Topkapı

The long-closed Atatürk Culture Center (AKM) on Istanbul's Taksim Square will reopen after renovation in 2019, Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmuş has said.

Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister said on Sept. 11 that he expects 200,000 Chinese tourists to visit the country by the end of this year.      

Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmuş has denied claims Istanbul's Topkapı Palace was sliding toward the sea, after he made a visit to the Ottoman-era palace and obtained information from officials.
 
 "This is completely a speculation. The palace remains in its exact place," he said.  

After a number of scientific reports raised the alarm that Istanbul's historic Topkapı Palace is sliding steadily toward the sea, officials have launched  a restoration effort that is planned to take around three decades. 

Istanbul's Topkapı Palace Museum is undergoing the most comprehensive restoration project in its history. The ongoing 24 projects are expected to cost 220 million Turkish Liras, Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı has said in a statement.

Istanbul's Topkapı Palace Museum is undergoing the most comprehensive restoration project in its history. The ongoing 24 projects are expected to cost 220 million Turkish Liras, Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı has said in a statement.

The Fatih Municipality of Istanbul has controversially converted historic city walls, on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites protected list, for the construction of a new wedding hall, covering them with a portable roof after receiving permission from the Provincial Board of Cultural Property Protection. 

The Topkapi Palace is on the verge of collapse due to ongoing archaeological excavations and studies that are bringing Roman and Byzantine finds to light, according to Turkish media. The Turkish media report that slits started appearing in the walls of the Ottoman Palace, which was the Royal residence for the sultans in Constantinople for 400 years.

The number of visitors to Turkey's museums fell by almost half in the first three months of this year, while the number of foreign visitors also dropped by 60 percent. 

The sharp decline is thought to have been caused by a number of terrorist attacks hitting Turkish cities, which has led to a big drop in the overall number of tourists visiting Turkey.