Constantinople

Teams from Istanbul Municipality have discovered a statue from the Roman period, estimated to be 1,900 years old, in the area of the Saint Polyeuktos Church in Saraçhane that was destroyed during the Latin occupation.

The teams from Istanbul Municipality's Cultural Heritage Department initiated an excavation work in the area where the church was destroyed on June 8 last year.

A regional court in Istanbul has given the verdict to demolish the building of the Hiranur Foundation, which came to the fore with the allegation of the abuse of a 6-year-old child, on the ground that it is against the zoning legislation.

Within the scope of the restoration works of the historical Maiden's Tower, one of the symbolic buildings of Istanbul, the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry has informed that they have surrounded the island where the tower is located with stakes to keep it standing and afloat for thousands of years.

The 119-year-old Vlora Han in Istanbul's Sirkeci neighborhood, one of the oldest commercial buildings in the city, is in disrepair and its crumbling exterior attracts experts' attention.

Intense cracks and decay can also be seen in the interior of the building.

Türkiye is experiencing the driest winter in 22 years and a water crisis is looming in the summer, according to experts.

Even though March 22 is known as World Water Day, many parts of Türkiye are experiencing extraordinary drought. With the decrease in winter precipitation, dams have started to dry up.

While almost 24 years have passed following the 1999 Marmara earthquake, repair and retrofitting of 1,359 moderately damaged buildings in Istanbul have not been carried out until 2021.

Within the scope of the İlk Evim (My First Home) Project, the first drawing of lots for Istanbul's Tuzla district took place on March 16, with owners of 20,920 new houses determined already.

The draw was held at Tuzla Viaport Marina in the municipality's event tent at 10 a.m. and was broadcast live online.

Mehmet Alkan, a shoe-sole manufacturer in Turkey's earthquake-hit south, doesn't know what will become of his company after some of his 220 employees died and half fled, reflecting the difficult transformation ahead for industry in the region.

A drone shot of collapsed buildings after an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, 7 February 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

A mathematics teacher has last set foot in the Marshall Islands 30 years after he started his world tour, becoming the first Turk to travel all 197 countries in the world.