Constantinople

The 112-year-old Bulgur Palas, designed by an Italian architect, is now open to the public following extensive restoration works by the Istanbul Municipality.

The building, whose original name was Bolulu Habip Bey Mansion and whose project was designed by the Italian architect Giulio Mongeri in 1912, was known to the people as Bulgur Palas.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is determined to strengthen the building stock of Istanbul before a major earthquake hits Türkiye's largest city, President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, vowing to resolve Istanbul's traffic problem if their candidate, Murat Kurum wins the mayoral polls on March 31.

An unusual event took place in Istanbul a few days ago. Turkish students were awarded diplomas for learning Greek after taking a Greek language course at the Sismanoglio Megaro.

The decision of Istanbul University, one of Türkiye's venerable educational institutions, to open its campuses to public visits has ignited controversy.

Turkish authorities are reportedly moving ahead with the conversion of another Byzantine Greek Orthodox church into a mosque. The Chora Church in Istanbul will be open to Muslim worshippers for Friday prayers on February 23, according to a report in the Yeni Safak newspaper.

With heavy snowfall expected on the weekend in the western Black Sea and southeastern and eastern Anatolia regions, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has issued "yellow" and "orange" alerts for 31 out of the country's 81 provinces.

Murat Kurum, the Istanbul mayoral candidate representing the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-led People's Alliance, has unveiled plans for the megacity primarily aimed at alleviating the city's notorious traffic congestion.

House sales decreased by 17.5 percent to 1,225,926 in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to official numbers made public on Jan. 19.

Istanbul had the highest share of house sales with 16.2 percent, followed by Ankara with 9.3 percent and İzmir with 5.3 percent, Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) said.

Foreign tourists entering the former Orthodox Christian cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul will have to pay an entrance fee from Monday, as announced by Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry. 

With temperatures dropping sharply due to the new cold wave coming from Iceland, citizens in Istanbul are witnessing the season's first snowfall, as chilly weather will continue in the coming days.