Turkey gained new opera houses -- or at least theaters that can accommodate an opera or ballet production -- in the 2013-14 season, but the number ofperformances put on these stages has dropped dramatically, according to recent data from the Turkish statistics Institute (TurkStat). Link

The British Museum is to set up a training scheme for Iraqi archaeologists to tackle the aftermath of destruction wrought by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Art Newspaper has reported. A museum spokeswoman said the program, which has been awarded a 3 million-pound grant from the U.K. government, would help Iraq to document the damage and start the process of reconstruction and preservation. Link

The annual presidential culture awards, announced on Thursday evening, were awarded to artists who are known for their pro-Justice and Development Party (AK Party) alignment, thereby illustrating the diminishment of the legitimacy of awards that are to be based on talent and contribution to the arts, according to critics. Link

ENCATC, the European network on cultural policy and management, unveils today the results of its 2015 board elections held on 23 October 2015 in Lecce, Italy.

The historical Troy National Park in the northwestern province of Çanakkale will be renewed within a recently approved development revision plan. The site was declared a national park in 1996 and has been one of the nine UNESCO world heritage sites in Turkey since 1998. Link

A historical Turkish bath, which was functional for more than three centuries in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, is now serving modern-day tourists. Following restoration work, the Vezir Bath has been decorated with oriental furniture and now hosts traditional events. Link

Archaeologists have expressed excitement about the discovery about a site on the ancient Mount Latmos (Beşparmak) in the southwestern province of Muğla that is believed to have been used for religious purposes. Link

“The World as a Battlefield: The Migration of Syrian Contemporary Art and the Prospects of Continuity in Hosting Countries” study conducted by researcher Jumana Al-Yasiri is part of this year’s “Cultural Priorities in Syria” project, which was launched by Ettijahat: Independent Culture in 2012, and focuses on producing cultural research and studies carried out by several researchers and activists working in the field of cultural policy. A book that includes a number of completed research papers tackling the question of challenges facing cultural work in Syria’s current condition will follow publication and is edited by researchers and academics from various specialisations.

It is worth noting that the “Cultural Priorities in Syria” project was launched in parallel with the foundation of the Core Group for Cultural Policy in Syria which is part of “Cultural Policy in the Arab Region” programme’s framework, launched by Al Mawred Al Thaqafi in 2009. The programme seeks to develop cultural policy in Arab countries and improve the conditions of cultural work through forming national working groups that bring about change at the level of cultural policy. Ettijahat functions as the programme’s regional coordinator. Link

A hunting lodge built by Czar Nicholas II of Russia in the eastern province of Kars during the Russian occupation era will be restored and reopened to serve as a hotel. Known as the “Katerina mansion” by locals, the Katerina Hunting Lodge was built in Kars’ Sarıkamış while the district was under Russian occupation for 40 years after the Ottoman-Russian War. After the restoration work is completed, it will serve tourism. Link

An inventory of the types of wood used in the production of 37 sunken ships discovered in Istanbul’s Yenikapı neighborhood during the construction of the city’s Marmaray subway project has been taken, shedding light on ancient ship production techniques. Link