Amongst the activities held to commemorate the 550th year of the Conquest of Istanbul by Mahomet the Conqueror, Eti Koen, a patch-work artist, exhibited her works based on Ottoman and Turkish motifs and miniatures.

A special concert was held for the opening. Renan Koen (piano), Sebnem Unal (soprano) and Osman Ziyagil (bariton) performed a programme composed of Ottoman Court songs and Sephardic ballads.