Fatih

The Orient Express is leaving Istanbul on June 7, continuing its journey back to Paris with its next round of passengers.

The luxury train, which departed from Paris on June 1 and having passed through Zurich, Vienna, Budapest, Bucharest and Varna, arrived in Istanbul on June 5 where it was greeted by a Mehteran (Ottoman band) group at Sirkeci station.

Turkish political leaders and citizens commemorated on Wednesday the 571st anniversary of the fall of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) to Ottoman Turk forces on May 29 in 1453.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the conquest as a historic triumph in a post on social media, describing it as "one of the magnificent victories in world history."

Political leaders and citizens gathered on May 29 to commemorate the 571st anniversary of the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, marking the landmark event with a series of celebrations throughout the city.

The Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum, located in Istanbul's Sultanahmet Square, opened its doors with new works, revealing the most special examples of historical and cultural heritage.

Renowned football coach Fatih Terim has initiated legal action against private lender Denizbank, seeking compensation for damages stemming from a scandal involving a pyramid scheme that allegedly defrauded prominent football players.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry announced that the Hagia Sophia History and Experience Museum and the Ephesus Experience Museum, which are among the pioneers of experiential museology in the world and in Türkiye, will host visitors with a special 50 percent discount during the Museums Week through May 26.

Renowned travel guide Lonely Planet has named Istanbul's Sirkeci-Kazlıçeşme railway line as one of Europe's must-see rail routes.

The railway line was recently renovated in line with a project initiated by the Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry.

Crews have managed to extinguish a fire that broke out in a 123-year-old restaurant in Istanbul's famous Spice Bazaar, with no casualties or injuries reported.
The conflagration ignited at approximately 10 a.m. on May 15 in the chimney of the historic Pandeli Restaurant in the bazaar in Eminönü, for reasons yet to be ascertained.

Turkey has opened the ancient Chora church, one of Istanbul's most celebrated Byzantine buildings, to Muslim worshippers after it was used as a museum for more than 70 years, making it the second such major conversion under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Earlier this week Turkey formally opened the monastery of Chora, a former Byzantine church and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul, as a mosque. The move follows the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque in 2020, and has drawn international criticism.