .tr ccTLD.
      • Phase 2 — Sunrise (2 months): Sunrise Local (A) for local trademarks and Sunrise Global (B) for global trademarks.
      • Phase 3 — Landrush (1 month): allocation period for names not claimed during Grandfathering or Sunrise; not strictly first-come/first-served.
      • Phase 4 — General Availability: remaining names available on a first-come, first-served basis.
    • Governance and operations:
      • IMM planned to implement registry services through an experienced, centralized registry service provider and to adopt a Registry-Registrar Agreement (RRA).

    SEO and Brand Impact

    • The IMM's stated mission positions .ist as a brand-building TLD intended to:
      • Strengthen and market the "IST" identity for Istanbul internationally.
      • Provide a concise, city-branded namespace that can benefit local businesses and tourism marketing.
    • No explicit information about search engine treatment or trust perceptions is provided in the source material; branding emphasis is on visibility and promotion of Istanbul.

    Operator

    Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       IST

organisation: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
address:      Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Department of Electrical Engineering Hacı ahmet mahallesi Muhsin yazıcıoğlu caddesi no:1
address:      Beyoğlu/İstanbul 34440
address:      Turkey

contact:      administrative
name:         Registry Manager
organisation: Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality / Medya A.S.
address:      Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Department of Electrical Engineering Hacı ahmet mahallesi Muhsin yazıcıoğlu caddesi no:1
address:      Beyoğlu/İstanbul 34440
address:      Turkey
phone:        +90 2123128920
fax-no:       +90 2124495115
e-mail:       registry.iana@ibb.gov.tr

contact:      technical
name:         Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group
organisation: Afilias
address:      300 Welsh Road
address:      Building 3, Suite 105
address:      Horsham PA 19044
address:      United States of America (the)
phone:        +1 215.706.5700
fax-no:       +1 215.706.5701
e-mail:       tld-tech-poc@afilias.info

nserver:      A0.NIC.IST 2a01:8840:8e:0:0:0:0:1 65.22.144.1
nserver:      A2.NIC.IST 2a01:8840:91:0:0:0:0:1 65.22.147.1
nserver:      B0.NIC.IST 2a01:8840:8f:0:0:0:0:1 65.22.145.1
nserver:      C0.NIC.IST 2a01:8840:90:0:0:0:0:1 65.22.146.1
ds-rdata:     2221 8 2 7f26778aff98dad019476832c62ce0399f247ba6f4f8e10bf26b8c80db6e30d9

whois:        whois.nic.ist

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.nic.istanbul

created:      2015-05-29
changed:      2023-08-03
source:       IANA

    Registrars