An isolated remainder of Ottoman Athens around 1800, the rediscovered Benizelos mansion in the Plaka will be revitalized, as Ekathimerini reports. Under the supervision of the architect Yiannis Kizis (author of several articles/publications on traditional dwellings in Thessaly and Greece) will be restored and turned into a museum. The Benizelos mansion had long been in ruins, as previous restoration attempts in the 1980s had been blocked by the Ministry of Culture.

Bucharest's old town is now being restored, with the aim to "modernise utilities, but maintain the architecture and personality of the area", as can be read in an article at SEtimes.com. Over 300 historical buildings will be rehabilitated, archaeological studies of the main streets will be conducted. The project "A Beautiful Bucharest" has been initiated by the UN Programme in Romania.

Interesting constellations: Plovdiv, "only" a 5 hrs drive from Istanbul, may (or may not) become a destination for young Turkish females desiring to escape the ban on headscarves in educational institutions in their home country. As can be read in a BIRN article, Plovdiv's Medical Academy has received a request to grant places to 110 women from Turkey who want to attend lectures and, as fee-paying students, would contribute an extra 440,000 euro per year to the institution's budget, on the condition that they can wear veils.

New calls for papers: The Urban Waqf in the Ottoman Empire (deadline: September 30, 2006), the 13th International Congress of Turkish Art (ICTA) in Budapest (deadline: September 30, 2006), and an International Conference on Turkish Art and Archaeology in Konya (deadline: January 31, 2007).