Centers

Research Center for History 

History

The Research Center for History is the continuation of the institute established in 1968 as the Institute of Historical Research within the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University. The founding director was Prof. Dr. Münir Aktepe. The Regulation of the Institute of Historical Research, which was released on September 21st, 1968, in the Official Gazette with the number 13007, was based on the principle that the institute would conduct research in all fields of Turkish and world history from the earliest ages on. In line with this principle, the Institute of Historical Research took two significant decisions, ensuring the establishment of the institute on a solid foundation. The first of these decisions was to establish an institute-affiliated library, and the second was to establish a publication organ to convey the institute’s academic activities to the scientific world.

The Library of the Institute of Historical Research, which was established when the institute was founded, was first moved to a room inside the Sultan Mahmud Tomb and then to the Kuyucu Murad Pasha Madrasah. In the library, 1,155 works related to the history of Turkey were identified, including 30 manuscripts and 1,125 printed works. Some of the manuscripts are books on the history of Turkey; some are vakfiyyes and kanûnnâmes; some are defters covering various subjects and documents.

The first issue of the Journal of the Institute of History, which began its publication life with the efforts of the institute's director, Prof. Dr. Münir Aktepe, was published in 1970. The first editorial board of the journal consisted of Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kafesoğlu, Prof. Dr. Cevat Eren, Prof. Dr. Münir Aktepe, and Prof. Dr. Nejat Göyünç. The reason for the publication of the journal was to give space to the research of the faculty members of the Department of History of the Faculty of Literature and external historians. The Journal of the Institute of History was released periodically until 1982, and following the 12th issue, the 13th issue was published in 1987.

In 1981, when significant changes were made in the university system in accordance with the Higher Education Law (YÖK), the Institute of Historical Research was shut down along with other institutes. The Institute was replaced by the Research Center for History in 1982. During Prof. Dr. Münir Aktepe's directorship, the Research Center for History was located in the Kuyucu Murat Pasha Madrasah, where the institute's library was also located. According to the Rectorate's decision, the rooms in the Kuyucu Murat Pasha Madrasah were assigned to the Fine Arts Department in 1986, and the Center was left with its own books.

Directors Working at the Research Center

After Prof. Dr. Münir Aktepe, the founding director of the research center, Prof. Dr. Mübahat Kütükoğlu (1984-1998), Prof. Dr. İlhan Şahin (1998-2002), Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Merçil (2002-2005), Prof. Dr. Feridun Emecen (2005-2012), Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ali Beyhan (2012-2013), Prof. Dr. Ali Arslan (2013-2014), Prof. Dr. Mahir Aydın (2014-2021), and Prof. Dr. Arzu Terzi since October 2021.


Activities

The Research Center for History, according to its correspondence, hosts a history seminar at least once a year, usually in May. The first seminar, known as the "Cevdet Pasha Seminar", was held in 1985. A total of 32 seminars had been held as of 2014.

CLICK HERE to access the full texts of the seminar publications.

CLICK HERE to watch videos of the symposium and conversation.

Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History.


Tel : 0212 455 57 00 

Fax : 0212 512 21  40

E-mail: tam@istanbul.edu.tr  


CLICK HERE  to access the web page of the Research Center for History.

South-Eastern European Studies Center

History and Mission

South-Eastern European Studies Center (Institute) was established in Edirne within the body of Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters. In 1969, the institute started its activities in an old school building where the Edirne Army Club is located today, and many scientific meetings were held under the title of Türkiye and the Balkans. The founding director of the institute was Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen. The scientific publication of the Institute titled The Journal of South-Eastern European Studies which was introduced in 1972, is one of the major activities of the Institute. As a leading scientific institution in its field, another output of the center was the archaeological excavations which have been carried out by Prof. Dr. After Afif Erzen and after his retirement by Prof. Dr. Sait Başaran in Enez/Edirne. The archeological finds of these excavations are exhibited in the Edirne Museum.

In 1982, South-Eastern European Studies Institute moved to a new building located next to the Archeology Museum behind the Selimiye Mosque. It was planned as a fully equipped, contemporary research center to meet all foreseeable scientific requirements for that period.

Archaeology and ancient history studies carried out by Istanbul University Faculty of Letters in Southeastern Thrace: South-Eastern European Studies Center was established both to develop scientific cooperation with neighboring Balkan countries and to conduct researches related to the cultural history of our side of Thrace region by joint projects with Trakya University, which was established in 1982. Istanbul University has started its ancient history research projects in Thrace in 1936 with the encouragement of the great leader Atatürk, and the observations and excavations of the Kırklareli-Vize tumuli were started by Arif Müfid Mansel, who was the first lecturer in Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Classical Archeology. The most important works in Thrace after World War II was the Enez archaeological excavations conducted by Prof. Dr by Afif Erzen in 1971 and Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özdoğan’s surveys in Thrace, Tekirdağ, Istanbul, Çanakkale, Edirne and Kırklareli provinces in 1980 and excavations in Kırklareli Aşağıpınar and Kanlıgeçit. Thanks to these excavations, important finds emphasizing the intercultural communication function of Eastern Thrace between the Balkans and Anatolia continue to be brought to light. Under the Dean of the Istanbul University Faculty of Letters, South-Eastern European Studies Center, it is aimed to organize conferences, symposiums, congresses, seminars, exhibitions and workshops and increase the number of publications and research projects related to Edirne and its surroundings, to the entire Southeastern Thrace region and to the entire Macedonian region, to the entire Balkan peninsula, to the North Aegean and to the Marmara Sea, covering all historical periods in the topics of history, archaeology, geography, sociology, linguistics, folklore, literature, museology, fine arts, zoology, botany, geology and geomorphology. Establishing and developing a library that includes basic reference books and journals in all the mentioned fields of science is also in plans for the future. Beyond these, the center primarily envisages projects that aim to examine Edirne, the third capital of the Ottoman Empire. In this context, the stages of the use of the road between the capital Edirne and Istanbul, which has been the Ottoman capital since 1453 as an expedition and ceremonial road throughout history, will be examined by scientists who are experts in the subject. Due to the fact that Edirne was established at the junction of land and sea routes, its geostrategic location will constitute an important part of these studies.

On the other hand, it is envisaged to carry out joint research projects in all fields with the commissions of the Academies of Sciences in Bulgaria, Macedonia and Romania on Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Southeastern Europe. Furthermore, in 2015, for the centenary of the land and naval battles fought on the Gallipoli peninsula, it is planned to organize international meetings examining the role of Southeastern Thrace during World War I. The goals of the center also include to obtain more detailed information about the local culture and way of life of the Thracian tribes, known as the ancient inhabitants of Turkish Thrace and giving their name to the region, and their relations with other peoples and states around Thrace, and to continue the 80-year tradition of Thracian studies that our University has established since 1936 in the study of Thracian culture with the doctoral dissertations currently being carried out on this subject.

The interrelationship of the road stations and cities on the two important transportation routes, Via Egnatia (between Ipsala and Istanbul) and Via Militaris (between Edirne and Istanbul) in the Southeastern Thrace Region, their rise and decline in history, and the role which they played in the ancient and medieval commercial life of the region is also one of the research projects of the center. The Journal of South-Eastern European Studies, the international refereed journal prepared by the Center’s editorial board, is open access and can be viewed in the journals’ section of the Istanbul University website. 

Director

Prof. Dr. Mustafa H. Sayar, History Department.

Vice Director:

Administrative Board:

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Hamdi Sayar, Prof. Dr. Arzu Terzi, Prof. Dr. Mahir Aydın, Prof. Dr. Ali Fuat Örenç, Prof. Dr. Emine İnanır, Prof. Dr. Hacer Topaktaş Üstüner, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevgi Parlak, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selma Akay Ertürk, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Metin Ünver, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Tanrıverdi, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Kolçak, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Oral, Asst. Prof. Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Aylin Yaman Kocadağlı, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Neriman Ersoy Hacısalihoğlu.

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Mustafa H. Sayar, Istanbul Universitey, Faculty of Letters, The South-Eastern European Studies Center Director.

Vezneciler 34459 İSTANBUL

+90 212 440 00 00 - 15928 e-mail: mhsayar@gmail.com