“A new gigantic Sinanesque mosque, the restoration of an Orientalist style barracks building, popularization of ‘1453 conquest’ mentality for Istanbul and of course the insertion of “Golden Horn” metaphor in the shape of a bridge…To make a long story short, all these account to the reinvention of a neo-Ottoman eclectic style,” said Edhem Eldem, history professor at Boğaziçi University. Twenty professors from Boğaziçi University have launched a petition against the environmental damage of Istanbul’s new gigantic construction projects, a campaign that has promptly been signed by at least 224 professors from other universities.

Read More: Resurrecting the Ottoman Glory of Istanbul