Turkish artist Mehmet Aksoy’s sculpture, which was removed on Jan. 7 from its spot for 12 years in Istanbul’s Ümraniye neighborhood after a court decision that the location belonged to the General Directorate of National Property, will be placed in the Avcılar neighborhood. Link

The Ottoman Optical Character Recognition (OCR) project, which enables rare Ottoman works to be transferred to the electronic world, has been launched by the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA). IRCICA General Director Halit Eren,  said the IRCICA library at the historic Yıldız Palace was home to hundreds of thousands of documents, more than 70,000 photographs and more than 6,000 calligraphies. Link 

The Antalya Women’s Museum is set to become Turkey’s third women’s museum following ones in Istanbul and İzmir, having already launched a virtual museum online. The museum features the stories of women from all classes of society and hosts visual exhibitions, talks and shopping while also relating the beauty of the Yörük and Mediterranean cultures, according to Antalya Promotion Foundation Chairman Nizamettin Şen. Link

Marble urinals installed in the 505-year-old Çoban Mustafa Paşa Mosque in the northwestern province of Kocaeli’s Gebze district, which had caused a furor as they did not fit the “historical tissue” of the mosque complex, have subsequently been removed. Link1 Link2

Now in its new location, 40 percent of the Hatay Archaeology Museum is open to visitors, displaying thousands of artifacts dating back to the Stone Age. When the second stage is finished next year, it will have the largest mosaic display area. Link

Public museums are public property, but a massive increase in ticket prices by the private company that collects gate receipts has raised fears of a massive drop-off in the number of visitors while also raising questions about culture and the public good. The entrance to major museums and historical sites was privatized in 2010 and operational rights for ticket offices were given to TÜRSAB. Link1 Link2

Works at an archaeological site in the southern province of Mersin’s historical Tarsus district have unearthed an ancient road. In a written statement, Tarsus Museum Director Mehmet Çavuş said drainage work in the field had revealed an ancient road built using the polygonal technique. Link

2015 brought a second Nobel prize to Turkey thanks to scientist Aziz Sancar but it was also a time of farewell for doyen of Turkish literature Yaşar Kemal as well as for masters of television and cinema, Zeki Alasya, Levent Kırca and Memduh Ün. Link

The walls of the Şeytan Deresi Canyon in Mersin are home to some of the most unique reliefs in the world, but a lack of formal protection has resulted in treasure hunters damaging the artwork despite the lack of any valuables in the area. The reliefs, which dates from the second and third centuries B.C., are located in such a difficult location that even mountain goats experience difficulty in accessing them. Link

The construction of a museum and an amphitheater has been finished at a new settlement established for Hasankeyf, which is to be flooded by the Ilısu Dam, a project that NGOs fear will displace thousands and obscure Hasankeyf’s unique ancient history. Link