Edirne

An old train station and a black train in the northwestern province of Edirne has been roping in the attention of shutterbugs and local tourists with its intriguing architecture, historical ambiance, rustic appearance that reflects a movie set, and many other unique features.

"Sixty or seventy per cent of our customers are now Bulgarians," says Yilmaz Sanis, president of the Association of the Historic Ali Pasa Bazaar in Edirne, Thrace, and owner of a shoe shop in the bazaar.

"They contribute to the market a lot," he told BIRN. "It is a great advantage for Thrace at a time when our jobs are suffering from economic conditions, and the pandemic."

Edirnekari, an art of wood carving and decorating, which has been carried out by resident craftsmen in the northwestern province of Edirne for nearly 500 years, has been passed down many generations with a master-apprentice tradition.

Two bibles believed to be 500 years old have been found in a police operation in the northwestern province of Edirne, the local governor's office has said.

An anti-smuggling team seized the two bibles in a shoebox in a car driving towards the Greek border in the district of Uzunköprü, the Edirne Governor's Office said.

"The number of visitors and tourism revenue in Turkey decreased during the first quarter because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, officials statistics showed on April 30. 

The number of visitors declined 67.83% to 718,097 in March, compared to a year ago, according to Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry.

The demolition of a statue located on the busiest street in the northwestern province of Edirne has sparked a debate among the residents of the city, which borders Greece and Bulgaria.
Saraçlar Street, which is the busiest street of the city, was closed to traffic in 2008 and a statue called Sevda Çeşmesi (Love Fountain) was erected in the middle of the street a year later.

Turkey welcomed 4.24 million foreign visitors in the first quarter of 2020, the country's Culture and Tourism Ministry said on April 30. 

The number of foreigners visiting the country dropped by 22.1% on a yearly basis in the quarter, the ministry data showed.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in China last December, tourism and aviation sectors took a backseat

Turkish authorities have issued an order releasing Bulgarian drivers of heavy goods vehicles from the 14-day quarantine period upon entering Turkey, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Turkish authorities have evacuated thousands of migrants who had been waiting at the border with Greece hoping to make their way into Europe, as a precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic, Turkey's interior minister said on March 27.

A total of 47 of our compatriots, who have been blocked in Morocco because of the measures taken by local authorities due to the COVID-19, landed with a Turkish Airlines flight around 6.00 am at Istanbul Airport, Bulgarian Foreign Ministry spokesman reported. They were welcomed by our consul.