As part of the “Digital Istanbul” project, launched to provide local and foreign tourists with information about historical structures, QR code panels have been installed at 603 mosques and 225 tombs across the city.
Speaking at a press briefing held at Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said that over the past 20 years, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, historical heritage sites have been restored by the General Directorate of Foundations, the Ministry of Culture, the Governor’s Office and other institutions.
Governor Gül emphasized that providing accurate information about these sites to citizens and foreign visitors is a historical responsibility of the Governor’s Office. "As of today, QR codes have been installed in 603 mosques and 225 tombs. What does this mean? It means that all the sites visited by our citizens and foreign tourists are now connected with this technology. In the next phase, we have over 200 schools and madrasas to cover. Once completed, we will provide accurate information about Istanbul to citizens and visitors through technological means while exploring the city," he said.
Governor Gül also noted that more than 10,000 visitors benefit from this system every day.
Ziraat Katılım CEO Metin Özdemir said they take pride in taking another step for Istanbul, the crossroads of civilizations and the world’s capital.
Özdemir added that Istanbul has long inspired admiration in travelers, poetry in poets’ pens, and devotion in the hearts of the people. He said the city is not only the key to the past but also to the future.
Describing “Digital Istanbul” as a pioneering initiative that combines history with technology, Özdemir said, "Our journey, which began with mosques, is now expanding to a much wider scope. We are now including other places of worship and examples of civil architecture in Istanbul to make the richness of the city more comprehensively visible."
With the support of Ziraat Katılım Bank, and in collaboration with the Istanbul Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the General Directorate of Foundations, the Directorate of National Palaces and the Provincial Mufti’s Office, the project’s QR codes allow local and foreign visitors to access detailed written and audio information about historical mosques and tombs.
Compatible with all smart devices and available in Turkish, English, German, Russian and Arabic, “Digital Istanbul” serves as a guide for those who wish to learn and share historical, cultural and architectural details as part of the smart city initiative.
Thanks to the project, visitors can quickly, accurately and clearly access information about Istanbul’s registered cultural assets, including their construction date, founder, architect and notable features, in a city that has been a meeting point of civilizations for thousands of years.
