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.

Officials in the northwestern province of Edirne have planted saplings of "Edirne rose," a local rose species that got lost over time, that they brought from a Bulgarian village in its own habitat, reviving the species once again.

"Edirne rose has reunited with the lands it once was born in," said Recep Gürkan, the mayor of the province, during a ceremony on Nov. 25.

A dog has taken the internet by storm after photos circulated on social media showing it commuting on Istanbul's public transport.

The buzz began when someone posted a photo of the dog on the tram in Istanbul with the caption saying, "A security officer wanted to take the dog out, but it resisted. Then he said, 'Anybody bothered? Because if not, it will get off at Kabataş station'."

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.

Guided by Evliya Çelebi's "Seyahatname" (Travel Book), an excavation team in the eastern province of Erzincan's Kemah district has succeeded to unearth the longest water tunnels and a millennium-old Turkish neighborhood. 

Once upon a time, the town of Melita was famous for its legendary fruit orchards. Even the name of Melita sounds delicious. This is the old name for Malatya, the unrivaled capital of apricots in Turkey, and the world in a way. The city produces 90 percent of all dried apricots exported from Turkey, which sums up to almost 80,000 tons worth $290.7 million.

Özdemir Turan seems like the last of a dying breed, but if he has his way, he won't. After more than five decades engaged in the wire-walking business - a traditional Turkish art that dates back millennia - the 67-year-old says he's as keen as ever to pass along his craft to someone from the younger generation.