Holy cities

The Antioch Greek Orthodox Church brought Christians together in Turkey's Antakya for centuries until last year, when an earthquake killed dozens of them and sent hundreds more fleeing.

Though it now lies in ruins, many pray it will again bring them back.

The strengthening works are ongoing uninterruptedly in Türkiye's prominent Hatay Archaeology Museum, which sustained damage during the deadly earthquakes that jolted the country's southeast in early February last year.

As a part of efforts to keep the historical heritage of the district alive, artifacts from historical buildings destroyed by the Feb. 6 earthquakes in Antakya, Hatay are being salvaged with "rubble archaeology" to be used in restoration.

Hatay, located in Türkiye's Mediterranean region, is home to many civilizations and known for its historical texture and cultural heritage.

The sales of museum cards, known as MüzeKart, reached 2.1 million in the first seven months of 2023, the Culture and Tourism Ministry has announced.

According to the statement made by the ministry, there was a record increase in MüzeKart sales, the price of which was recently fixed to 60 Turkish Liras.

It's been exactly six months since the devastating earthquakes jolted Türkiye's south, bringing massive destruction, loss of life and trauma to those left behind, as the country continues intensive infrastructure and construction works to rebuild the cities and bring relief to survivors and heal their wounds.

"Bulgaria believes that the Republic of North Macedonia will be a full member of the European Union based on its own contribution. We believe that they will fulfill the conditions of membership and should not waste time, because the worst thing is to waste time that will turn into skepticism.

As the feats and fasts of the three religions have coincided in the same month for the first time in the last 36 years, Muslims, Christians and Jews have come together for the "Unity and Brotherhood Table" in the southern quake-hit province of Hatay, the city of civilizations and cultures for centuries.

Thousands of Palestinian Christians and pilgrims from around the world filled Jerusalem's Old City on Saturday to celebrate the Orthodox Holy Light ceremony, under a heavy Israeli police presence that has drawn anger from churches.

Nearly 400 small artifacts in the Hatay Archaeology Museum, some of which got damaged during the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes in February, were sent to the Kırşehir Museum for protection against aftershocks.

Approximately 150 artifacts, weighing tons, are also preserved in their own places in the museum with a method of on-site preservation.

More than 8,000 truckloads of debris are being carried every day in the quake-hit province of Hatay's Antakya and Defne district, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has stated.