Last week the Municipality of Greater Istanbul has announced its decision to publish a journal about culture and art in Istanbul, in Turkish and English, and with a circulation of 10,000. The title (and this no joke): “1453 İstanbul Kültür ve Sanat Dergisi” (1453 İstanbul Journal of Culture and Art). [1453 is the date of the Ottoman conquest of Byzantine Constantinople.] The explanation: "We named it ‘1453’ because this is the date when languages and religions started living together [in İstanbul]." Do we really need to comment? You can purchase "1453" (or not) online or at Istanbul Kitapcisi on Istiklal Caddesi for around 7EU. (Sources: 1,2)

Three sites in SEE have just been added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites: the bridge over the Drina in Visegrad/Bosnia (see an older posting and the entry on archnet.org), the old town of Corfu/Greece, and the Roman-period Palace of Galerius in Gamzigrad/Serbia. Bosnia-Herzegovina, after the addition of the Stari Most in Mostar in 2005, is so the only country represented only by bridges. Can it get any more symbolical?

As an addition to the European Stability Initiative's project on the architectural heritage of Prishtina (really "Future of Prishtina"), a "Walkable Map of Prishtina" has been added to the site. Scrolling over the map, you can see information on highlighted buildings. (Unfortunately, this map only works online and can't be downloaded.)