In 1890, Sirkeci Station opened its doors — and Istanbul became the grand finale of Europe’s most legendary train journey.

The Orient Express had already become a symbol of luxury travel.

By 1889, trains could finally reach Constantinople directly from Europe.

Then, in 1890, a new terminal opened at Sirkeci.

Designed by Prussian architect August Jasmund, the station combined European railway architecture with Orientalist details and quickly became one of the great gateways into Istanbul.

Imagine arriving here at the end of the 19th century.

Porters carrying trunks.

Horse-drawn carriages waiting outside.

Travellers stepping into Istanbul after crossing Europe by rail.

For us, Sirkeci is historic.

For them, it was the beginning of a new age of travel.

Would you have wanted to arrive in Istanbul here in 1890?

AI historical reconstruction inspired by the period

First day of Ramadan 1447 / 2026 announcements by countries.

(Note: Iraq Sunnis are fasting the 18th, Iraq Shias are fasting the 19th)

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has arrived in New York to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly and hold several meetings.

The Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq was built in the 9th century AD. At the time of construction, it was the world's largest mosque. It is known for its 52 m. (171 ft) high minaret encircled by a spiral ramp.
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Hamas lideri İsmail Heniyye, İran’ın başkenti Tahran’da İsrail tarafından düzenlenen suikast sonucu öldürüldü.

Heniyye, dün İran Meclisi’nde düzenlenen 9’uncu Cumhurbaşkanı Mesud Pezeşkiyan’ın yemin törenine katılmıştı.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an assassination by Israel in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Haniyeh had attended the swearing-in ceremony of the 9th President, Masoud Pezeshkian, in the Iranian Parliament yesterday.

#hamas #ismailhaniyeh #gazagenocide

Islamic conquests between 7th and 9th Century

16 years on from their famous 3-2 win over the Czech Republic, Türkiye will attempt to recreate that historic moment which saw them win and advance to the final 16.

At their Euro 2008 game in Geneva, Türkiye came back from 2 goals down to ultimately win the match.

Arda Turan’s goal in the 75th minute and a double from Nihat Kahveci in the 87 and 89th minutes helped the Crescent Stars finish second in their 2008 group.

Türkiye would go on to beat Croatia in a penalty shootout during their quarter-finals match before ultimately losing 3-2 to Germany in the semi-finals.

Ambassador Isiaka Abdulqadir Imam, the D-8 Secretary-General, participated in the 19th Session of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Meeting of the Foreign Ministers, hosted by the Government of Iran in Tehran on 24 June 2024.

Attending upon the invitation from H.E. Ali Bagheri, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, the #D8SG delivered remarks at the ACD Meeting, delineating an update of the #D8. The #D8SG also reiterated the call to forge closer collaboration between the #D8 and #ACD, considering the aligned interest to pursue the two organizations’ shared objectives.

While in Tehran, the #D8SG also paid a courtesy call to the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran to present the progress of the #D8.

The Great Mosque of Samarra, also known as the Samarra Mosque, is one of the most significant examples of early Islamic architecture. Located in Samarra, Iraq, it was constructed in the 9th century during the Abbasid Caliphate. The most distinctive feature of the Great Mosque of Samarra is its spiral minaret, known as the Malwiya Tower. The mosque covered an area of 38,000 square meters (about 9.4 acres), making it one of the largest mosques in the world at the time of its construction. It has a rectangular floor plan, measuring approximately 239 by 156 meters. The mosque was surrounded by a thick outer wall with 44 semi-circular towers along its perimeter. The mosque and the archaeological city of Samarra have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to their historical and architectural significance.

جامع سامراء الكبير الذي يعود للفترة العباسية 848-851 م
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Great Mosque of Samarra
Location: Samarra, Iraq
Year: 848-851
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The Great Mosque of Samarra is a mosque from the 9th century CE located in Samarra, Iraq. The mosque was commissioned in 848 and completed in 851 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil. At the time of construction, it was the world's largest mosque and could gather up to 80,000 faithful. It is known for its 52 metres (171 ft) high minaret encircled by a spiral ramp, the Malwiya Tower. The mosque is located within the 15,058-hectare (37,210-acre) Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2007. The structure is composed by a large rectangle of almost 38,000 square metres with the 3:2 proportions typical of many mosques, enclosed in bastions walls 2.65m thick with forty-four semi-circular towers.
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أماكن العراق - IRAQ Places