Hagia Sophia
After rare silence, Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar prepares to reopen
An eerie silence has fallen over Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest, largest and most visited markets, where a raucous mixture of languages, cultures and commerce has buzzed for centuries.
Controversial restoration of converted mosque nears end
The controversial restoration of the Hagia Sophia Mosque, which was opened to worship in 2013 after serving as a museum for 52 years, is about to be completed in the Black Sea province of Trabzon.
Musician records Hagia Sofia acoustics
The acoustics of Istanbul's iconic Hagia Sofia was recorded for the first time simultaneously with eight cameras and voice recorders.
Turkish musician and singer Emre Yücelen and a volunteer team are behind the recording.
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AHI condemns Turkish court ruling
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) has condemned a ruling by Turkey's highest administrative court last November that could pave the way for the conversion a former Orthodox church in Istanbul, which is now a museum, into a mosque.
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Hagia Sophia still top tourist attraction
Istanbul's Hagia Sophia Museum remained Turkey's most visited tourist attraction in 2019, according to data released by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. (Alamy Photo)
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Turkish hackers target Greek government websites, stock exchange
Turkish hackers on Friday claimed to have hijacked the official webpages of the Greek Foreign and Finance ministries, the National Intelligence Service (EYP), the Athens Stock Exchange and the Parliament, Greek media reported.
Authorities took down the pages to protect them.
Hollywood star visits historic Grand Bazaar
Academy Award-winning Hollywood star Michael Douglas visited Istanbul's historic Grand Bazaar on Jan. 5.
The 75-year-old actor was accompanied by his children Dylan, 19, and Carys, 16, during the Istanbul tour.
The Hollywood couple, award-wining actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Douglas are in Istanbul to celebrate their 20th anniversary of marriage.
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Turkish paper eyes grounds for conversion of Hagia Sophia into mosque
Turkey's pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper on Tuesday is said to have reported that an impending ruling by the country's Council of State could pave the way for museums that operated as mosques during Ottoman times to become Muslim places of worship once more.
Hagia Sophia visitors to reach three million threshold in 2019
The long queues in front of the ticket office of Hagia Sophia Museum in recent days have been drawing attention as a sign of skyrocketing tourism figures in Istanbul.
Turkish hackers target junior minister’s Instagram account
The Instagram account of Greece's Deputy Sports Minister Giorgos Vasiliadis was hacked by a Turkish group calling itself Anka Neferler Tim on Thursday afternoon.
The hackers posted two photos on Vasiliadis' account, one of Istanbul's Hagia Sophia — a Byzantine-era cathedral that now serves as a museum - and another with the group's logo.