Every year millions of tourists both from Turkey and from other countries visit the Mevlana Museum and other museums in the town. Karatay Mayor Mehmet Hançerli said: “We thought that garbage bins would have a negative effect on tourism. We decided to solve this problem immediately by launching this project.” Hançerli noted that from Saturday on, garbage will be collected underground with the help of wheeled garbage bins.
Excavation under way in ancient city of Tios
ÇAYCUMA Excavation is continuing in the ancient city of Tios, which is located in the town of Filyos in the northwestern province of Zonguldak's Çaycuma district. The city was founded in 7 B.C. and is widely known as the Black Sea region's counterpart to Ephesus, an ancient site in the Aegean region. Researchers are excavating a Byzantine church and a Roman temple, part of which has been uncovered. Professor Sümer Atasoy, who chairs the excavation team, says Tios is the only ancient city in the Black Sea region that has not been destroyed. “Filyos can have a share of the tourism industry by being declared a ‘culture and tourism site.' Cultural tourism can provide a stable income for the region. Unearthing this age-old city will rescue the economy of Filyos,” he added.
Special protection areas to be screened
ANKARA Physical changes in special environmental protection areas will be monitored via satellite, enabling authorities to detect those contravening legal regulations, authorities from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry have said. Thanks to the system, authorities will be able to take legal action against people who damage those environments. According to data provided by the ministry, housing is built illegally in some coastal areas, and they will be able to monitor these places via satellite starting next year.
Water levels in İzmir's dams relieve the city
İZMİR Water levels in dams and reservoirs in İzmir have increased by 100 percent compared to last year, when the city suffered a serious water shortage, according to the İzmir Waterworks Authority (İZSU). İZSU announced that the precipitation rate has been above seasonal averages since January of this year and that it will make use of new water wells. There has not been a water shortage problem in the city this summer.
Bornova Levantine mansion under protection
İZMİR A famous mansion bearing traces of Levantine architecture in the Bornova district of the Aegean province of İzmir will be restored, Bornova Mayor Kamil Okyay Sındır has said. The state of the Levantine mansions in Bornova, which are symbols of the town, has started to be analyzed, and the Dramalı mansion will be restored, the mayor said.
