Bosphorus

With jellyfish numbers rising at alarming rates and dolphins suffering in Turkey's Bosphorus due to overfishing, experts are warning officials to take measures to check fishermen from exploiting the waters.

The National Palaces Painting Museum in Istanbul's Dolmabahçe Palace has become one of the foremost painting museums in the world, with its collection of more than 3,000 paintings in its inventory and the opportunity to exhibit 553 paintings at the same time.

Istanbul's "winter guests" Eurasian coots started to be seen on the Bosphorus. (AA Photo)

Heavy fog led to a shutdown of vessel traffic late on Jan. 17 in Turkey's Bosporus Strait, said Turkish officials.

Marine traffic in the Bosporus has been suspended as visibility is below a half mile, the Istanbul Port Directorate of the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry said in a statement.

Fishermen using cast nets in the depths of the Bosphorus Strait and close to its shores on big fishing boats are threatening marine wildlife, experts have warned.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry permits industrial fishing at 24 meters of depth offshore and in seas, but fishermen have been throwing nets from their large fishing boats close to the banks of the Bosphorus Strait.

Thousands of students, academics, activists and opposition party members organised a second protest on Wednesday in Kadikoy Pier Square in Istanbul over the appointment of a new rector at Bogazici University.

Turkey's Orthodox community celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on Jan. 6, recognized as Christmas according to the Julian calendar.

Greek Orthodox citizens in Istanbul reenacted the baptism of Christ with a traditional cross-throwing ceremony at the Kuzguncuk dock in Üsküdar district.

Isaac Chong Wai's solo exhibition, titled "Leaderless," commissioned by Tarabya Cultural Academy and Zilberman will be presented at Bilsart in Istanbul from Jan. 6 until Feb. 1.

Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM) will host a concert titled "Jazz at Atlı Köşk."

The concert, to be performed by the Çağıl Kaya Trio, will meet music lovers on Turkish state channel TRT2 on Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. and on SSM's YouTube channel on Dec. 29 at 8:30 p.m.

The narrowest street in Istanbul on records is in Kuruçeşme neighborhood of the Beşiktaş district and it is only 89 centimeters in width that two people cannot walk side by side, a city historian said on Dec. 20.

"There are narrow passages all around Istanbul, however this one, Alaylı Street, is an official street that has been on records," Mehmet Dilbaz said.