Traditional Metal and Restoration Workshops Persevere in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar District

 

Traditional Metal and Restoration Workshops Persevere in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar District

A photographic documentation project has chronicled the surviving master craftspeople working in the historical workshops (hans) surrounding the Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı). In quarters such as Büyük Yeni Han and surrounding alleys, artisans continue traditional metal casting, repoussé, jewelry restoration, and filigree production. These multi-generational workshops serve as vital technical support systems for the bazaar's trade, maintaining manual manufacturing methods alongside modern commercial retail.

Source:

• Associated Press News: Behind Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, a world of artisans endures

Architectural Survey Highlights Nineteen Centuries of Istanbul Water Engineering Heritage

 

Architectural Survey Highlights Nineteen Centuries of Istanbul Water Engineering Heritage

Archaeological and architectural surveys have cataloged the survival of a 55-kilometer historical water transmission network spanning from the Belgrad Forest to central Istanbul. Originating in Roman infrastructure initiatives under Emperor Hadrian (117–138 CE) and expanded during the Byzantine period via the Valens Aqueduct, the system reached its structural peak in the 16th century with the Ottoman Kırkçeşme network engineered by Mimar Sinan. The surviving masonry infrastructure includes 33 aqueducts—most notably the Mağlova and Uzunkemer aqueducts—as well as distribution chambers (maksem) that defined the urban topography of neighborhoods such as Taksim.

Source:

• Hürriyet Daily News: Historic Istanbul water network traces 19 centuries of engineering

Summer Water Demand and Dry Conditions Push Istanbul Reservoir Levels Below 50 Percent

 

Summer Water Demand and Dry Conditions Push Istanbul Reservoir Levels Below 50 Percent

Seasonal high temperatures, reduced precipitation, and peak summer water demand have driven the cumulative occupancy rate of Istanbul's reservoirs below 50%, reaching approximately 48.13% according to municipal water utility monitoring. Basins such as the Sazlıbosna Dam have experienced significant shoreline recessions, exposing submerged terrain and historic structures. Water authorities maintain conservation recommendations to balance resource consumption ahead of autumn rainfall cycles.

Source:

• Daily Sabah / Ground News: Istanbul Dam Levels Fall Below 50% Amid Summer Water Demand

Ministry of Transport Takes Over Construction of 17.5-Kilometer Asian-Side Metro Line

 

Ministry of Transport Takes Over Construction of 17.5-Kilometer Asian-Side Metro Line

A new 17.5-kilometer rapid transit corridor featuring 14 stations has been incorporated into national infrastructure planning to connect Ümraniye, Kavacık, and Beykoz on the Asian side of Istanbul. By presidential decree published in the Official Gazette, execution of the Ümraniye–Kavacık–Beykoz metro project was transferred from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.

The line will provide orbital connectivity along the northern Bosphorus corridor and integrate with existing lines, including an interchange with the M5 Üsküdar–Sultanbeyli line at Ümraniye.

Source:

• Railway PRO: Istanbul is planning a new 17.5 km metro line

U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Istanbul-Based Individuals Over Terrorism Financing Links

 

U.S. Treasury Imposes Sanctions on Istanbul-Based Individuals Over Terrorism Financing Links

The United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) updated its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under counter-terrorism authorities (Executive Order 13224). The designations include Mehmet Akyüz and Mehmet Acur, individuals with registered residential addresses in Istanbul's Fatih district (İskenderpaşa and Yavuz Sultan Selim neighborhoods). According to the Treasury notice, the individuals were sanctioned as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) for alleged financial and operational connections to Hizballah.

Source:

• U.S. Department of the Treasury (OFAC): Counter Narcotics, Counter Terrorism, Cuba-related, and Iran-related Designations

Clustered Microearthquake Swarm Recorded South of Istanbul's Princes' Islands

 

Clustered Microearthquake Swarm Recorded South of Istanbul's Princes' Islands

Between August 18 and August 20, 2026, Boğaziçi University’s Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KRDAE) along with the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) registered a microearthquake swarm in the Sea of Marmara. Kandilli identified 117 seismic events ranging from magnitude 0.7 to 3.1 within a 20-kilometer radius south of the Princes' Islands. Concurrently, AFAD documented over 30 tremors in a 24-hour window, with the peak event measuring magnitude 3.2 at focal depths ranging between 7 and 17 kilometers.

According to seismological assessments, the recorded events exhibited normal-component oblique strike-slip mechanisms consistent with the active geometry of the North Anatolian Fault system under the Sea of Marmara. Geologists have noted that microearthquake clusters are typical in active tectonic settings, and 24/7 monitoring continues via regional observation centers.

Sources:

• Turkish Minute: Turkish observatory records 117 microearthquakes south of İstanbul in 55 hours

• Türkiye Today: Kandilli records 117 earthquakes south of Istanbul's Princes' Islands in 2 days

• Türkiye Today: Quake swarm shakes Istanbul with over 30 tremors in 24 hours

Reuters Distributes Photo Documentation of Istanbul Historic Peninsula at Sunrise

 

Reuters Distributes Photo Documentation of Istanbul Historic Peninsula at Sunrise

Reuters Connect has released an editorial photo series documenting morning skylines over Istanbul. Photographed on August 18, the visual assets capture sunrise lighting over the Historic Peninsula, highlighting architectural silhouettes including the 16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque and the Grand Çamlıca Mosque.

• Source Article:

  • Licensable picture: Sun rises over Turkiye's Istanbul – Reuters Connect