Evliya Çelebi

Minarets in the Mountains recounts a road trip Hussain and his family took in the summer of 2016 through the former Yugoslavia and Albania in search of Europe's indigenous Muslim communities, their history and heritage.

Believed to be built in the reign of Seljuks in Anatolia, Pertek Castle in the eastern province of Tunceli awaits its visitors as Turkey is gradually reopening and returning to normal after days of strict COVID-19 restrictions.

The history of Kibatos Castle, an important structure of the Byzantine period, which was discovered at a depth of about 3 meters in 2019 in the Marmara Sea, is being revealed through research.

An excavation team was taken aback when they stumbled upon unique handmade gold and original ornaments while unearthing in the restoration works of the 400-year-old Tekeli Mehmet Pasha Mosque, one of the iconic mosques in the southern province of Antalya.

In his wonderful "Book of Travel," famed Ottoman explorer Evliya Celebi (1611-1682) said that writers of all faiths regard Athens as the "home of wise men." Celebi sang the city's praises in a beautifully written paean after visiting Athens in 1668. He encountered a medieval city, where the Parthenon was still almost intact.

Today, March 25, is the anniversary of the birth of Evliya Çelebi, one of the greatest Ottoman men of letters. He is also one of the least-appreciated. As someone who has lived in Istanbul for many years, immersing myself of late in Evliya's life and work, I remain perplexed that he is scarcely celebrated in Turkey today.

Today, March 25, is the anniversary of the birth of Evliya Çelebi, one of the greatest Ottoman men of letters. He is also one of the least-appreciated. As someone who has lived in Istanbul for many years, immersing myself of late in Evliya's life and work, I remain perplexed that he is scarcely celebrated in Turkey today.

Historians have discovered what they believe to be the shrine and mosque where the internal remains of Süleyman the Magnificent were interred in 1566.

A joint Turkish-Hungarian team uncovered structures in southern Hungary where Süleyman's organs were buried following his death during a Balkan campaign.

Excavation works carried out in the eastern province of Erzincan's Kemah district have unearthed a millennium-old Turkish neighborhood. 

Atatürk University History of Art Department Professor Hüseyin Yurtta? said after discovering Bey Mosque and bath, the team had focused on civil architecture and continued excavations by looking at Evliya Çelebi's "Book of Travels." 

?Stamboul Sketches: Encounters in Old Istanbul? by John Freely (Eland, 208 pages, £12.99)