Marmara Region

Fishermen have caught a swordfish in Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait after approximately half a century since it was last seen in Turkish waters.

"It is good news to learn that an endangered species is seen in Istanbul Strait," Nuray Erkan, a professor from Istanbul University's Hydrology Faculty, told the daily Milliyet on Oct. 15.

Excavation works continue in the ancient city of Alexandria Troas, located in Turkey's northwestern Çanakkale province. (AA Photo)

The coastal map of Istanbul will change and most of the places along the Bosphorus Strait will be underwater in around four decades, according to a report by a U.S.-based climate organization.

"Seawater will move in around 2 kilometers to the districts located by the Bosphorus," Climate Central said.

History is being rewritten with archaeological excavations at Haydarpaşa Train Station in Istanbul's Kadıköy district, which was known as Chalcedon (the Land of the Blind) in ancient times.

The excavations, which have been continuing for nearly three years, shed light on the history of Kadıköy from the 5th century BC to the early era of the Turkish Republic.

A 2,000-year-old altar has been unearthed in northwestern Turkey near the town of Ezine in Çanakkale province, archeologists said on Oct. 9.

A hall with a podium, temple, odium, and bathhouse were among the remains that have survived to the present day in the ancient city of Alexandria Troas, an area near the Aegean Sea.

The ninth Bosphorus Film Festival, which is scheduled to be held on Oct. 23-30 in Istanbul, announced the films that will vie for the Best Film Award, organizers said on Oct. 8. 

Squirrels residing in Istanbul's famous Emirgan Woods attract visitors' attention. (AA Photo)

Listing the globe's "100 coolest neighborhoods of 2021," world's renowned culture, entertainment and events magazine Time Out has put Istanbul's Kadıköy district in the 45th row.

Nørrebro from the Danish capital Copenhagen topped the list as Andersonville from Chicago, U.S. was a runner-up. Jongno 3-ga from South Korea's capital Seoul stood at third place.

The Kanal Istanbul project has been "debated entirely" but is now at the stage of implementation, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Oct. 8.

Speaking at the 12th Transportation and Communication Week at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the Bosphorus's inability to carry the increasing freight traffic led them to seek alternatives.

The ban on battery electric vehicles on Istanbul's Princes' Islands that came to force on Oct. 5 has stirred debate, with some locals complaining persistently, saying they want their right to ride the vehicles back.
Especially tradespeople on the islands strictly oppose the ban.