Istanbul's Long-Awaiting Ataturk Cultural Center is Set to Be Completed By the End of This Year

According to AA, Istanbul is getting its long-awaiting Ataturk Cultural Center by the end of this year.

"It will have one big and one small hall, [the second one] with a capacity of hosting 800 people," said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. "It is a long street with cafes, restaurants and art galleries. We are turning this area into a center serving around the clock."

The new building will include an opera hall that seats over 2,000 people, as well as a theatre hall that seats over 800, plus backstage rooms and fair areas. The center will also include meeting rooms, administrative offices and restaurants.

All construction work is set to be completed by the end of 2020, on both the street and the center.

The new project was officially announced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in November 2017, who said that the center, known by its Turkish initials AKM, will be a "symbolic" site in the city.

Read more on AA.