Istanbul

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.

An intense blanket of fog enveloped Istanbul in the early hours of the Feb. 29 morning, disrupting traffic and causing flight delays.

The fog intensified around the high and northern regions of the Bosphorus and around Trans-European Motorways (TEM) spanning Ümraniye, Kavacık, Altunizade, Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Yavuz Sultan Selim bridges.

The Hellenic American Leadership Council, an influential Greek-American advocacy group, has launched a petition against Ankara's conversion of another important Byzantine monument, the Chora Church, into a mosque.

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.

As the renovation on the panoramic shores of Salacak is underway in Istanbul, the municipality brings the project to life, as decided by a competition in 2022.

The plans of the project, which will completely transform the waterfront, include new areas such as a continuous bicycle path along the coast, cafes and outdoor workspaces.

Political parties rushed to finalize their mayoral candidates as the deadline for submitting nomination lists for the upcoming local elections expired on Feb. 20, marking a crucial step in the electoral process set to take place on March 31.

Following the deadly earthquakes in early February last year, Istanbul Governor's Office launched an inspection of school buildings across the metropolitan city, with 481 high-risk buildings rebuilt and 799 schools reinforced so far.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has appointed ambassadors to five countries, including regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.

Restoration teams in Istanbul's historic Grand Bazaar have drilled walls and installed thick beams, prompting a strong reaction from shopkeepers.