Turkish Artist Melikşah Soytürk Recreates Historic 16th-Century Istanbul Panorama

 

Turkish Artist Melikşah Soytürk Recreates Historic 16th-Century Istanbul Panorama

Painter Melikşah Soytürk has completed a two-year project to restore and recreate a 16th-century panorama of Istanbul originally drawn by Dutch artist Melchior Lorich. As detailed in Hürriyet Daily News, the enlarged artwork was presented at the Chicago Turkish Festival. Using fine-pen ink techniques, Soytürk expanded the historical document to nearly 19 meters across 22 sections, reconstructing damaged portions that depict Ottoman urban life, maritime architecture, and historic landmarks.

Fatih Municipality Restores Historic Ottoman Burial Sites to Safeguard Local Heritage

 

Fatih Municipality Restores Historic Ottoman Burial Sites to Safeguard Local Heritage

As part of the "Miras Fatih" heritage preservation initiative, Istanbul's Fatih Municipality has undertaken comprehensive restoration work across historic Ottoman-era burial grounds (hazire).

Specialists from the municipality's Cultural Heritage Directorate catalog, repair, and re-erect fallen or damaged gravestones affected by environmental conditions and decay. Restored sites include the Ucbas Nureddin Hamza Hazire and the Hakikizade Lodge Hazire, which serve as open-air archives documenting local calligraphic styles, urban history, and social structure.

• Source: Türkiye Today Article

Historic Wooden Greek Orphanage in Büyükada to Undergo Landmark Restoration Partnership

 

Historic Wooden Greek Orphanage in Büyükada to Undergo Landmark Restoration Partnership

A landmark restoration project has been launched to save the historic Greek orphanage in Büyükada, known as the largest wooden building in Europe, from decades of advanced structural deterioration. The property owner, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, formalized an agreement on June 15, 2026, during a ceremony attended by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew and Australia Archbishop Makarios Griniezakis.

The restoration will be executed through a partnership with Turkish conglomerate Bilgili Holding and a Greece-based sustainable tourism and real estate firm. Originally designed by Levantine architect Alexandre Vallaury and completed in 1898 as the Prinkipo Palace luxury hotel, the building was converted into an orphanage in 1903. It has remained abandoned since its closure in 1964. The international partners have pledged to preserve the original architectural character of the 206-room structure and return it to active use.

Source: Hürriyet Daily News