Facing the Blue Mosque in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet Square, the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum was re-opened on Friday [19 December 2014] after intensive restoration work that cost TL 16.4 million ($7.09 million). Erected in 1524, the newly renovated museum was formerly the residential palace of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman I’s Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha. Speaking during the opening ceremony, Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik said safeguarding our cultural heritage is not a preferential decision, but a must for the future.

Read More: Turkish and Islamic Art Museum Reopened After 2-Year Refit

Paper production still continues traditionally at the İbrahim Müteferrika Paper Museum, which was opened this year by the municipality in the northwestern province of Yalova. In an atelier established inside the museum, paper is produced with traditional methods by using tree branches, and visitors are also able to join in this process.

Read More: Paper Production Continues Traditionally at Museum in Turkey’s Yalova