Posts made in June 2020

Machine Gun Kelly × Bloody Valentine Acoustic

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Machine Gun Kelly (EST 19XX/Bad Boy/Interscope Records) has released an acoustic version of “Bloody Valentine” along with a new music video to accompany the vocal performance. While strumming on the acoustic guitar, the music video places Machine Gun Kelly on top of a breathtaking hilltop while sitting on his motorcycle. “Bloody Valentine” has reached great heights with over 50 million streams globally, landing #1 on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. Additionally, the “Bloody Valentine” music video featuring actress Megan Fox has surpassed over 19 Million views on YouTube in under 4 weeks. Watch HERE.

Over the past two weeks with everything going on in the world, Machine Gun Kelly has joined protesters in Los Angeles, and he recently linked up with Travis Barker for a stirring and timely cover of Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing In The Name.” He has also made an appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden featuring a high-octane quarantine performance of “Bloody Valentine”. Not one to shy away from his love for his hometown, especially during these times, Machine Gun Kelly recently provided over 40,000 meals to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and bought lunch for hundreds of Cleveland residents at twelve restaurants throughout the city dubbed “Machine Gun Kelly Feeds the City.” During quarantine, MGK exceeded over 100M views on YouTube with his #1 trending Lockdown Sessions series covering classics such as Rihanna’s “Love On The Brain”, and his own freestyles including “In These Walls”, “Pretty Toxic Revolver” and more.

For more information, please visit www.machinegunkelly.com

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COVID-19 Evictions

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By Eamonn Burke

The recession caused by Covid-19 has put millions of people out of work and out of income, making it harder for them to pay for their housing. As a result, a heightened importance has been placed on housing and income security in light of the pandemic by the United States government.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has temporarily halted evictions and closures to help ensure housing for families and individuals. These moratoriums are a part of the CARES Act passed on March 27, including 2 Trillion dollars for economic relief. Most of these exceptions truly are temporary, however, and will be lifted when the pandemic is further under control.

Individual states are undertaking efforts to protect housing as well, and these policies can be viewed for every state in a scorecard compiled by the Eviction Lab and Professor Emily Benfer of Columbia’s Law School.

Click here for information about this housing crisis and to find out whether or not you are protected.

China Goes Green Novel

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What does it mean for the future of the planet when one of the world’s most durable authoritarian governance systems pursues “ecological civilization?” Despite its staggering pollution and colossal appetite for resources, China exemplifies a model of state-led environmentalism which concentrates decisive political, economic, and epistemic power under centralized leadership. On the face of it, China seems to embody hope for a radical new approach to environmental governance.

In this thought-provoking book, Yifei Li and Judith Shapiro probe the concrete mechanisms of China’s coercive environmentalism to show how “going green” helps the state to further other agendas such as citizen surveillance and geopolitical influence. Through top-down initiatives, regulations, and campaigns to mitigate pollution and environmental degradation, the Chinese authorities also promote control over the behavior of individuals and enterprises, pacification of borderlands, and expansion of Chinese power and influence along the Belt and Road and even into the global commons. Given the limited time that remains to mitigate climate change and protect millions of species from extinction, we need to consider whether a green authoritarianism can show us the way. This book explores both its promises and risks.

The Authors:

Yifei Li is Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at NYU Shanghai, and Global Network Assistant Professor at NYU.

Judith Shapiro is Professor and Director of the Masters in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at American University.

CNB Donates to NAACP

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City National Bank, America’s Premier Private and Business Bank®, today announced that it will donate up to $400,000, including colleague donations and company matching funds, to support the fight for social and racial justice in America.

“As the nation collectively mourns the senseless murder of George Floyd, we are reminded of racism’s deep wound on our country and the harm it continues to inflict,” said City National Bank Chief Executive Officer Kelly Coffey and Chairman Russell Goldsmith in a joint statement. “We must do much more to end the longstanding pain and systemic and economic injustice that communities of color have endured at the hands of oppression and pervasive racism in our society. At City National, we have a long history of supporting our colleagues, clients, and communities, and we recognize that our commitment is more important than ever in this critical moment in our nation’s history.”

Following the acts of racism and violence that recently took the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others before them, City National will donate to:

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, to help its mission to fight for racial justice and secure a society where all individuals have equal rights without race-based discrimination; and

The Equal Justice Initiative, to support its objectives of ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenging racial and economic injustice, and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.

A portion of the funds will go toward the creation of a matching gifts program for City National colleagues who choose to donate to these organizations.

In addition to City National’s commitment today, the bank’s parent company, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), previously announced a CAD $1.5 million donation to provide direct support to Black youth, the economic development of Black communities, and social and racial justice reform in North America through organizations including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Equal Justice Initiative. In Minneapolis, RBC Wealth Management – U.S. donated $250,000 to support rebuilding efforts through a contribution to We Love Lake Street, a fund set up by the Lake Street Council to provide direct support to small businesses and nonprofits.

About City National Bank

With $69.1 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment, and trust services through locations in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C. and Miami*. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $76.9 billion in client investment assets.

City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 17 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States, and 34 other countries.

‘UZ Leuven’ Minipacemakers

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On Thursday May 28th, the Belgian university hospital UZ Leuven implanted a new type of wireless minipacemaker in a patient. This was a first in Europe. The new generation of minipacemakers allows two times as many patients to qualify, in comparison with the first generation.

The Micra pacemaker is a wireless minipacemaker that has been used in UZ Leuven since 2015. Surgery for such a small pacemaker is a lot less invasive than for a normal pacemaker. The device is placed in the heart via a small incision in the groin. The minipacemaker is invisible to the patient and in the first generation of the device, researchers found that the number of complications could be reduced with 63 percent.

Helping more patients

So far, the minipacemaker could only be used in 16 percent of the patient requiring a pacemaker. “The first generation of the device only measured the heart activity in one ventricle of the heart. Patients that needed to have the heart activity in the atrium measured as well, did not qualify. With this new type of pacemaker, we can also treat patients with a complete interruption of the heart activity between the ventricle and the atrium”, according to dr. Christophe Garweg, cardiologist in UZ Leuven.

With the new generation of the Micra pacemaker, up to 40 percent of the patients could qualify. Dr. Garweg: “The new pacemaker can also measure heart activity in the atrium and as such coordinate the electrical activity between atrium and ventricle. This restores the normal heart rhythm and improves the patient’s quality of life. The minipacemaker operates more or less like a conventional pacemaker, which is implanted under the skin and connected to the heart with two leads.”

First implants

UZ Leuven was actively involved in the development of the new pacemaker. At the moment the new type of pacemaker is only used in the context of clinical trials. At a later time, its use will be extended. In the meantime, the new pacemaker has been implanted in two patients. Both procedures went according to plan, and both patients are doing well.

A revolution for the pacemaker

The development of the wireless pacemaker in 2009 was a big revolution in the history of the pacemaker. It was the first big step forward since the clinical introduction of the pacemaker in the sixties. Worldwide, 35,000 Micra-systems have been implanted. UZ Leuven started with implanting the minipacemakers as the first Belgian hospital in 2015. In the meantime, for Belgium UZ Leuven is the hospital with the most expertise in Micra’s, in Europe it is in the top 5. In Belgium, the technology is not yet reimbursed so for now UZ Leuven finances the device for the patient with its own means.

Pacemaker and bradycardia

A pacemaker is required when a patient’s heart rhythm is too low (bradycardia) and medication is no longer sufficient. It stops the heart from pumping enough oxygenated blood through the body. Patients experience difficulty during physical exercise: they faint, tire quickly, and run out of breath more quickly. A pacemaker replaces the heart’s natural rhythm thanks to electrical impulses.

COVID-19’s Impact on Nursing Homes

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The American Health Care Association National Center for Assisted Living has published a report detailing the impact that both the COVID-19 crisis and historic underfunding are having on nursing homes.

Between declines in occupancy, supply costs increasing by up to 103 percent, and labor costs rising, nursing homes across the U.S. are on the verge of collapse. The estimated revenue loss is up to 23 percent, or $57 billion. “Because of COVID-19, communities cannot continue move-ins or use revenue from new residents to counteract these expenses… this means that many homes will fail” (Dr. Ira Bedzow, NY Medical College, FoxNews.com, 4/29/20).

When it comes to nursing home care, as the old saying goes, we get what we pay for. Due in part to the exclusion of long-stay nursing home services from the Medicare benefit, Medicaid is the dominant payer of nursing home services. “Medicaid payment rates are typically 70-80% of private pay prices” said David Grabowski, PhD, Harvard Medical School (Testimony To U.S. Senate Finance Committee, 3/16/19).

Pre-COVID, the average nursing home was operating at a net loss or shoestring budget due to Medicaid’s funding shortfall. “In 2018, the average total margin – reflecting all payers (including managed care, Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurers) and all lines of business (such as skilled and long-term care, hospice, ancillary services, home health care, and investment income) – was –0.3 percent, down from 2017 (0.6 percent).” (MedPAC Report To Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 3/1/20).

“Medicaid must begin to pay a higher rate commensurate with the costs of delivering high-quality long-term care to frail older adults. In many states, this will require greater federal contributions” (David Grabowski, PhD,Harvard Medical Schoo, and Vincent Mor, PhD, Brown University).

Building a New Normal after the Wave of Covid-19 Passes Over

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Perhaps the single most important unifying factor that brought every individual of the planet together was the pandemic of COVID-19 that hit the humankind towards the end of 2019 when everyone was busy making plans for the New Year. And ever since that, six long months have gone by in the blink of an eye. We have learnt to stay indoors and build a new normal for us, where we must practise social distancing, work from home and go out only when it is necessary. And this has not been the case with just one country. This has been the case for every country that you can spot on the world map. The Novel Coronavirus has changed our lives, and how.

Though, the governments of different countries are now lifting the lockdown in a calibrated manner, and we are allowed to go out keeping in mind the rules of this new life, it will still probably be many more months until we go back to what we knew as the normal. In fact, we might have to stitch a new normal for us and come to terms with that life. We have stayed indoors for way too long now, and most of us might already be wondering what life looks like on the other side of the pandemic. Here is what you need to know about life once the worst is over.

Companies Will Continue to Engage the Measure of Working from Home:

Organizations, no matter what their scale, might make working from home a permanent thing for employees who can go about their jobs from their houses. And for the companies that need their employees to report to work, there might be the rotations and shifts. This will prevent the total workforce from reporting at the same time and increasing the chances of a second outbreak of the virus. Wearing masks and carrying hand-sanitizers will be the new dress code for work.

People Will Depend More on the Internet for their Doses of Entertainment:

Most of us have spent a significant amount of time glued to the cyberspace with the pandemic wreaking havoc outside. We were forced to stay inside to battle an invisible entity and, therefore, had to find means to keep ourselves entertained. This had led to the blossoming of online entertainment portals like several streaming platforms and gaming websites.

Online gambling, according to USGamblingSites.com, had also taken a front seat. Once the pandemic is over, this is what shall continue to happen for a very long time. People might still be dependent on the internet for their daily doses of fun.

Traveling Shall be Calibrated:

Tourism or travelling for any other reason will see a more calibrated approach. Flights have already resumed operations, but in a very controlled manner. This shall continue to be the norm for several more months as people start travelling from one place to another for work or recreation. Public transport shall also continue to follow the norms of social distancing, and thermal scanning passengers before they travel long distances shall become the protocol. The tourism industry has already taken a hit and might take more beatings to itself if operations are not resumed in a controlled way.

Masks and Hand-Sanitizers Will Become the Dress Code for Schools and Universities:

Schools might have to add a new element to their dress codes, and that is of masks. Masks will be made mandatory, and anyone violating the norm could be sent back home for good. There shall also be areas marked where each student must sit and stand during class hours. However, online classes might still be a thing that shall be followed for a few more months until schools and universities are capable and confident enough to handle the volume of students reporting.

The Guidelines Issued by the Respective Authorities Shall Always Be Followed:

It is important to remember that even after the worst is over, there is always a chance for a second outbreak. And it is important, that is why, for people to follow the guidelines issued by the authorities about physical distancing and sanitization log after the wave of COVID-19 passes over. One cannot take any risk, and this discipline has to be a part of our new normal.

Wrapping Up:

To conclude, life after COVID-19 shall pretty much continue to look the same as it was during the quarantine period, except that we shall have more freedom of movement. The points that we have mentioned in the article are ideally what is supposed to happen in the post-pandemic world, and we must make our peace with this fact. Life moves on, and human beings have to learn to adapt.

Therefore, we must adjust to this new normal after the pandemic at least until things start looking hopeful again.

Roots Picnic × Michelle Obama Promote Voting

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This year, in partnership with Michelle Obama’s national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization, When We All Vote, The Roots are launching the 13th Annual Roots Picnic as a virtual broadcast experience on Saturday, June 27th, exclusively on YouTube. The event is Executive Produced by Shawn Gee (Live Nation Urban), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tarik Trotter (Two One Five Entertainment), and Dan Parise(DPS).

Hosted by Questlove, Black Thought, and Michelle Obama, the picnic will be filled with amazing performances by a diverse group of young highly popular hip hop, R&B, and gospel artists with the goal of engaging and reaching 500,000 eligible voters. When We All Vote volunteers will sign up to text voters throughout the show through Outvote, a web and mobile organizing platform used to reach unregistered voters. Volunteers can sign-up to learn how to reach voters before the event here.

In addition to music, this event will include pre-recorded segments with musicians, athletes, social media influencers, When We All Vote Co-Chairs, and The Roots sharing one simple call to action: register to vote. Fans can subscribe to The Roots Official YouTube Channel and tune into the broadcast stream HERE. Fans can anticipate performances by The Roots, H.E.R., Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby, SZA, Kirk Franklin, Snoh Aalegra, Earthgang, G Herbo, Polo G, D Nice and Musiq Soulchild (backed by The Roots) and appearances by Michelle Obama, Lin Manuel Miranda, Chris Paul, Tom Hanks, Liza Koshy, Kerry Washington, Tracee Ellis Ross, Janelle Monáe, and Elaine Welteroth.

“Historically, Questlove & BlackThought have always been very active participants in the voting process; however, I felt that it was imperative that this year I open up both The Roots and my Live Nation Urban platforms as vehicles for both voter education and voter registration,” said Shawn Gee, The Roots manager and President of Live Nation Urban, “Our goal is to aggressively impact change and we’re going to have some fun while doing so. This year, we are incredibly proud to partner with Mrs. Obama’s When We All Vote to ensure our audience has the resources they need to register and vote in November’s election.”

“As we face one of the most challenging years for our nation, we could all use a moment of inspiration and light to help focus on what we can do to take action together – and that action is voting. When We All Vote is on a mission to change the culture around voting and we are committed to closing the age and race gap of those who show up at the ballot box, increasing participation in each and every election,” said When We All VoteManaging Director of Communications and Culture Stephanie L. Young, “To change the culture means we have to be in the culture, and iconic events like The Roots Picnic, a celebration of the most influential artists of today, is just that.”

The partnership comes from a shared ethos of wanting to reach the most underrepresented community of people when it comes to voting, black people between the ages of 21-35. Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote and The Roots have a common goal: to educate and inspire communities to use their voices and vote to make a difference. Starting TODAY and continuing throughout the broadcast, there will be a call to action to allow fans to register to vote at https://weall.vote/rootspicnic or by texting ROOTS to 56005. Throughout the broadcast, this will be available in the form of a link in the live chat section allowing fans to register to vote in real-time while enjoying the show. Additionally, When We All Vote volunteers will work throughout the day and during the show to text and engage 500,000 eligible voters.

This year, with the Picnic in Fairmount Park being postponed until 2021, The Roots are still eager to engage their core audience both in the Philadelphia region and around the world. Over the past 12 years, The Roots Picnic, which is co-produced with Geoff Gordon and the Live Nation Philly team, has become the premier event and hub for culture for the core audience of Philadelphia and beyond. The picnic is an event known to draw a diverse multicultural mix of Gen Xmillennial and Gen Z attendees, and is curated and produced specifically with tier interests in mind.

Text 56005 to receive periodic updates from When We All Vote. Text HELP for help, STOP to end. Msg & Data rates may apply. Privacy policy.

About The RootsPicnic

Over the past 12 years, The Roots Picnic has become the premier event and hub for culture for the core audience in Philadelphia and beyond. The Picnic is an event that draws a diverse multicultural mix of millennial and Gen Z attendees and is curated and produced specifically with their interests in mind. The event has grown from 2,500 people in a parking lot in downtown Philly to 40,000 people in Fairmount Park, the largest urban park in the United States. Past performers on The Roots Picnic include The Weeknd, Lil Uzi Vert, H.E.R., Pharrell, Lil Baby, Solange, Janelle Monáe, and many others.

About Live Nation Urban

Live Nation Urban (LNU) is a partnership with Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment company. Specifically focusing on Hip-Hop, R&B, and Gospel, LNU builds platforms, events, and festivals globally and develops dynamic content strategies based upon the live properties created. Live Nation Urbanconsiders itself the most powerful source for live urban music. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

About When We All Vote

When We All Vote is a national, nonpartisan, non-profit launched by Co-Chair Michelle Obama in 2018 on a mission to change the culture around voting by bringing together citizens, institutions, brands, and organizations to increase participation in every election. They are also on a mission to close the race and age voting gap and empower all eligible voters to cast their ballot by harnessing grassroots energy, establishing strategic partnerships, and implementing digital organizing strategies.

Omni and Monk Awarded “X-Grant Silicon Valley”

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Aboubakr Laraki (Master’s Class of 2018), co-founder of Monk, as well as Joanne Kanaan and Anna Shirinskaya (Ph.D. 2017), co-founders of Omini, have been awarded the 2020 “X-Grant Silicon Valley”, financed by the École Polytechnique Foundation and the Friends of École Polytechnique, its sister organization in the United States. The two winners will each receive $50,000 and top-level mentoring from Californian investors and entrepreneurs.

Aboubakr Laraki, co-founder of Monk: an AI-based software solution for assessing vehicle condition and automatically detecting car damage

Civil engineer of École des Mines (Class of 2013), graduate of École Polytechnique (Master’s Class of 2018) and time spent at UC Berkeley, Aboubakr Laraki co-founded Monk with Fayçal Slaoui (CentraleSupélec 2018). Monk’s aim is to create transparency in the automotive inspection and insurance markets, and to enable various players in these sectors to increase productivity.

To do so, the start-up has developed a software solution based on research in deep learning and image recognition to assess vehicle condition. With 500 million inspections carried out in Europe each year, this solution makes it possible to automatically analyze the exterior of cars, every time they change hands. By taking photos and videos, Monk can detect, locate, and classify damages, but also refer the expert by providing repair rules and a corresponding quote. Created in 2019, the start-up works in particular with insurers, rental companies, and resellers, and currently employs 10 people.

“We are delighted and honored to be recipients of the X-Grant Silicon Valley. We are fortunate to be able to benefit from very high-level mentoring on subjects related to deep tech. This award gives us credibility and the financial endowment that accompanies it will allow us to develop our solutions internationally and especially in the United States, a market that we want to target as a priority”, says Aboubakr Laraki.

Joanne Kanaan (École normale supérieure – PSL) and Anna Shirinskaya (Laboratory of Physics of Interfaces and Thin Films – CNRS/École Polytechnique – Institut Polytechnique de Paris), co-founders of Omini: portable blood testing devices to improve medical decision making

Over the past century, life expectancy has doubled, leading to an aging population and an increased rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases, an unsustainable growth for current healthcare systems. Today, it is essential to create new techniques for early detection, prevention, and follow-up, and this requires new methods of blood testing suitable for decentralized and personalized medicine.

To meet this need, Omini is developing patient-friendly and immediate blood testing devices, combining the precision of traditional methods with the portability of connected objects. The start-up is thus developing a new generation of biosensors capable of quantitatively and simultaneously measuring various biomarkers from a minimum sample volume. Omini is also developing an electronic reader that processes the signal from the sensor and makes it possible to display and transmit test results. Today, the start-up aims to deliver various devices for monitoring patients with chronic diseases, starting with cardiovascular diseases.

“We are delighted and honored by this new recognition given to Omini. The X-Grant Silicon Valley will allow us to build a network in the United States, to understand the dynamics of the American market in our sector, and to consolidate our strategy of access to this market”, rejoice Joanne Kanaan and Anna Shirinskaya.

“X-Grant Silicon Valley”: a grant to pinpoint talented entrepreneurs and promote innovative ideas

The grant “X-Grant Silicon Valley” was created in 2013 and is intended to reward talented students from the l’ X (École Polytechnique) entrepreneurial ecosystem. It is designed to support the school’s work in entrepreneurship and innovation. To be eligible, applicants must present an innovative project involving a connection with Silicon Valley. Each year, two winners are chosen. They each receive $50,000 as well as top-level mentoring. The grant is financed 50% by the École Polytechnique Foundation and 50% by the Friends of École Polytechnique, the Foundation’s sister organization based in the United States, thanks to generous donations by alumni living in California. Omini and Monk join a community of start-ups with strong influence: PriceMatch (2013), Dreem (2014), Cardiologs (2015), Plato, Tempow and Meteo*Swift (2016), Decidata and SpotAngels (2017), Astraveus and Totem (2018), Lalilo and Tarmac Technologies (2019).

About the École Polytechnique Foundation

Created in 1987 by twenty leading French companies at the request of Bernard Esambert (Class of 1954), the Chairman of École Polytechnique Board of Directors at the time, and with the support of the Alumni Association, the École Polytechnique Foundation builds bridges between the business world and École Polytechnique, including its students and research professors. The Foundation is a recognized public-benefit organization that works to promote École Polytechnique. This status entitles it to receive gifts and bequests from both individuals and companies. The funds raised are directed to École Polytechnique programs, facilities, students, and research professors.

About the Friends of École Polytechnique

The Friends of École Polytechnique is a sister organization of the École Polytechnique Foundation. Its aim is to accompany the Foundation in its fundraising efforts in the United States of America. It is managed by a Board of Directors, chaired by Eric Setton (class of 1998). The Friends of École Polytechnique has been approved by the International Revenue Service as a public charity organization. All donations are considered deductible charges.

Istanbul’s Hagia Irene

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A contemporary historic museum in the first courtyard of the Topkapı Palace near Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene is renowned not only as the first church in Istanbul but also as the birthplace of Turkish museology. Today, Hagia Irene is used as a concert hall particularly for classical music concerts, hosting doyens of music ranging from world-renowned chamber orchestras to piano and violin virtuosos.

Giants of classical music play the world’s finest notes in Hagia Irene

Having served as a concert hall since 1973, Hagia Irene is among İstanbul’s most cherished treasures with its history and splendor. Having hosted concerts by respected musicians and ensembles of classical and contemporary music including the world-renowned mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, Mischa Maisky, Amsterdam Sinfonietta Orchestra, Yuri Bashmet, St. Petersburg Russian Chamber Philharmonic, and London Chamber Orchestra as well as American singer and songwriter Raul Midon, who was nominated for the Grammy awards with his 2018 album, Turkish ney player, composer and producer Mercan Dede, who also produced the score of the campaign film promoting Turkey’s natural beauties entitled ‘Turkish Therapy,’ one of the hottest names among classical pianist in recent times, David Fray, rising star of jazz, Karsu, world-renowned violinist and the founder of Kremerata Baltica, Gidon Kremer, and violin virtuoso Viktoria Mullova, it is ideal for a delightful end of day event surrounded by history, culture and art on the historic peninsula right next to the Topkapı Palace.

A historic magnum opus in Istanbul

Hagia Irene, which means “Peace of God” or “Holy Peace” in Greek, is noteworthy as the biggest Byzantine church that was not converted into a mosque in İstanbul. Drawn with a basilica plan as a classical Roman place of worship, Hagia Irene is comprised of narthexes and abscissas. Its main dome is carried by four colossal 35-meter high elephant feet while its central courtyard is empty, like that of the Hagia Sophia. The upper floor of the structure was designed in the shape of a big Roman cross. When it was built, Hagia Irene was not only the first church in İstanbul, but also one of the biggest structures of the Roman Empire.

Turkey’s first museology work started at Hagia Irene

During the Ahmed III era, artifacts sent from all across the Ottoman Empire were collected at Hagia Irene under two categories including Mecma-i Esliha-i Atika (Ancient Guns Collection) and Mecma-i Asar-ı Atika (Ancient Relics Collection), making the venue the birthplace of museology in Turkey. Watch an exclusive video on Hagia Irene HERE.

About Turkey

Located in the Mediterranean and connecting Asia and Europe continents that are separated by famous Bosphorus, Turkey is a unique destination that welcomed last year about 40 million tourists. The country that has always been a hub for cultural interaction and home to varying climates inspires the visitors today with its history, nature and gastronomy that reflect the diversity of civilizations for centuries. Located at the crossroads of cultures, Turkey has a distinctive understanding of art & fashion which is the synthesis of tradition and modernity and its extremely dynamic shopping & entertainment life also attracts the visitors from all over the world. For more about Turkey, visit www.goturkey.com