Yeni Şafak - Rize

Snow blankets Rize's Kaçkar Mountains, creating winter wonderland

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 14:11:13 GMT+3

Aerial footage captures the stunning transformation of high-altitude plateaus and mountain slopes after intermittent snowfall draped the region in white, offering breathtaking winter panoramas.

'Kackarli Viking' living in nature despite harsh living conditions in Turkey's Rize

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 12:32:00 GMT+3

Muco Turkyilmaz, known by the nickname "Kackarli Viking" is seen at his home as he continues to live in Cat Valley located at Kackar Mountains despite harsh living conditions in Camlihemsin district of Rize, Turkey on January 05, 2022.

Turkish man hunkers down in treehouse amid Covid-19 outbreak

Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:55:00 GMT+3

A 23-year-old Turkish man from the Black Sea province of Rize built a wooden treehouse to practice social distancing amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Tahsin Öztürk said he will not leave the 8-square-meter studio apartment until the threat of the pandemic had gone."I have built a safe zone against coronavirus. I started to live here and find peace of mind while staying away from the crowds. I enjoy the view from my house and drink my tea" Öztürk said. He added that the first thing he does while receiving few guests is offering some Turkish-made cologne (kolonya), a traditional ethanol-based scented disinfectant. Colognes made with 80% alcohol, are being embraced for their disinfectant properties.

Tourists flock to Turkey's lush green Rize

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 12:20:00 GMT+3

The lush green Ayder Plateau of Turkey's Rize located in the Black Sea region attracts domestic and foreign tourists alike.

Heavy rain causes floods in Turkey's Rize

Thu, 02 Aug 2018 12:45:00 GMT+3

People wait as rescue works are carried out after some streams overflowed due to heavy rainfall in northeastern Turkey's Rize on Thursday.

Erdoğan inaugurates mountaintop mosque in Rize

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 14:52:51 GMT+3

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan inaugurated a mosque built on the summit of a mountain in his hometown in the northern province of Rize on Friday.

The lush mountain in Rize's Güneysu district known as “Kıble" refers to the Qaaba in Mecca, as the mountain faces Mecca, the sacred place to which Muslims turn during daily prayers.

During his speech at the opening ceremony of the mosque shortly before the Friday Prayer, Erdoğan drew attention to the aesthetics of the mosque building.

“Our ancient civilization had put forward aesthetics and shot seals to history with this aesthetic. Now, the same seal that has been sealed in Mount Kıble made us really happy," Erdoğan said.

The mosque on top of 1,130-meter-high Mount Kıble, which is known for being nestled among vibrant green mountains, was first constructed in the 1800s from wood and destroyed in a fire in 1960. Then it was replaced by a mosque made of stone.

During his last visit to the mosque in 2010 as a prime minister, Erdoğan instructed local authorities to restore and expand it and then he personally followed up on the construction process of the mosque, encouraging the crew to complete it as soon as possible.

The new mosque is 275 square meters with a 13-meter high dome and 27-meter high minaret. It has a walking trek and recreational zone around it.

A social complex with a walking-track has been developed in the new structure, while recreation sites and picnic areas along a road leading up to the mosque on the top.