Van Province

In contrast to the many modern, huge (and ugly) municipality buildings in Istanbul, Edirne has a small but historic central municipality building. A picture of the members of the municipality's assembly dating from 1902 shows 12 members: Six Muslim and six non-Muslim. 

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is prepared to take steps in order to contain likely criticism in regards to inaction regarding the expansion of fundamental freedoms and rights amid an agenda dominated by terrorist attacks and counterterrorism operations.

Culture and Tourism Minister Yalç?n Topçu has said he wished for the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul to be reopened to prayers for Muslims.

In a city that has been home to various civilizations since the 9th century B.C., the historic Armenian churches in Turkey's eastern province of Van await visitors and hopefully restoration - in order to stop them from being forgotten.

Ankara has embarked on a series of restoration projects on Armenian churches in Turkey, amid criticism that the country's remaining Armenian cultural and historical heritage not destroyed during World War I has been left to ruin.

Academics have discovered a new castle dating back 3,000 years to the Iron Age in the eastern province of Van.

Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYÜ) History of Art Department Professor Mehmet Top, with the help of village head İrfan Yücel, recently revealed the existence of the castle in the Yurtbaşı neighborhood of Gürpınar district.