Abdulhamid II

In a significant stride against cultural property smuggling, Türkiye successfully repatriated 45 historical artifacts from abroad this year, reaffirming its commitment to preserving its rich heritage.

The restoration work on a remarkable dressing gown believed to have belonged to Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II has been completed at the Istanbul Beylerbeyi Sabancı Technical School.

Edirne Central Military Hospital, which was used especially for the treatment of wounded soldiers during the Balkan Wars and currently has just one wall standing, will be restored by the Presidency of National Palaces.

A carpet, which was gifted in 1907 by the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II to the Peace Palace, which serves as the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, will be restored in Türkiye.

Photographs showing the original state of the Radiotelegraph Station, which was built in the ancient city of Patara in 1906 to provide communication between the Derne Port of Libya under the Ottoman rule and the Patara Port, have come to light.

The photos were published in the magazine called Servet-i Fünun in March 1906.

Rumi was a man weighing between 60 and 63 kilos, with a height of 160 and 165 centimeters, the head of the Rumi Museum in the Central Anatolian province of Konya has said.

Naci Bakırcı highlighted that he has come to this conclusion after examining Rumi's 19 clothes in the museum's inventory and some 18th-century drawings.

Historical Ottoman coins have been put up for sale in at least 17,000 online advertisement posts.

Prospective buyers should consult with an expert before making any payments, said Neşet Gündüz, the head of the Consumers' Association in Antalya.

"Not every object from the Ottoman era necessarily has a historical value," he said.

Turkey has broken its own record in tea consumption with an increase from 3.5 to 4 kilograms per person annually amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by the International Tea Committee.

Consumption at cafes or tea houses declined due to lockdowns and curfews, but the pandemic did not stop tea consumption from exceeding previous levels.

Local authorities have applied to the Guinness World Records to get a seven-floor building in the shape of a tea glass in the Black Sea province of Rize, known as "the capital of Turkish tea," to be registered as the "the biggest tea glass."

Described as Europe's largest wooden building, the Prinkipo Greek Orphanage in Büyükada, the largest of Istanbul's nine Princes' Islands, will be saved from a possible collapse with a planned but expensive restoration work.

The historic structure will require some 20 million euros for restoration, according to experts, who completed surveying the building following long delays.