Istanbul just had [felt] an earthquake..sort of powerful…

Well, our building has not collapsed but shaken well…

The quake center was not near Istanbul, but it was felt powerfully…

here comes an Istanbul news roundup:)
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Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, seen here in March 2011, has announced plans to build two new cities near Istanbul and relocate up to 1.5 million residents who are most at risk from a possible earthquake in the metropolis. (AFP/File/Adem Altan)

The Big Six: Heritage hotels in Istanbul
The Independent
For the last few centuries these leafy islands in Istanbul’s bay have been a place of ritzy retreat instead, the wooden mansions welcoming Wallace Simpson, Leon Trotsky and other eloping celebrities. On Buyukada Island, the seven-bedroom villa Naya was

Impact of Istanbul Canal on shipping, population debated
Hurriyet Daily News
The impact of a proposed new canal on Istanbul’s population and urban plan, and on a key shipping treaty, were the subjects of domestic and international debate Thursday following the prime minister’s announcement of the plan.

Music Festival Time for Istanbul
Focus on Travel News
The Istanbul Music Festival organised by Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, under the sponsorship of Borusan is greeting the music lovers in its 39th year with a fully packed program. The Istanbul Music Festival, sponsored by Borusan Holding

If MoMA can not Go to Istanbul…

In collaboration with the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV), the world’s leading contemporary art space is to host “Destination: Istanbul” between May 12 – June 30. “Destination: Istanbul” designer lifestyle products will soon be available at MoMA Design Store locations and exclusively in IKSV Design Store in Istanbul.

Turquie : le projet pharaonique du Canal Istanbul

Le Figaro (France) no. 20758, vendredi 29 avril 2011, p. 17 (Une-ECO)

Laure Marchand, Istanbul

Le premier ministre veut construire « le projet du siècle » : un canal de 50 kilomètres entre la mer Noire et la mer de Marmara.

Istanbul To Become International Financial Hub By 2023
Bernama
ISTANBUL, April 30 (Bernama) — Istanbul will become one of the world’s top 10 financial centers by 2023, Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said. “When you look at the map from Germany to East Asia, Istanbul’s potential as a

Iraqi refugees wait for new lives in Istanbul’s ‘Little Baghdad’
Hurriyet Daily News
A neighborhood known as ‘Son Durak’ (Last Stop) in Istanbul’s Kurtuluş area is a way station for Iraqis who have fled the Iraq war since 2003. The community, also called ‘Little Baghdad,’ is mostly populated by Christian refugees from central and

Istanbul: Way beyond the kebab
GlobalPost
Our Istanbul correspondent explores one of the world’s greatest but least-appreciated cuisines ? and drinks coffee ?so thick a water buffalo wouldn’t sink in it.? Turkish people wait in a queue for a chicken doner kebab prepared by Ankara Chicken Meat

İstanbul’s ‘heart of jazz’ to beat strong in July
Today’s Zaman
Summer is almost here and one of the surest signs is the İstanbul Jazz Festival, the city’s annual musical feast that plays an important part in jazz-loving İstanbulites’ summer plans. With a program that will see a range of stars from Herbie Hancock

Kayaköy: A Photo Journey

In trying to find the words to write this post, I discovered that what moved me more than anything I could say about Kayaköy were the photos I took of the city, which was largely abandoned after 1923 as a result of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey saw the two countries forcibly exchange Christians from Turkey and Muslims from Greece.

Canal Istanbul detailed

Paddock Postcard: Istanbul, a City at Continental Crossroads
New York Times
Although Istanbul, the majestic city outside of which the race takes place, has a foot in both Asia and Europe, the racetrack itself is technically in Asia. Associated Press The Bosporus Strait, which links Europe with Asia, in Istanbul, Turkey

Italians in Istanbul

‘Followers Inside an Eastern Church’ Oil on canvasSize: 65×81.3 cm / 25.6×32.0 in | Tableau représentant l’intérieur d’une église à Constantinople. Oil on canvas by Fabius Brest (1823-1900)

EU Support for Kanalistanbul

Mavi Boncuk |
European Investment Bank (EIB) Vice President Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen has said it is the bank?s duty to support giant projects that open new eras in the world.

Un canal, symbole de la puissance turque et des ambitions d?Erdogan

Libération (France) lundi 9 mai 2011, p. 8

Par Marc Semo

Le Premier ministre turc clame que «ce canal fera de l?ombre à ceux de Panama et Suez». Annoncé mercredi 27 avril après plusieurs semaines de suspense ce «projet fou et magnifique», selon les mots de Recep Tayyip Erdogan a mis en effervescence la Turquie. Les entrepreneurs proches de l?AKP, le parti islamoconservateur au pouvoir depuis 2002, exultent, les écologistes fulminent, les diplomates s?inquiètent de voir se rallumer la question des détroits. Prévu pour être achevé en 2023 pour le centenaire de la République, ce canal de 150 mètres de large et 25 mètres de profondeur, long de 50 kilomètres reliera la mer Noire à la mer de Marmara, à une cinquantaine de kilomètres à l?ouest d?Istanbul. Il devrait pouvoir accueillir chaque jour jusqu?à 160 cargos et tankers de gros tonnage soulageant d?autant le Bosphore emprunté en 2009 par 51 000 navires dont de nombreux pétroliers. Ce détroit, avec de très forts courants, a déjà connu plusieurs graves collisions de tankers comme en 1979 (41 morts) et 1994 (29 morts). Le Premier ministre évoque la «préservation de la mer et de la nature».
Another ‘Crazy Project’ for Istanbul
Wall Street Journal (blog)
On Wednesday he outlined another one: to build two new earthquake resistant urban centers on the outskirts of Europe’s biggest metropolis, Istanbul. Mr. Erdogan’s idea is to build one of the cities along the Black Sea coast, on the European side of the

Istanbul one of the ‘top destinations’ in Europe for property
International Business Times
Istanbul is fast emerging as one of the best destinations in Europe for real estate investment. The Emerging Trends in Real Estate Report Europe from PwC and the Urban Land Institute has named the city as the number one location for new property

Tarlabasi, un quartier populaire très convoité au coeur d?Istanbul

Les Kurdes sont très nombreux à vivre à Istanbul. Le BDP y soutient 4 candidats. Il y a quelques jours  Sırrı Süreyya Önder -un des candidats BDP non  kurde –  était à la permanence du parti dans le quartier de Tarlabasi. Un quartier à la réputation encore un peu sulfureuse, car peuplé ?entre autre de gens de mauvaise vie?, indique un guide d?Istanbul. – que par ailleurs je recommande à ceux qui aiment les guides.

Model of Internationalism: Istanbul Bazaar no place for ethnic differences
ArmeniaNow.com
Istanbul’s Laleli market is the most liberal place in Turkey. It is an international trade area where migrants from almost all former Soviet states work side by side with complete disregard to whatever differences on ethnic grounds they may have fo

Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts Announces 12th Istanbul Biennial

Istanbul on the hop
The West Australian
The man standing outside Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace is holding two small white rabbits. Intrigued, I hop across the road to find out more. “These are,” he says, pointing to Fluff and Stuff, “two very clever rabbits. They can tell fortunes.

Five unforgettable experiences in Istanbul
Hindustan Times
According to author Orhan Pamuk, the Bosphorus, a 32-kilometre tranquil strait, is of ?spiritual import? to the people of Istanbul. The sultans of yore had their summer homes here, and today, the tall, slim houses along the waters are avidly sought

İstanbul Photography Museum to open in June
www.worldbulletin.net
Kadırga was an important platform for socioeconomic interaction amongst religions and peoples throughout history and one of best examples of coexistence in İstanbul until the 1950s. June will welcome the opening of the İstanbul Photography Museum in