ABDURRAHMAN SEREF 

Abdurrahman Şeref was born in Istanbul and graduated from Mekteb-i Sultani in 1873. At first he worked as a history and geography teacher. Later, he worked as a principal at Mektebi Mülkiye and Galatasaray High School. He served as the Minister of Education twice. In 1909, he was appointed as a chronicler (vakanüvist). He continued his duty as the official historian of the Ottoman Empire until the abolition of the Sultanate on November 1, 1922. Abdurrahman Şeref also served as the Minister of Evkaf for a while in 1918. He gave history lectures at the History Department of Darülfünun Faculty of Literature. In addition to his official duties, Abdurrahman Şeref was also involved in publishing activities and wrote many works, most of which were in the form of textbooks. He served as the president of the Hilal-i Ahmer Society and the Tarih-i Osmani Encümen, which was established on November 27, 1907, and published various articles in the journal Tarih-i Osmani Encümeni, the publication organ of this organization. He collected his articles published in these newspapers under the name of “History Accounts”. After the War of Independence, he entered the 2nd period parliament in 1923 as an Istanbul deputy. Because he was the oldest member, he opened the 2nd term parliament as the president. Abdurrahman Şeref died in 1925 and his body was buried in the family cemetery outside Edirnekapı.

Principal Works:  Tarih Musâhabeleri, El-ahvalü’ş-şahsiyyefi’l fıkhi’lislami, Fezleke-i Tarih-i Devlet-i Osmaniyye, Fezleke-i Tarih-i Düvel-i İslâmiyye, Tarih-i Devlet-i Osmaniyye, Tarih-i Asr-ı Hâzır, Harb-i Hâzırın Menşei, Es-Siyasetü’ş-şer’iyye, Sultan Abdülhamid-i Sani’ye Dair, Tarih Muhasebeleri, Umumi Coğrafya-yı Umrani, İlm-i Ahlak ve İstatistik.

AHMET AGAOGLU (AGAYEV)

Academician, intellectual, politician, scientist and writer Ahmet Ağaoğlu was born in 1869 in the town of Susha in Karabakh. In his youthful years, he took Persian and Arabic lessons, and when his Russian became proficient enough, he went to Tbilisi in 1887. Here he compared Western Civilization and Islamic Civilization for the first time. In 1888, he began his educational life in Paris. He studied history and philology at Sorbonne University and started writing articles while he was still a student. After studying here for 6 years, he returned to Azerbaijan and started his intellectual journey. She worked with Hüseyinzade Ali in the newspaper İrşad. His first work in the Russian language was "Women in Islam". He established a political association called Difai and tried to defend the legal rights of the Turkish people. After the Second Constitutional Government Revolution, he came to Turkey and settled in Istanbul, where he came into contact with Ahmet Rıza Bey and Dr. Nazım Bey, which he had met them during his studies in Paris, and continued his nationalist activities, which he had started in the Caucasus, with the duties he took within the “İttihat ve Terakki” (a political party). He worked as an inspector at the Ministry of Education and as manager of the Suleymaniye Library. He was a professor at the university and the Higher School of Religion, and later became the head editor of Tercümani Hakikat (a journal). In 1909, he was appointed as an Russian teacher at Darülfünun and a professor of History of Turkish Civilization at Istanbul University. In 1912, he was elected as a member of parliament for Karahisar. He was sent to the Paris Peace Conference to introduce the officially established Azerbaijan Government. In May 1919, he was listed as a dangerous figure by the British and was exiled to Malta. After twenty months of exile, he came to Ankara to join the Independence Movement, where he became the General Director of Press and Publications. In 1929, while working as a professor at the Ankara Faculty of Law, he continued his success as Kars Deputy and head editor of the newspaper Hâkimiyet-i Milliye. Ağaoğlu defended the rights and freedoms of the individuals in his Republican Period works. In 1930, he became one of the founders of the Serbest Fırka (a political party) with Fethi Okyar. But he retired from politics after the dissolution of the party and resumed his lectures at Istanbul University Faculty of Law. He wrote political articles for the Akın Gazetesi (a newspaper) in 1933 and was suspended from his professorship when the newspaper was shut down. He continued his fight for freedom of people until his last breath and died on May 19, 1939.

Principal Works: İslamiyyet ve Ahunt, İslamiyete Göre ve İslamiyette Kadın, Üç Medeniyet, İngiltere ve Hindistan, Serbest İnsanlar Ülkesinde, Etika, Devlet ve Fert, Etrüsk Medeniyeti ve Bunların Roma Üzerindeki Tesirleri, İran İnkılâbı, Ben Neyim ?-Tanrıdağında, Serbest Fırka Hatıraları, İhtilal mı, İnkılab mı?, Yakutlar.

ORD. PROF. A. HÂMİD ONGUNSU 

Ahmed Hâmid Ongunsu, 1915 yılında Girit’in Hanya şehrinde doğdu. Babası tüccardan Vantur-zâde Mustafa Behcet Bey, annesi Hüsna Hanım’dır. İlköğrenimini Hanya Câmii okulunda ve Mekteb-i Kebîr-i İhsânî’de yaptı. İstanbul’a geldikten sonra, Nümûne-i Terakkî, Kabataş ve Mercan idâdîlerinde ortaöğrenimini tamamladı. Ardından Mekteb-i Mülkiye-i Şâhâne’ye gitti ve 11 Temmuz 1910’da Mülkiye’den mezun oldu. İlk defa 24 Ekim 1910’da, Selânik Sultânîsi Târih muallimliğine tayin edildi. Mart 1913’ten itibâren İstanbul Sultânîsi’nde Târih–Coğrafya ve Malûmât-ı Medeniyye (Medeni Bilgiler) derslerini; Bakırköy Nümûne mektebinde Târih muallimliği; Kandilli Sarayı İnas Sultânîsi’nde Coğrafya hocalığı yaptı. 3 Eylül 1918’de, Mekteb-i Mülkiye-i Şâhâne’ye Müdür yardımcısı tayin edildi. Aynı zamanda bu okulda birinci ve ikinci sınıfların coğrafya derslerini okuttu. 29 Ekim 1927’de Mekteb-i Mülkiye Müdürlüğüne getirildi ve bu görevi iki sene devam etti.  Ahmed Hâmid Ongunsu, 22 Ocak 1925 tarihinden itibâren, 30 Mart 1933 senesine kadar, İstanbul Dârülfünûnu, Edebiyat Fakültesi’nde, serbest muallim olarak Orta Zamanlar ve Yeni Zamanlar Tarihi derslerini verdi. 1 Nisan 1933’te, Yüksek Öğretim Genel Müdürlüğü’ne yükseltildi ve bu vazifede 4 Ekim 1934 yılına kadar kaldıktan sonra, Galatasaray Lisesi Tarih hocalığına naklolundu.  Nisan 1939’da, Edebiyat Fakültesi’ne, Ordinaryüs Profesörü ve Dekan olarak tayin edildi. 1940 yılında Yeni ve Son Zamanlar kürsüsü başkanı, 1949 yılında ise Tarih Zümresi Başkanı olmuştur Hâmid Ongunsu’nun Edebiyat Fakültesi Dekanlığı, Üniversiteler Kânûnu gereğince normal sürenin bitmesiyle 18 Haziran 1948’de son buldu.  1952 yılında Son Çağ Tarihi Kürsüsünün müstakil hale gelmesinde önemli paya sahiptir. 31 Temmuz 1952 yılında Son Çağ Tarihi Kürsüsü Hamid Ongunsu başkanlığında kurulmuştur. Son Çağ Tarihi Kürsüsünün başkanı sıfatıyla, bu kürsüde tarih hocalığına devam eden Ongunsu,   13 Temmuz 1955’te 70 yaşında emekli olmasıyla üniversitedeki görevi son buldu.. Ağustos 1967 tarihinde vefat etmiştir.  Prof. Hamid Ongunsu, 45 seneyi aşan meslek hayatı içinde kendi çalışma sahasıyla alâkalı, birçok eser ve makaleler kaleme almıştır.

Principal Works: Kurûn-ı Cedîde ve Napolyon’un Sukûtuna Kadar Asr-ı Hâzır Mebâdisi,  Kurûn-ı Cedîde ve Asr-ı Hâzırda Türkiye Tarihi, Avrupa Diplomasisi Tarihi: 1815’ten İtibaren,  Türkiye Tarihi, “Abdülaziz”, İslam Ansiklopedisi,  “II. Abdülhamid”, İ.A, “Abdülmecid”, İ.A, “Âli Paşa”, İ.A

AHMET MİTHAT EFENDİ

Ahmet Mithat Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1844. He learned to read and write at the age of sixteen and by the time he was twenty, he had not only completed his secondary education but also learned Arabic and Persian in addition to French. During his youth, Ahmet Mithat Efendi came across two prominent figures: the first being the governor of Niš at the time, Mithat Pasha, who awarded him the surname "Mithat". The second was Hamdi Bey, who later became known as the "museum director". Mithat Pasha appointed him as the editor of the Tuna Newspaper, while Hamdi Bey helped him explore Western culture by making use of his knowledge of French. Because of his fame as a writer, Cenap Şehabettin likened him to "a writing machine with the power of forty horses". Ahmed Mithat developed his own style of writing, which covered a range of subjects from mathematics and life sciences to stories and novels, history, philosophy, plays, and religious defense, as well as music and literary debates. He taught general history, the history of religions, the history of philosophy, and the history of education at Darülfünun, Medresetülvâizin, and Darülmuallimat. Ahmet Mithat passed away in 1912 at Darüşşafaka.

AHMED REFİK BEY

Ahmed Refik was born in 1880 in Valideçeşmesi, Beşiktaş. His father was Ürgüplü Mehmed Ağa, the deputy steward of Abdulaziz. They were known as Gürlükcüoğulları in their hometown. Ahmed Refik received his early education at Vişnezade School in Beşiktaş. He graduated from Beşiktaş Military Junior High School and then entered Kuleli Military High School, where he graduated in 1898 with top honors. Ahmed Refik first became a geography teacher at Soğukçeşme Military Junior High School. Later, he became a French teacher, then a second lieutenant, and eventually a captain. With the proclamation of the constitutional monarchy in 1908, he became the history teacher at the Ottoman Military College. He became a permanent member of the Ottoman Historical Society and was appointed as a military censorship inspector during the Balkan War in 1912. After the war, he retired from military service. He was called back to military service a year later, but this marked the beginning of his most productive period as a Turkish historian. During his tenure, he wrote an article mentioning the betrayal of Kavalalı Mehmed Ali, which caused a lot of controversy. As a result, he was sent to Ulukışla as a "grain and straw" clerk by the order of Said Halim Pasha, who was the grand vizier at the time. In the final years of World War I, when Eastern Anatolia was liberated from Russian invasion, he went with a group of foreign journalists to witness the Armenian atrocities in the region. After retiring from military service again, Ahmed Refik was appointed as the Ottoman History professor at Darülfünun in 1917. Later, he became the professor of Turkish History. He held his chair at Darülfünun for twenty years until it was closed down. He was left without a job and suffered financial difficulties. He passed away in 1937 at Haydarpaşa Hospital.

Principal Works: Sokullu Mehmed Paşa, Kanije Gezileri, Türkler’in İstanbul Muhasaraları, Mimar Sinan, Büyük İskender, Eski İstanbul, Katip Çelebi, Aşık Paşazade, Fındıklı’lı Silahdar Mehmed Ağa, Makaleler: Tarih Encümeni Mecmuası, Harb Mecmuası, Yeni Mecmua, Hayat, Büyük Tarihi Umumi, Tarihi Simalar, Felaket Seneleri, Kadınlar Saltanatı, Lady Montague’in Şark Mektupları, Türk Mimarları, İki Komita İki Kital, Kafkas Yollarında, Gönül.

AHMED VEFİK PAŞA

Ahmed Vefik Pasha, one of the pioneers of the Turkish nationalism movement, has different birth dates ranging from 1823 to 1813. Of these, July 3, 1823, reported by his grandson, is more common. His father was Ruhddin Mehmed Efendi. After completing his initial education, Ahmed Vefik entered the Imperial School of Military Engineering in 1881, but completed his education at the Saint-Louis high school in Paris before finishing there. He improved his French and later learned Italian, Latin, and Ancient Greek. Ahmed Vefik was immediately registered in the translation department of the Sublime Port and was given the title of hâcegân. He was appointed to the London Embassy as a secretary with the rank of "rabia" and sent to London in Mustafa Şekib Efendi's entourage on February 21, 1840. After completing his duty in London and returning to Istanbul, he was promoted and appointed to the Translation Department. In 1847, because of his achievements, he was appointed as the head translator of the Translation Department. He was appointed as the director of passport control for travelers. In 1847, he was tasked with preparing and publishing the first official yearbook of the state, the "Salname-i Devlet-i Aliyye-i Osmaniyye." Shortly after the start of public lectures at Darülfünun in 1863, he started his lectures called "Hikmet-i Tarih" and serialized them in the Tasvir-i Efkâr newspaper. He was appointed as the inspector of the right wing of Anatolia during the extensive inspection movement initiated in the country and made great efforts to transform Bursa from a ruined city to a prosperous one. In 1871, he became the Rüsumat Emini, then the Secretary of State, and was appointed as the Minister of Education in the same year. In 1878, he became the Minister of Internal Affairs and the grand vizier. He changed the word "sadrazam" (grand vizier) which had been used for centuries, to "başvekil" (prime minister). He was dismissed from his duty on April 18, 1878, due to a journal claiming that he would supposedly attempt to assassinate Abdülhamit II using the Rumelian refugees in Istanbul. Later, on February 4, 1879, he was appointed as the governor of Bursa, where he carried out various development activities. During his time as the governor, he opened a theater to raise funds for the hospital he had built and staged translations of Molière's comedies, establishing the Bursa Theater and playing translated and adapted plays on its stage. He became the prime minister again in 1882, but he could only serve in this position for two days. Ahmed Vefik Pasha never held a public office again after his dismissal, and during this period, he spent his life in a ruined mansion in Rumelihisarı. There are also various information about the death date of Ahmed Vefik Pasha, just like his birth date. Some say he died in 1890, while others say he died on April 2, 1891.

ALİ KEMAL BEY

He was born in Süleymaniye, Istanbul in 1867. His real name was Ali Rıza. Ali Kemal left Mülkiye School in Istanbul during the last year of his four-year term to advance his French in Paris in 1886. The following year he moved from France to Geneva and returned to Istanbul in 1888. He started Mülkiye School again. Ali Kemal, who had joined the Young Turk Movement, established a student association influenced by what he had seen in Europe. After the association he founded was closed, he was imprisoned for nine months when he attempted to establish a new association. After being released from prison, he was exiled to Aleppo in July 1889. He taught Turkish Language and Ottoman Literature at Aleppo High School while he stayed in Aleppo. He returned to Istanbul without permission in 1895, so a new exile decision was issued against him. He went to Paris again in 1894. During this period, Ali Kemal, who had separated from the Young Turk Movement, was studying Political Science in Paris, while also working as a journalist and sending articles and translations about his impressions of Paris to the İkdam Newspaper in Istanbul. When he returned to Istanbul, Ali Kemal, who had become the editor-in-chief of İkdam Newspaper, also taught political history at the Faculty of Literature at Darülfünun. He joined the Ottoman Ahrar Party, one of the first political parties. He began writing editorials in İkdam Newspaper that included harsh criticisms of the Committee of Union and Progress. During the 31 March Incident, Ali Kemal had to flee to Paris again in 1909. Meanwhile, he had been dismissed from his post at Mülkiye School. Ali Kemal, who returned to Istanbul with the amnesty in 1912 after the Committee of Union and Progress was ousted from power, continued writing as the editor-in-chief for the İkdam Newspaper. On 14 November 1913, he began publishing the Peyam Newspaper and became its editor-in-chief. He was also reinstated as a teacher at Mülkiye School. After the military coup of the Committee of Union and Progress known as the Raid at the Sublime Porte in January 1913, Ali Kemal was arrested. After the signing of the Armistice of Mudros, he became the general secretary of the Freedom and Accord Party, which resumed its activities on 14 January 1919. He was appointed as the Minister of Education in the First Damat Ferit Pasha government, formed on 4 March 1919, and as the Minister of Internal Affairs in the second Damat Ferit Pasha government, formed immediately after this government's resignation in May. While serving in this position, he issued orders against the Kuva-yi Milliye and Mustafa Kemal Pasha. He was one of the founders of the Association of the Friends of England. He resigned from the ministry on 26 June 1919 due to a disagreement that arose within the government. Ali Kemal, who continued to teach at Darülfünun, was one of the four teaching staff members who were invited to resign by the students of Darülfünun in March 1922. The reason for the students' decision was that the teachers were alien to independence, sacredness, and national feelings and had been condemned in the public conscience due to their aggressive personalities. Ali Kemal and Cenap Şahabettin resigned on 3 September 1922, following the reaction of the students in the Council of Ministers.

Principal Works: İki Hemşire,  Çölde Bir Sergüzeşt, Fetret

Literary and Critical Works: Sorbon Dârülfünûnu'nda Edebiyyât-ı Hakîkiyye Dersleri, Paris Musahabeleri, Râşid Müverrih mi Şair mi?

Works on History:  Mes'ele-i  Şarkiyye’ye  Medhal,  Bir Safha-i Târih,  Ricâl-i İhtilâl: Condorcet, Saint Just, Danton, Robespierre,  Ömrüm

AVRAM GALANTİ

He was born in Bodrum on January 4, 1873. Following Jewish tradition, he started primary school at the age of six in Bodrum and learned the basics of Hebrew. At the age of nine, he was sent to Rhodes, where there was a larger Jewish community and better education opportunities. After finishing primary school in 1887, he continued his education at Bodrum Junior High School and then İzmir High School, where he learned French alongside Hebrew, Turkish, Arabic, and Persian. In late 1894, Galanti went to Rhodes as a high school teacher and with the support of the World Jewish Union and the Rhodes Jewish Community, he established a school there. In 1902, he left Rhodes and settled in Izmir, where he resumed teaching. In 1904, he joined the Young Turks in Egypt and started publishing La Vara Newspaper in Cairo in 1905. When he learned of the death of the Chief Rabbi Moşe Ha Levi, whom he opposed, and the establishment of Darülfünun-ı Osmani, he moved to Istanbul in late 1911 to stay permanently. In 1914, Avram Galanti was appointed as an interpreter and assistant to G. Bergstrâsser, who was appointed as the professor of Semitic languages and cultures, when some professors were brought from Germany to reorganize Darülfünun. When the German professors' contracts were terminated in 1918, Galanti was appointed as an instructor, and later as a professor, to teach the history of ancient Eastern peoples. Due to being excluded from the reform of Darülfünun staff, Galanti's professorship ended on August 1, 1933. After the adoption of the surname law, Avram Galanti, who took the surname "Bodrumlu," was elected as a member of parliament from Niğde in 1943. After his term ended following the 1946 elections, he moved from Ankara to Istanbul and settled on Kınalıada, where he passed away on August 8, 1961.

Principal Works: Türkçede Arabi ve Latin harfleri ve imla meseleleri, Arabi harfleri terakkimize mani değildir, Vatandaş, Türkçe Konuş!, Hitit Kanunu, Türkler ve Yahudiler

CARL FERDİNAND FRİEDRİCH LEHMANN-HAUPT

Carl Ferdinand Friedrich Lehmann-Haupt was a German orientalist and historian, born on March 11, 1861. He was the son of Emil Lehmann, a lawyer and translator. He received his doctorate in 1886 and became a lecturer in 1901. In 1911, he became the Chair of Ancient History Department at Oxford University, and in 1913-1914 he was appointed Professor of Greek History at Liverpool University. In 1915, he was appointed Professor of Ancient History Department at Istanbul University, where he taught courses on Ancient History, Greek and Roman History, and received the highest salary among professors, earning 1100 Ottoman liras. He was also selected to prepare the publication of the Faculty of Literature's journal. Lehmann-Haupt retired in 1931-1932, and in 1935 he was awarded an honorary professorship at the University of Innsbruck. He passed away in 1938.

ECKHARD UNGER

Eckhard Unger, born in 1884, was a German Assyriologist and archaeologist. From 1911 to 1918, Unger worked as a curator at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum and also taught at Istanbul University from 1915 to 1918. He is considered one of the first Near Eastern archaeologists. He passed away in 1966.

EFDALEDDİN TEKİNER

Efdaleddin Bey was born in Istanbul in 1868. His father was Cevad Bey, the General Inspector of the Imperial Treasury. He completed his primary education at Süleymaniye İbtidai Mektebi and his secondary education at Beyazıd Kaptanpaşa Rüştiyesi, graduating from Mülkiye Mektebi in 1893. In 1894, he began working in government service as a member of the Ministry of the Interior's Correspondence Office. From 1896 onwards, he also served as a teacher in various schools. His teaching career began at Aşiret Mektebi and continued with him teaching history at Mekteb-i Sultani and Mercan İdadisi. He served as a professor of General and Ottoman History at Darülfünun in 1901 and as a professor of Geography at the Faculty of Literature in 1912. In 1914, he became a professor of Islamic History, Geography, and Ottoman Language at İnas Darülfünunu in the Faculty of Literature. He also taught at Mekteb-i Mülkiye. In 1912, Efdaleddin Bey briefly served as the deputy governor of Bursa and became the Director General of Official Buildings and Prisons in 1913. After the National Struggle period, in March 1922, he was appointed as a member of the Commission for the Settlement of the Affairs of the Former Istanbul Government by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He was reappointed as the Director General of Official Buildings and Prisons in 1923 and retired voluntarily in 1928. He was elected to the Istanbul Grain Exchange Management Board in 1931, the Turkish Historical Society in 1936, and the Association for the Protection of Scientific Works in 1940. He was one of the original members of the Ottoman History Society, established in 1911. He served as the chairman of the Istanbul Preservation of Ancient Monuments Commission, of which he was the representative of the Ottoman History Society, until his death. He passed away on August 13, 1957, in Istanbul, after a successful life filled with many achievements.

RÜKÜNZÂDE FAZIL NAZMÎ KANDİ BEY

Fazıl Nazmi Rükün was a professor of Ancient Roman and Greek history who spoke Arabic, German, English, French, Greek, Turkish, and Persian. His accent did not resemble the Istanbul, Anatolian, or Rumelian dialects, as he spoke with the accent of Turkish islanders since he came from Crete. He taught Ancient Greek and Roman history at Istanbul Darülfünun during the 1922-1923 academic year and, following a regulation on April 21, 1924, also taught courses on ancient Roman and Greek history. He also taught Ancient Greek at the School of Foreign Languages. The Department of Classical Philology at the Ankara University's Faculty of Languages, History, and Geography was established under the leadership of Atatürk, with the encouragement of Hamit Dereli. Professor Fazıl Nazmi Rükün, who contributed to the establishment of the Department of Classical Philology in 1936, transferred from Istanbul University to Ankara University at that time and, together with Hamit Dereli, taught Latin to boarding students. However, he had to leave the university in 1938. He also served as Atatürk's cultural advisor. At the First Turkish History Congress, Professor Fazıl Nazmi Bey, who participated as a speaker, stated during the final part of his speech, which included his criticisms of the writing of place names and other points in history books, that Plato's Ideal was realized with the Great Leader Atatürk. He also assisted Atatürk in his efforts to promote linguistic purity.

HALİM SABİT ŞİBAY

Halim Sabit was born in 1883 in the village of Küçük Tarhanlı, which belongs to the Simbir province of Kazan. After completing his primary and secondary education at a school in Samara that offered new methods of education, he studied at the Medrese-i Halîmiyye in Ulutarhan. During this period, he also completed Russian High School and worked as a teacher at the Hüseyniye Medresesi in Orenburg. In 1901, he came to Istanbul to continue his studies and graduated from Mercan High School in 1906 and the Theology Department of Darülfünun in 1910. He also passed the teacher certification exam. In 1912, he was appointed as a teacher of Religious Sciences at Gelenbevi High School. In 1914, he became a professor of the History of Islamic Religion and History of Religions at the Department of Islamic Jurisprudence of Darülfünun, where he continued to work until the course was discontinued in 1919. From 1919 to 1939, he engaged in commercial activities and although he occasionally traveled to Turkey during this period, he mostly stayed abroad. With the outbreak of World War II, he returned to Turkey in 1939 and worked as a preparatory officer at the Islamic Encyclopedia, which was published in Europe and began preparations for its translation into Turkish. He then served as a publishing office clerk until 1944. His last official post was as a member of the Consultancy Committee of the Directorate of Religious Affairs, where he was appointed in 1944. As one of the intellectual figures whose thoughts were utilized by the leaders of the Committee of Union and Progress regarding the unity of Islam, Turkish nationalism, and the Russian issue, Halim Sabit served as the secretary of the Islamic Section of the Turkish Unity Association. He joined the Turkish-German Friendship Society and was invited to the first three Turkish Language Congresses as a former professor of Darülfünun. He participated in the establishment of Türk Ocağı (Turkish Hearth) with Ziya Gökalp and later participated in its activities. Halim Sabit, known as a modernist Islamist who sometimes faced severe criticism from conservative Islamist circles, died on December 27, 1946 in Ankara and was buried in the Cebeci Asrî Cemetery.

HAMDULLAH SUPHİ TANRIÖVER

He was born in 1885 in Abdüllatif Suphi Pasha Mansion in the Aksaray district of Istanbul. His father, Abdüllatif Suphi Pasha, was a prominent figure in science and politics during the Tanzimat period, while his grandfather was the first Minister of Education in the Ottoman Empire, Abdurrahman Sami Pasha. He completed his secondary education at Mekteb-i Sultani (Galatasaray High School) and chose teaching as his profession. He taught rhetoric and French at Ayasofya Rüşdiyesi, literature at Darülmuallimin, and Turkish-Islamic Art at Darülfünun. He published his first poem in his uncle Samipaşazade Sezai's newspaper, "Şura-yı Ümmet," in Paris in 1902. In 1909, he joined the Fecr-i Ati literary society and later became associated with the National Literature Movement, which emerged around the Genç Kalemler literary circle after leaving the society in 1911. In 1912, he joined the Turkish Hearths, the center of the nationalist movement in Istanbul, and became its president. While teaching at Istanbul Darülfünun, he taught the History of Islamic and Turkish Fine Arts. He was elected as a member of the Antalya in the last Ottoman Parliament (1920). After the parliament was closed by occupying forces, he went to Ankara to participate in the national struggle. He participated in the parliament as a member in the first term of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He was appointed as the Minister of National Education in the first cabinet and held the post for one year. During his tenure as the minister, a competition was held for the national anthem. Hamdullah Suphi, who encouraged Mehmet Akif to participate in the competition and read the Independence Anthem with his powerful voice at the parliamentary podium, was the minister at that time. He served as an Istanbul deputy in the first and second terms of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He became the Minister of National Education for the second time in 1925 and served from March 4 to December 19. After the closure of Turkish Hearths, he was appointed as the ambassador to Bucharest in 1931. He retired from the embassy in 1944 and returned to politics. He was elected as a deputy from Mersin in 1945 and from Istanbul in 1946. He became the president of the Turkish Hearths when it was reopened in Istanbul on May 10, 1949. He was elected as an independent deputy from Manisa in the 1950 elections and from Istanbul as a member of the Democrat Party in 1954. He ran as a candidate for the Liberty Party in the 1957 elections but lost. Hamdullah Suphi Bey, who continued to serve as the president of the Central Committee of Turkish Hearths, passed away on June 10, 1966, and was buried in the Edirnekapı Merkezefendi Cemetery.

Principal Works: Dağ Yolu (1928-1931), Günebakan (1929)

MAHMUT ESAT EFENDİ

He was born in Seydişehir in 1856 as the son of Seydişehirli Kadı Mehmed Efendi. After completing his primary education in Istanbul, he studied mathematics, physics, and astronomy at Fatih Medrese and Menşe-i Muallimîn-i Askeriye School. He also studied law in Istanbul. While working as a Turkish teacher at Gülhane Rüştiyesi, he was appointed as the President of İzmir Bidayet Court in 1885. In addition to this duty, he taught physics, chemistry, and geometry at İzmir İdadisi. In 1896, he returned to Istanbul as the Legal Counsel of the Ministry of Finance. He taught Mecelle and Legal History at Mekteb-i Hukuk, International Law, Economics, and Theology at Mekteb-i Mülkiye, and Law, Religion, and Economics at İlahiyat Medresesi. After the declaration of the Second Constitutional Era in 1908, he served as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Defter-i Hakanî (Land Registry), and the Acting Minister of Justice. In 1911, he played a leading role in the establishment of Istanbul Kadastro Clerks School. In 1914, he became the Head of the Tanzimat Department at the Council of State (Danıştay). In the same year, he gave lectures on Women's Rights for the first time at Istanbul University. The foundations of the cadastre system in Turkey were laid down by the law called “Emvali Gayrimenkulenin Tahdit ve Tahriri Hakkında Kanun-u Muvakkat”, issued in 1912 during the tenure of Mahmud Esad Efendi, the Minister of Defter-i Hakanî (Land Registry). Mahmud Esad was the first person who initiated the cadastre implementation. He passed away in 1918.

MEHMED ARİF BEY

Mehmed Arif Bey, born in 1873, was a History professor at Istanbul University. His article titled "Devlet-i Osmaniye’nin Tesis ve Takriri Devrinde İlim ve Ulema" was published in the Istanbul University Faculty of Literature Journal. Necip Asım Bey, a history professor, was a member of the Ottoman History Society (Tarih-i Osmanî Encümeni) established under the leadership of Sultan Mehmet Reşat on November 27, 1909, with the authority to use all means and examine archives for collecting documents and writing the history of the Ottoman Empire. At its first meeting on February 9, 1910, the society assigned the task of writing the first volume of the history to Necip Asım Bey and Mehmet Arif Bey. After seven years of research, the two scholars were able to publish a single volume on the history of the Ottoman Empire.

MEHMED VAHİD BEY

Mehmed Vahit Bey was born in 1873 in Aksaray, Istanbul. After graduating from Mekteb-i Fünûn-u İdâdi (Kuleli Military High School), Vahit Bey entered Harbiye Military Academy. In 1897, he graduated at the top of his class in the Cavalry Staff College. He started his service at the Harbiye Military Academy in 1310/1894. In 1901, he began working for the Duyûn-u Umûmiye Meclis-i İdaresi. In 1904, he worked in various departments of Duyûn-u Umûmiye in different positions. In 1908, he took on the additional role of teaching art history at the Sanayi-i Nefîse Mektebi. In addition to the Sanayi-i Nefîse Mektebi, he taught art history at the İnas Sanâyi-i Nefîse Mektebi, which was opened in 1914, at Dârülfünûn in 1915/1331, and at the Mühendislik Mektebi upon the request of architect Kemalettin. When Mehmet Vahit Bey retired in 1928, he faced great economic hardship. A year before his death, he went to Egypt to find a solution to his family's inheritance problem, but it appears that he was unable to solve it. On July 30, 1931, at the age of 58, he committed suicide, leaving letters to his family, the police, and his lawyer in Egypt. After 1934, his family adopted the surname "Kerman”.

MEHMET FUAT KÖPRÜLÜ

He was born in Istanbul on December 4, 1890, and was descended from Köprülü Mehmet Pasha, who served as Grand Vizier to Sultan Mehmet IV. After graduating from Ayasofya Elementary School and Mercan High School with honors, he attended the School of Law from 1907 to 1910. He worked as a substitute literature teacher at Mercan and Kabataş High Schools from 1910 to 1913, then as a teacher of Ottoman language at Istanbul Sultanîsi on October 5, 1912, and as a literature teacher at Galatasaray High School. On December 20, 1913, he was appointed as a professor of Turkish literature at Istanbul University. He taught courses in Turkish history and literature at the Faculty of Letters, the Faculty of Divinity, the Mülkiye School in Istanbul, the School of Political Science in Ankara, and the Faculty of Language, History, and Geography. He also taught courses in the history of civilization at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1926 to 1929. In 1923, he was elected as the head of the Faculty of Literature at Istanbul University, and in 1934, he became its dean. In 1924, he served as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for eight months before resigning. That same year, he founded the Turkish Studies Institute, for which he served as the director. He was appointed as the president of the History Council in 1927. In the General Elections held on May 31, 1935, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Kars. He continued to serve as a member of parliament and in his academic positions at Istanbul and Ankara Universities until 1943. He was expelled from the Republican People's Party due to his political writings. On January 7, 1946, he co-founded the Democrat Party with Celal Bayar, Adnan Menderes, and Refik Koraltan. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Istanbul from the Democrat Party that same year. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the first, second, and third Adnan Menderes governments from May 22, 1950, to April 15, 1955, and was appointed as a State Minister on April 15, 1955, a State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister on July 29, and acted as the Minister of National Defense between September 15 and December 9. He officially resigned from the Democrat Party on July 5, 1957, and joined the Liberty Party that same year. He was arrested and sent to Yassıada following the September 6-7 events on suspicion of being a culprit. He was released in January 1961. He founded the Free Democratic Party on December 18, 1961, and retired from politics in 1965. He passed away on June 28, 1966, at Baltalimanı Hospital in Istanbul.

MORTMANN, JOHANNES HEİNRİCH

Mortmann, born on September 10, 1852, was the son of the famous orientalist Andreas David Mordmann. Between 1851-71, he acquired knowledge about antiquity at a school called Johannes in Hamburg, while also learning the intricacies of text comprehension and explanation that would be useful for his Byzantine and Eastern studies. When he moved to Bonn, he took courses in Classical History and Arabic Language and Literature. When he went to Berlin to complete his higher education, he returned to his area of interest, Classical Language and Ancient History. He obtained his doctorate in 1874 with his thesis, "Marmora Anycrana". A year later, he started working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in 1882, he was appointed as a translator at the German embassy in Istanbul. He became the Consul in Thessaloniki in 1889 and the Consul General in Izmir in 1904. During World War I, when the Ottoman Empire needed to reorganize the Darülfünun (University), after negotiations with the German Ambassador Wangenheim, an agreement was reached on the appointment of German scholars to the faculties of Law and Literature. Mortmann started teaching the course "History Methodology" at Darülfünun in 1916 as a Professor. He later moved from Istanbul to Schaffhausen, then Innsbruck. He lived in Würzburg for a while and when he moved to Berlin, he started teaching classes on the "Realities of Islam". He passed away on July 4, 1932.

MÜKRİMİN HALİL YİNANÇ

Mükrimin Halil Yinanç, one of the great historians of our country was born on July 1st 1900 in the Elbistan district of Maraş. His father is Kadi Halil Kamil Efendi. Yinanç, who received his first education in his father's home, went to high school in Elbistan. He completed his high school education in 1916 by studying one year of the high school in Malatya, Mardin and Diyarbakır, where his father worked, and the last two years at the Gelenbevi Sultani in Istanbul. In 1916, he started to work as a teacher and also started his education at the Department of History at the Faculty of Letters. He graduated from the Faculty of Letters in 1919 and finished his civil service in 1921. He learned Arabic and Farsi very well with the private lessons he took at school and at home. After the civil service, he worked as a history teacher at Nişantaşı and Davutpaşa Secondary Schools and as a library clerk at the History-i Osmanî Council. In 1924, he published Anadolu Magazine with his friends. In 1925, he went to copy rare works that were not found in Istanbul libraries. In addition to being a library clerk at the Council, he also worked as a history teacher at Kabataş and Galatasaray High Schools. He participated in the Turkish History Congresses in the 1930s and 40s. After the 1933 university reform, he joined the Department of History at the the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University with the title of associate professor. He was promoted to professor in 1941; In 1949, he took part in the founding committee of Ankara Faculty of Theology. In 1957, he was awarded Ordinarius Professorship in Medieval History. Mükrimin Halil Bey fell ill while teaching at the History Department of the Faculty of Letters, where he worked for 28 years; He passed on Friday, December 22, 1961; His eternal resting place is in Istanbul Merkezefendi Cemetery on Saturday, December 23. He is one of the founding members of the Turkish Historical Society.

NECİP ASIM YAZIKSIZ

He was born on December 29, 1861 in Kilis. His father was Hacı Asım Bey from a military family known as Balhasanoğulları. He completed his primary and secondary education in Kilis. In 1875, he started at the Damascus Military High School, but soon transferred to the Kuleli Military High School in Istanbul. In 1879, he entered the Ottoman Military Academy and graduated in 1881 with the rank of infantry lieutenant. He taught Turkish, French, and history at various military schools and the Military Academy in Istanbul. He retired as a colonel in 1913. After the Constitutional Revolution, Necip Asım Yazıksız was appointed as a Turkish language instructor at Darülfünun, where he taught "Ilm-i Lisan" courses and also taught courses on "Turkish Language" and "Turkish Language History". He was one of the pioneers of the development and establishment of linguistics in Turkey by introducing it for the first time at the university level. Necip Asım, who founded the Turkology department at Istanbul Darülfünun and was the first professor of Turkish Language History, was among the founders of the Turkish Association and was elected as its president. He published scientific articles and essays, wrote books, and made translations in many magazines and newspapers such as Türk Yurdu, Tarih-i Osmanî Encümeni Mecmuası (later renamed as Türk Tarih Encümeni Mecmuası), Darülfünun Edebiyat Fakültesi Mecmuası, İkdam, Musavver, Malumat, Servet-i Fünun, Bilgi, Millî Tetebbular Mecmuası, and Türkiyat. Necip Asım Bey participated in the Ottoman History Society, which was established on November 27, 1909, under the leadership of Sultan Mehmet Reşat to write the history of the Ottoman Empire and collect documents. At its first meeting on February 9, 1910, the Society assigned Necip Asım and Mehmet Arif Bey to write the first volume of the Ottoman History. The two researchers were able to publish a single volume after seven years of work. Necip Asım Yazıksız was elected as a member of the Turkish National Assembly from Erzurum in the 1927 elections and served in this position until his death. He changed his last name to “Yazıksız” in 1934, but he also used the names “Balhasanoğlu” and “Balkanoğlu” in his earlier writings. He passed away on December 13, 1935 in his home in Kadıköy and was buried in Sahra-yı Cedit Cemetery.

Principal Works

Orkhon Inscriptions:  Necip Asım Yazıksız, who relied on the work of W. Thomsen, the first person to read the inscriptions, and used the explanations of Thomsen, Radloff, and Şemsettin Sami's unpublished work on the Orkhon Inscriptions. The first part of the Orkhon Inscriptions is titled "Orkhon Edicts and the Ancient Turks." This section focuses on the fact that the Turks have been accused of various flaws by many nations. The reason for writing this introduction is said to be to provide information on the historical monuments that prove that the Turks were a civilized nation from the earliest centuries, despite being portrayed as a deprived society. The rest of this section provides information on the discovery of the inscriptions, the first publications about them, and information about Turkish history. The second part of the book is titled "Orkhon Inscriptions." This section focuses on the location of the inscriptions and the formal characteristics of the stones on which they were written. The first part of the following section is "Morphology and Syntax of Orkhon Turkish." Necip Asım Yazıksız notes here that because the dominant group among the East Turks were the Oghuz people, and since the inscriptions are the most prominent example of the Oghuz language, he refers to the language of the inscriptions as Orkhon language and provides information on the phonetics of the Orkhon Turkish. In the section titled "Second Part" of his book, the author provides the text and translation of the Orkhon Inscriptions and provides various explanations in footnotes.

Pek Eski Türk Yazısı: This is Necip Asım Yazıksız's work on the Orkhon alphabet. This small book, initially published under the title "En Eski Türk Yazısı" (The Oldest Turkish Script), served as a source for the section on the Orkhon letters in the author's work "Orhun Abideleri" (Orkhon Inscriptions).

Ural and Altaic Languages:  After discussing linguistics, which is referred to as "ilm-i lisan" in the introduction chapter, the book talks about language families and language structures. Additionally, the vowel harmony is particularly emphasized when discussing the relationship between Ural-Altaic languages in the book. The topic discussed in the rest of this chapter is word inflection, which is one of the characteristics of Ural-Altaic languages. Necip Asım Yazıksız provides detailed information about Ural-Altaic languages in his work, where he benefited from the classifications and explanations made by European Turkologists. The author concludes by stating that Turkish is one of the most important Ural-Altaic languages, but because of its exceptional importance, it will be evaluated in a separate book.

Hibetü’l-Hakayık: Necip Asım Yazıksız discovered Edip Ahmet Yükneki's work "Atebetü'l-Hakayık" in the Ayasofya Library and published it under the name "Hibetü'l-Hakayık". Necip Asım Yazıksız prepared his book in two parts. The first part contains the critical text of the work, its expression in modern Turkish, and explanations. The second part includes a facsimile of the text found in the Istanbul Ayasofya Library.

Eski Savlar: The 290 proverbs mentioned in the Divanü Lügati't-Türk, as well as other similar sayings, and their explanations, along with some of their current equivalents, have been compiled. Necip Asım Yazıksız also provides explanations about the words found in the savs where necessary.

Yeni Usûl Osmanlı Sarfı: It is a lesson book organized in a question-and-answer format. The exercises called "temrin," given in the form of footnotes in the book, also serve as a guide for teachers.

Other Works: Ziyâ ve Hararet, Güvercin Postası, Ferid, Yeni Terbit Muhtasar Osmanlı, Ev Kızı, Muhtasar Osmanlı Nahvi, Lugat-ı İlmiyye ve Fenniyye, Osmanlı Sarfı, Mükemmel Sarf ve Nahv-i Osmanî, Lugat-ı Musahabet, Kitap, En Eski Türk Yazısı, Türk Tarihi, İlm-i Lisan, Gök Sancak, Milli Aruz, Osmanlı Tarihi, Bektaşi İlmihali, Celaleddin-i Harzemşah.

ŞEMSETTİN GÜNALTAY

He was born in 1883 in Eğin, now Kemaliye. His father was İbrahim Edhem Efendi, a muderris, and his mother was Sâliha Hanım. He came to Istanbul at a young age and first studied at the Ravza-i Terakki School in Üsküdar and then at Vefa Idâdîsi. Afterwards, he attended Dârülmuallimîn-i Âliye, which would become “Higher Teacher Training School” in the Republican era and graduated from the Science Department of this school in 1905 as the highest ranked student. In the meantime, he educated himself in religious sciences by attending Arabic and Persian classes privately. He also learned French. Şemsettin Günaltay was sent to Lausanne University in Switzerland in 1909 by the Ministry of Education to study natural sciences. During the 1915 reform of the Istanbul Dârülfünunu, Mehmet Şemsettin was a professor of Turkish History and History of Civilization at the Faculty of Letters, and was also a professor of History of Religions at the Süleymaniye Madrasah, the highest madrasah of the period. He took part in the Istanbul organization of the Rumeli Mudafaa-i Hukuk Cemiyeti. Mehmet Şemsettin, who was among the founders of the Teceddüd Fırkası in 1920, was also in charge of the Istanbul organization of the Anatolian and Rumeli Mudafaa-i Hukuk Cemiyeti. In the meantime, he was assigned to establish the organization of the Republican People’s Party in Istanbul upon Mustafa Kemal’s order. The second period of Günaltay’ political life, who later joined the Kuvâ-yi Milliye and was elected as a member of the Istanbul Municipality Council and Deputy Mayor, began in 1923 when he was elected as a member of the Republican People’s Party Sivas Deputy in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. He was appointed as “Ordinarius Professor” to teach Medieval History courses in the Department of History at the Faculty of Letters, and he continued to work as a member of parliament. He taught Islamic History and History of Fiqh at the Faculty of Theology and Turkish History and History of Civilization at the History Department of the Faculty of Letters. Meanwhile, Ankara University’s Faculty of Language, History and Geography had been established and Günaltay was also teaching there. However, after the death of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, during the period of Hasan Âli Yücel's Ministry of National Education (1938-1941), Günaltay was asked to either become a member of parliament or a lecturer; upon this, Ord. Prof. Günaltay, together with Ord. Prof. Dr. Mehmed Fuad Köprülü (1890-1966) and Ord. Prof. İsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı (1888-1977), resigned from teaching and engaged only in politics. Günaltay entered the Parliament in 1923 as a Sivas Deputy of the Republican People’s Party. Günaltay was elected as Sivas and Erzincan MP for seven consecutive terms, and upon the resignation of the Second Hasan Saka Government on January 14, 1949, he served as prime minister between January 15, 1949, and May 22, 1950. Thus, the historian Günaltay became the 14th prime minister of the Republic of Turkey and the last prime minister of the single party era in Turkey. Former prime minister and historian Şemsettin Günaltay died of prostate cancer on October 19, 1961, in Ortaköy Şifa Yurdu. After a ceremony at Istanbul University, his body was buried next to his daughter in the Ankara Asli Cemetery upon his will.

PRincipal Works: Zulmetten Nura (1915), Hurafattan Hakikata (1916), İslam Dini Tarihi (1924), Fennin En Son Keşfiyâtından (1910), Tarih-i Edyan (1922), Mufassal Türk Tarihi (1922-24), Felsefe-i Ulâ. İsbat-ı Vacib ve Ruh Nazariyeleri (1923), Maziden Atiye (1923), Müntehap Kıraat (1923), İslâm’da Tarih ve Müverrihler (1923-26)

YUSUF AKÇURA

Yusuf Akçura was born on December 2, 1876, in Simbir, Kazan. His father Hasan Bey was a factory owner and his mother Bîbî Kamer Banu Hatun was a member of the well-known families of Kazan. Yusuf lost his father when he was only two years old and immigrated to Istanbul with his mother in 1883, when he was seven years old. He received his primary education in Mahmud Pasha and Kara Hâfız ibtidâîs and then enrolled in Koca Mustafa Pasha Rüşdiyesi. Although he left his education for a while and went to Kazan, he returned to Istanbul a year later and continued his education at the Rüşdiye and was accepted to the Harbiye in 1892. He was arrested while he was in his second year at Harbiye, but since he was a hardworking student, he returned to Harbiye after serving his sentence. After graduation, he was assigned to the military officer class, but he was arrested again for his involvement with the Young Turks. After his arrest, he was sent to Tripoli to be exiled to Fizan, but he was released, and his rank was restored. For a while, he worked at the Erkân-ı Harbiyye Kalemi and worked as a teacher. In 1899, he fled to Tunisia to complete his education and in the same year he went to Paris and enrolled in the School of Political Sciences. Here he first met Sadri Maksudi and then Ahmed Rıza, one of the leaders of the Young Turk movement, and wrote articles in the newspaper Şûrâ-yı Ümmet published by them. In 1903, he successfully graduated from the school with his graduation thesis titled “An Essay on the History of the Organization of the Ottoman Empire”. After completing his education, he went to Kazan where he wrote his famous article Üç Tarz-ı Siyâset. His thoughts in Üç Tarz-ı Siyâset and his later writings in this direction caused him to be recognized as a panturkist. He returned to Istanbul in October 1908 after the declaration of the II. Constitutional Monarchy. Akçura was among the founders of almost all of the associations related to Turkism that became active in these years. Especially his work in the Türk Yurdu magazine, the publication organ of the Türk Yurdu Society, attracts attention. Apart from these works, he worked as a political history lecturer at Harbiye, Medresetü'l Vâizîn, Istanbul Darülfünunu and Naval High School. Between 1917 and 1919, he traveled to Western European countries and Russia as a delegate of the Ottoman Hilâl-i Ahmer Society. In 1919, he was arrested by the British and moved to Anatolia to join the National Movement. He first worked at the Ministry of Education and then at Kazım Karabekir’s headquarters as a reserve staff captain. After the proclamation of the Republic, he was in Atatürk’s close circle. After his duty in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he entered the parliament as a member of Istanbul in 1924 and kept his seat until his death. He worked in the Turkish Historical Research Society and was elected as the president of the society in 1932, and when Istanbul University was re-established, he went to Istanbul as a professor of Modern Political History. Yusuf Akçura died on March 11, 1935, and was buried in Edirnekapı Cemetery.

Principal Works: Üç Tarz-ı Siyâset, Muâsır Avrupa’da Siyasî ve İçtimaî Fikirler ve Fikrî Cereyanlar, Siyâset ve İktisat Hakkında Birkaç Hitabe ve Makale, Ulûm ve Târih, Üç Haziran Vak’a-i Müessifesi, Eski Şûrâ-yı Ümmet’te Çıkan Makalelerimden, Osmanlı Saltanatı Müessesâtı Târihine Dair Bir Tecrübe, Mevkufiyet Hâtıraları, Rusya’daki Türk – Tatar Müslümanlarının Şimdiki Vaziyeti ve Emelleri, Şark Meselesine Ait Târîh-i Siyâsî Notları, Türk Yılı 1928, Târih-i Siyâsî Dersleri, Osmanlı Devleti’nin Dağılma Devri, Ta Kendim Yahut Defter-i Âmâlim

Yusuf Akçura’nın bu eserler dışında Türk tarihi, Türkçülük, Osmanlı tarihi ve Yakınçağ Avrupa tarihinin siyasi, sosyal ve ekonomik meseleleriyle ilgili pek çok makalesi mevcuttur.

YUSUF BEHÇET BEY

He was born in 1848 in Görice. He studied at Valide Rüşdiyesi in Istanbul and learned Arabic, Persian, English and Greek and completed the “Language School” for French. In 1870, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was appointed as the clerk of the London Embassy in 1876 and the St. Petersburg Embassy in 1878, and in 1880 he was appointed as the Director of the Babıali Translation Room and at the same time as a teacher of translation at the Galatasaray School. Yusuf Behçet Bey was appointed Director of Publications in 1892. In 1901, Yusuf Behçet Bey resigned from this position and spent the rest of his life in the same year as a member of the Tanzimat Department of the State Council, in 1912 as the Governor of Manastir and then as the Director of the Terkos Water Company and as a member of the board of directors of some financial institutions, and he died in Istanbul in 1936.

ZEKİ VELİDİ TOGAN

Zeki Velidi Togan, whose real name was Ahmet Zeki, was born on December 10, 1890, in the Isterlitamak region of Bashkortostan. While he was studying at the first madrasah, he was also taking private Russian lessons. In 1902, he went to the madrasah of his uncle Habib Neccar in Utek for his secondary education. During his education here, he took Arabic lessons and improved his knowledge of the language. In 1908 he arrived in Kazan to continue his education. In 1909, he became a lecturer of Turkish History and History of Arabic Literature at the Kasimiye madrasah where he graduated. At the end of 1911, he became famous due to his book titled Turkish and Tatar History. Thanks to the good response to this work, he was elected as a member of the Society of Archaeology and History of Kazan University. He was elected to the Duma in 1916 as the representative of Ufa Muslims. In 1923 he traveled to France. He studied oriental manuscripts in Paris libraries and Berlin State Library. Zeki Velidi Togan was invited to Turkey in 1925 for his important works in the field of history. In 1927, he was appointed as a lecturer of Turkish History and Method in History at Istanbul Darülfünun. At the First Turkish History Congress held in 1932, he had to leave his post because he defended ideas contrary to the official history thesis. He then traveled to Vienna. He completed his doctorate at the University of Vienna with his thesis on Ibn Fadlan’s Travelogue. He taught at the universities of Bonn and Göttingen. Returning to Turkey in 1939, Zeki Velidi started to work as a professor at Istanbul University Faculty of Letters. He established the chair of General Turkish History and then received the tile of Ordinarius Professor. He was arrested in 1944 for allegedly engaging in Turanist political activities. After being imprisoned for a year, he was acquitted by a court decision. In 1948, he returned to his position at the Faculty of Letters. In 1950, he founded the Institute of Islamic Studies and served as its director until his death. He died in Istanbul in 1970.

DEPARTMENT OF ANCIENT HISTORY

Prof. Dr. Arif Müfit Mansel 

Arif Müfid Mansel was born in Istanbul in 1905. He attended the German School in Istanbul and then St. Benoit French High School. The famous German archaeologist Theodor Wiegand sent an official letter to his friend Halil Edhem as an expression of gratitude to provide a scholarship to two Turkish young men to study in Germany and requested that Halil Edhem select these men. Upon this proposal, Halil Edhem selected Arif Müfid and Ahmet Rufai and arranged for them to go to Germany in 1925. In 1929, in the 4th year of his departure to Germany and at the age of 24, Arif Müfid finished his PhD titled “Stockwerkbau der Griechen und Römer”. After his doctorate, he returned home and worked at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums between 1935 and 1946. In 1936, the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University appointed him as Associate Professor of Early Modern History, along with the position of Deputy Director of the Museum, he began to give lectures. In 1944, Mansel became a professor and in 1946 he established the department of Classical Archaeology at Istanbul University. He excavated in the ancient cities of Side and Perge on the southern coast of Anatolia and continued his scientific work until his death in 1974.

Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen 

Born on October 24, 1913, in Malatya, A. Afif Erzen enrolled in Elazığ Secondary School in 1925 after completing his primary education at the Mahalle Mektebi. In 1932, Erzen graduated from Sivas High School for Boys at the top of his class, was sent to Germany in 1933 to study history education and teaching and returned to Turkey in 1940. During this time, he completed his doctorate at the University of Leipzig under the direction of the famous ancient historian Prof. Dr. Helmut Berve. He completed his doctoral thesis titled “Kilikien bis zum Ende der Perserherrschaft” in 1939 and in September 1940 he was appointed as an assistant to the Ancient History Departement at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University. Dr. Afif Erzen became an associate professor at the same department in 1944 with his “Associate Professorship Presentation Thesis” titled “Ancient Ankara”. Dr. Erzen, who worked in Sinop in 1953 and in Ereğli-Daskyleion in 1954 as the second chairman, also participated in the excavations in Side and Perge. In 1955, he was promoted to Professor of Ancient History. 1 year later, in 1956, he was elected as the Chair of Ancient History. Erzen, who directed archaeological excavations in Van-Toprakkale between 1959-1963 and in Van-Çavuştepe between 1961-1986 for 25 years without interruption, also conducted surveys in Van Castle and Van Castle Mound. Between 1962 and 1964, he also conducted rescue excavations at the necropolis of Alacahan and Evditepe in the vicinity of Ernis-Ünseli. Afif Erzen, who was elected Dean of the Faculty of Letters for two consecutive terms between 1967-1970, founded the “Center for Historical and Archaeological Research in the Van Region” in 1967 in Van, affiliated to the Faculty of Letters, and the “South-Eastern European Studies Center” in Edirne in 1969. He passed away on August 29, 2000.

Principal Works: Tarsus Kılavuzu, İstanbul 1946. Doğu Anaodolu ve Urartular, Ankara 1992. İlkçağ Tarihinde Trakya, İstanbul 1994.

Prof. Dr. Clemens Emin Bosch 

Clemens Emin Bosch was born on October 6, 1899 in Cologne, Germany. After completing his primary and secondary education in Eberstadt and Darmstadt between 1911 and 1920, Clemens Bosch studied Ancient History in Berlin and Heidelberg. In 1925, he received the title of doctor at Heidelberg University. With the scholarship of the German Ministry of Education, he worked on the Ancient History of Asia Minor in Berlin and Halle in 1925-26. Clemens Bosch focused his studies on the Roman Imperial coins minted in Asia Minor and became an associate professor at the University of Halle in 1932. When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, he and his wife, who was Jewish, had to leave Germany. In 1935, Bosch started working in the coin cabinet of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums and in 1938 he converted to Islam and took the name Emin. In 1939, he became a professor at I.U. Faculty of Letters, Department of Ancient History, teaching Roman History and Ancient Numismatics. Bosch, who continued his lectures and scientific studies until 1950, died in Istanbul in July 1955. Numismatic studies, which started under the leadership of Clemens Bosch at the Istanbul University Faculty of Letters, Department of Ancient History, continue uninterruptedly.

Ord. Prof. Dr. Kurt Bittel 

Born in 1907 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany, Kurt Bittel completed his PhD at the age of 22 with his work “Kelten in Württemberg”. In 1930/1, he traveled to Hattusa with a travel scholarship from the German Archaeological Institute. Bittel, who became the director of the Istanbul Branch of the German Archaeological Institute in 1938, conducted excavations in the Hittite capital Hattusa between 1931 and 1977. In 1946, Kurt Bittel became a professor at the University of Tübingen and in 1950 he and Prof. Dr. Halet Çambel founded the department of Prehistory at the Faculty of Letters of I.U. Kurt Bittel, who died in 1991, is the author of numerous books and articles.

Prof. Dr. Oktay Akşit

In 1954, Oktay Akşit was appointed as an assistant in the Department of Classical Languages and Literature, a position he held until 1958, when he moved to the department of Ancient History, where he continued his academic career until his retirement in 1994 with the title of “Professor”. His publications include History of the Roman Empire 27 BC - 192 AD, Lycia in the Hellenistic and Roman Period, History of Lycia, History of Manisa (Magnesia ad Sipylum): from the beginning to 395 AD.

Prof. Dr. Adnan Pekman 

Prof. Dr. Adnan Pekman 1922 yılında İstanbul’da doğdu. İlk ve orta öğrenimini Fransız St. Michel okulunda, Lise öğrenimini Kabataş Erkek Lisesi’nde yaptı. Yüksek öğrenimini İstanbul Üniversitesi, edebiyat Fakültesi, Klasik Arkeoloji Bölümünde tamamladı. 1951 yılında Edebiyat Fakültesi Eskiçağ Tarihi Anabilim Dalına asistan olarak atandı. 1956 yılında “Perge Tarihi” konulu tezle “Doktor” unvanını kazandı. 1963 yılında “Panphylia Tanrıları” adlı çalışmasıyla Doçent unvanını alarak, Doçent kadrosuna atandı. 1971 yılında İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü, Eskiçağ Tarihi Anabilim Dalında profesör oldu. Prof. Dr. Adnan Pekman 30.01.1989 tarihinde yaş haddi nedeniyle emekliye ayrılmıştır. Antalya bölgesinde “Side” ve “Perge” Phrygia’da ‘Yazılı Kaya’, Doğu Anadolu’da ‘Van’ ve ‘Çavuştepe’ kazılarına da katılmıştır. Prof. Dr. Adnan Pekman 2008 yılında hayatını kaybetmiştir.

Prof. Dr. Bahadır Alkım 

28 Şubat 1915’te İzmir’de doğmuştur. 1935’te Yüksek Öğretmen Okulu sınavını kazanarak İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesinde- o zamanki adı ile- Sümer-Eti Filolojisi, Arkeoloji ve Eskiçağ Tarihi öğrenimine başlamış ve 1939’da mezun olmuştur. 1941’de İ.Ü. Edebiyat Fakültesi Hititoloji asistanı olarak tayin edilmiştir. 1944’te doktora, 1945’te doçentlik sınavlarını vermiştir. 1960’da Profesör olan Prof. Alkım, Eski ön asya Dilleri ve Kültürleri Bölümü başkanı oldu. Bu görevini uzun yıllar sürdürdü. 1962-75 arasında ders verdiği Robert Kolej’in 1963-64 dönemindeki Türk müdürü oldu. Bugünkü adı Boğaziçi Üniversitesi olan bu kurumda Arkeometri Enstitüsü’nün kurulmasına önemli katkılarda bulundu. 1939′dan başlayarak Alacahöyük, Alalah gibi kazılara katılan Alkım, 1947′de Türk Tarih Kurumu üyeliğine seçildikten sonra, kazılarını bu kurum adına yürüttü. Alkım çeşitli yazıtların çözümüne, özellikle Hitit filolojisine önemli katkılarda bulunmuştur. Yerli ve yabancı süreli yayınlar­da çok sayıda makalesi yayımlanmıştır. Alkım, 1981 yılında vefat etti.

Prof. Dr. Sabahat Atlan 

Sabahat Atlan was born on December 31, 1913 in Vodina (modern Edessa) near Thessaloniki in Greece. Her family immigrated from Greece to Ayvalık, where she spent her childhood. In 1935/6, she graduated from I.U. Faculty of Letters, Department of History. Successful in the examination of the Ministry of National Education, she was sent to Germany in 1936 to study archaeology and Near Eastern languages. Three years later, with the outbreak of World War II, she had to return from Germany. In 1940, she began working as an assistant in the Department of History, translating the lectures of Prof. Dr. Clemens E. Bosch from German into Turkish. Atlan completed her doctorate in 1951 and was promoted to associate professor in 1952 and professor in 1964. Her major works include “Outlines of Roman History, Part I. The Republic”, “Coins Obtained during the Side Excavations between 1947 and 1967”, and “Greek Coins”. Prof. Dr. Sabahat Atlan died in 1984 at the age of 71 in Istanbul.

Prof. Dr. Nezahat Baydur

Born on September 16, 1926 in Manisa, Nezahat Baydur received her bachelor’s degree in Archaeology from Istanbul University between 1946 and 1950. In 1953, she started working as a librarian in the library of the Archaeology Department. While working as a librarian, she received an Alexander von Humbolt scholarship and attended seminars of Prof. Dr. F. Martz and Prof. Dr. F. Brommer at the University of Marburg. In 1959, Baydur became an assistant in the Department of Archaeology and in 1961 she joined the Department of Ancient History. In 1964, Nezahat Baydur completed her PhD and became an associate professor in 1968 and a professor in 1979. Until her retirement in 1988, she taught Roman History and ancient numismatics at the Department of Ancient History.

Prof. Dr. M. Taner Tarhan

Born on February 2, 1941 in Istanbul, M. Taner Tarhan started his education at Bakırköy Primary School in 1948, graduated from Bakırköy Secondary School in 1956 and Pertevniyal High School in 1961. Tarhan completed his undergraduate studies at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Prehistory and Classical Archaeology. His thesis certificate was “Classical Archaeology” and his associate certificates were “Prehistory”, “Ancient History” and “Byzantine Art”. In 1965, under the direction of Ord. Prof. Dr. Arif Müfid Mansel, he prepared the “Side Museum Catalog of Antique Stone Sculpture Works” as his Bachelor’s Thesis and graduated in 1966. In 1966, he was appointed as an assistant to the department of Ancient History and between 1966-1972, he completed his “Doctoral Thesis” on “Cimmerians in Ancient History” under the direction of Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen. In 1978, he became Associate Professor with his thesis on “Uruatri and Nairi Confederations in the XIIIth Century BC”. The Old City of Van and the Van Fortress ,Turkey, Istanbul 1986. He received the title of professor in 1988. Between 1983-1991, he was the head of the excavations of Van Fortress and the Old City of Van. Between 2000-2004, he served as the Dean of I.U. Faculty of Letters and retired on 15.02.2008.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Özsait

Born on November 25, 1938 in Ladik, Samsun. In 1958, he enrolled in the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History. He also passed the Çapa Higher Teacher Training School exam and continued his education as a scholarship student of the Ministry of National Education. During his undergraduate education at the faculty, he completed Ancient History with a thesis certificate and Medieval, Modern and Modern History with an associate certificate. Between 1962 and 1966, he worked as a History and Philosophy teacher at Samsun Ondokuz Mayıs High School and Samsun Maarif College. In 1966, Özsait started working as an assistant in the Department of Ancient History at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University and completed his doctorate in 1973. He became an associate professor on November 13, 1979 with his thesis on “Pisidian History in the Hellenistic and Roman Period” and became a professor on October 14, 1988 with his dissertation on "Yalvaç-Antiokheia in Ancient History". He conducted archaeological excavations in Isparta Harmanören (Göndürle Höyük) between 1993-2006. He retired on November 25, 2005.

Prof. Dr. Veli Sevin

He was born on April 3, 1944 in Ödemiş. He studied Ancient History, Classical Archaeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University (1965-1968) and completed his PhD on Lydian civilization at the same university (1969-1973). He became an associate professor in 1979 and a professor in 1988 and lectured on Ancient History and Anatolian-Mesopotamian Archaeology at Istanbul University and Mimar Sinan University (1980-1999). He served as the Director of the Van Region History and Archaeology Research Center (1993-1999) and the Secretary General of the Turkish Institute of Ancient Turkish Sciences (1993-1995). In 1999, he joined the faculty at the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, where he served as vice-rector, founding dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and head of the Department of Archaeology. He conducted the excavations of İmikuşağı between 1981-1986 and Karagündüz Tumulus and Necropolis between 1992-1999.

Prof. Dr. Oktay Belli

Born on April 3, 1945, in Kars, Belli graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Cultures in 1970. In 1970, he was appointed as the scientific secretary of the “Van Region History and Archaeology Research Center” of the Istanbul University Faculty of Letters. In 1973, he prepared his doctoral thesis titled “Van Region Road Network in the Urartian Age” in the Department of Ancient History, and was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Ancient History in 1982, Associate Professor in the same Department in 1989, and Professor in 1995. He participated in the excavations of Van Castle and Toprakkale, the capital of the Urartian Kingdom, Çavuştepe and Giyimli (Hırkanis), which were conducted under the direction of Prof. Dr. Afif Erzen between 1969-1981, as well as the excavations of Enez in Thrace for 4 excavation periods, and the Imikuşağı Rescue Excavation conducted under the direction of Prof. Dr. Veli Sevin between 1982-1985. Between 1991-2007, he headed the excavations of “Lower and Upper Anzaf Urartian Fortresses”. He researched “Transportation Network”, “Mining Activities” and “Dams, Ponds and Irrigation Canals” in the Eastern Anatolia Region. He retired in April 2012.

DEPARTMENT OF MEDIEVAL HISTORY

Ord. Prof. Mükrimin Halil Yınanç 

Born in Kahramanmaraş in 1990, he graduated from Istanbul Dârülfünun, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1919. After his graduation, he worked as a history teacher at several schools while working in the Library of Tarih-i Osmanî Encümeni and he started to work as an associate professor in the Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1933 when Dârülfünun was transformed into a university. Becoming a professor in 1941, Mükrimin Halil Yinanç became the first chair of the Department of Medieval History when Departments such as Ancient History, Medieval History, History of Early Modern Era and Contemporary History were established in the Faculty of Letters, Department of History with the Universities Law of 1946. He was proposed to the Board of Professors for the distinguished professorship by Professor Ali Turan, who was the Dean of the Faculty of Letters in 1957 and became a distinguished professor in the same year. In 1959, he was elected as the senator by receiving the most votes in the Board of Professors of the Faculty of Letters. On Friday morning, December 1, 1961, he fell ill while teaching his students and passed away on Friday morning, December 22, 1961 in Haseki Hospital where he was admitted.

Ord. Prof. İsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı 

He was born in Eyüp, Istanbul in 1888. After graduating from the Department of Literature at Istanbul Dârülfünun in 1912, he was appointed to the Kütahya High School as a history-geography teacher. Working as a teacher and an administrator in several cities, Uzunçarşılı was elected as Balıkesir deputy on 9 October 1927 and served in the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye for twenty-four years. He continued his research and teaching history while he was in Ankara as a deputy. By the order of Atatürk, he started to give lectures in the Faculty of Letters, Department of History in Istanbul Dârülfünun in 1932 together with his deputyship. After the University Reform of 1933, he continued to serve as a distinguished professor in the Faculty of Letters. He gave lectures regarding the Rum Seljuks, Anatolian Principalities and the establishment and rise of the Ottoman Empire. He was one of the first historians using archival materials in his works and he was among the founders of modern historiography in Türkiye. His works led him to be entitled as “emirü’l-muharririn (chief of historians)”. Passing away Monday, October 10, 1977, Uzunçarşılı was buried in Edirnekapı Martyr's Cemetery. Among his many works, Osmanlı Tarihi (Ottoman History) is a significant reference work that still maintains its importance today.

Ord. Prof. Mehmed Şemseddin Günaltay (Prime Minister) 

1883 yılında şimdiki adı Kemaliye olan Eğin’de doğdu. Cumhuriyet devrinde adı Yüksek Öğretmen Okulu olarak değiştirilecek olan Dârülmuallimîn-i Âliye’ye devam ederek 1905 yılında bu okulun Fen şubesinden birincilikle mezun oldu. Bu arada özel olarak Arapça ve Farsça derslerine devam ederek dinî ilimlerde kendisini yetiştirdi. Ayrıca Fransızca öğrendi. İstanbul Dârülfünunu’nda yapılan 1915 reformu sırasında Edebiyat Fakültesi’nde Türk Tarihi ve Medeniyet Tarihi müderrisi olan Mehmed Şemseddin aynı zamanda dönemin en yüksek medresesi sayılan Süleymaniye Medresesi’nde de Dinler Tarihi müderrisi idi. 1919’da ise Edebiyat Fakültesi İslâm Kavimleri Tarihi ve Süleymaniye Medresesi İslâm Felsefesi müderrisliklerine tayin olundu. Şemseddin Günaltay 1924 yılında Dârülfünun İlahiyat Fakültesi’nde İslâm Tarihi ve Fıkıh Tarihi müderrisi ve aynı zamanda Fakülte Sekreteri olmuştu. Ertesi yıl bu fakültenin Dekanlığına getirildi. Şemseddin Günaltay, 1933 Üniversite Reformu’ndan önce İstanbul Dârülfünunu Edebiyat Fakültesi ile İlâhiyat Fakültesi’nde Türk Tarihi, İslâm Tarihi ve Medeniyet Tarihi derslerini vermekteydi. Dârülfünun’un İstanbul Üniversitesi’ne dönüştürülmesinden sonra da Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Bölümü’nde Ortaçağ Tarihi derslerini vermek üzere Ordinaryüs Profesör olarak görevlendirildi ve milletvekilliği ile bu görevini birlikte sürdürdü. Bu sırada Ankara Üniversitesi Dil ve Tarih-Coğrafya Fakültesi kurulmuş ve Günaltay hoca orada da dersler veriyordu.

As soon as he began his career, Professor Mehmed Şemseddin was also interested in politics. As early as 1915, he entered the Parliament as Ertuğrul (Bilecik) deputy from the Union and Progress Party. His deputyship was lasted until 1920, when the Chamber of Deputies was closed. In 1923, he entered the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye as Sivas deputy from the Republican People’s Party. He was elected as Sivas deputy for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Parliament and as Erzincan deputy in the 9th Parliament. He also served as the president of the Teşkîlât-ı Esâsiye Council in the 5th Parliament and the Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly in the 7th and 8th Parliament. Upon the resignment of Hasan Saka, Şemseddin Günaltay was appointed as the prime minister in 1949 and he maintained his office until Democrat Party came to power. Günaltay, who served as the chairman of the Istanbul provincial office of the Republican People’s Party and after the May 27, 1960, coup d'état, the Representative of the Republican People’s Party in the Constituent Assembly (6 January 1961-25 October 1961), was elected as the Istanbul senator in 1961 but passed away before taking his office. Carrying out politics and science together, Günaltay was never separated from science and scientific circles even for a moment throughout his life despite his intense political works. He was elected as the president of the Turkish Historical Society in 1941 and maintained this office for twenty years until his death in 1961.

Prof. Dr. Fikret Işıltan

Professor Fikret Işıltan was born in Istanbul in 1915. After winning the examination in 1933, he went to Germany for higher education in 1934. He started his higher education at the Faculty of Philosophy in the University of Berlin. He received the title of Doctor with his dissertation titled Die Seltscuken-Geschicte des Aksarayi in 1940. After returning to Türkiye, he worked as a teacher for a while and entered the Faculty of Letters at the Istanbul University as an assistant in the Department of Medieval History in 1944. He became an associate professor with his dissertation titled The History of Urfa Region in 1953 and a professor in 1962. After the death of his colleague Mükrimin Halil Yinanç in 1961, he was assigned as the chair of the Department of Medieval History and gave lectures titled the History of Islam, Byzantine History, History of Crusades and Medieval History of Europe. In 1970, he was selected for the principal membership of the Turkish Historical Society and took part in the board of management in the same institution after 1983. Being elected as a member of the Senate of Istanbul University in 1976, Işıltan was appointed as the director of the Historical Research Centre in July 1983 and as the head of the Department of History in November 1983. He was retired due to age limit at the end of 1983. He has many published works and translations. The History of Crusades written by Steven Ruciman and The Religious-Political Opposition Parties in the First Age of Islam by J. Welhausen, both translated to Turkish by Işıltan, are particularly important.

Prof. Dr. Muammer Kemal Özergin

Born in Istanbul in 1930, Muammer Kemal Özergin graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Departments of History and Turkology at Istanbul University in 1955. He was admitted as an assistant to the Department of Medieval History in the same year. He received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Anadolu Selçukluları Çağında Anadolu Yolları (Anatolian Roads during the Era of Rum Seljuks) in 1959 and became an associate professor with his dissertation titled Dımaşk Melikliği ve Dımaşk Atabeği Zahir el-Din Toğtekin (The Kingdom of Damascus and Damascus Atabeg Zahir el-Din Toğtekin) in 1968. He was transferred to the Faculty of Letters, Department of History at the Erzurum Atatürk University in 1971 and to the Faculty of Basic Sciences at the Karadeniz Technical University in 1973. Becoming a professor in 1974, Özergin served in the High Islamic Institute and retired from there. Having works on inscriptions, coins and particularly literary sources of history, Özergin passed away in 1986.

Prof. Dr. Hakkı Dursun Yıldız 

He was born in Artvin in 1937. In the academic year of 1960-61, he graduated from the Department of Medieval History at the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History. He was appointed as an assistant to the Department of Medieval History in the same year. He received the title of associate professor with his dissertation titled Samerra Devrinin Sonuna Kadar İslam Devleti’nde Türkler (Turks in the Islamic State until the end of the Samarra Period) in 1972 and became a professor with his conferment dissertation titled Azerbaycan’da Hüküm Sürmüş Bir Türk Hanedanı: Sâc-Oğulları (A Turkish Dynasty Ruled in Azerbaijan: The Sajid Dynasty) in 1979. Professor Hakkı Dursun Yıldız worked at the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History for twenty one years and gave lectures at the undergraduate level titled Ottoman Turkish, Medieval History Bibliography, History of Islam and History of Islamic Civilization. He was appointed as the “Founding Dean” of the newly established Marmara University, Faculty of Letters in 1982. After working as the Vice Rector, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Education for a while and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for ten years, he was elected as the Rector of the Marmara University in 1992. Professor Yıldız served in this last office for two months as he passed away on Friday, October 23, 1992 after suffering an incurable illness.

Prof. Steven Runciman

He was born on July 7, 1903 in Northumberland. His full name is James Cochran Stevenson Runciman. He entered the Trinity College of Cambridge University in 1921 and graduated from there. He served as a lecturer of Byzantine Art and History at the Istanbul University between 1942 and 1945. He began to write his work, which was considered his most important work and later translated to Turkish with the title of Haçlı Seferleri Tarihi, while he was in this position. His works focused on Byzantine History and the History of Crusades. He passed away on November 1, 2000.

Prof. Dr. Işın Demirkent

Born in 1938 in İzmir, Işın Demirkent graduated from the Department of Medieval History at the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History with the degree of excellency in 1965. She received the title of doctor by her dissertation titled Urfa Haçlı Kontluğu Tarihi (1118-1146) (The History of the County of Edessa 1118-1146), which she completed under the supervision of Professor Fikret Işıltan in March 1972. She became an associate professor with her work titled Urfa Haçlı Kontluğu Tarihi (1118-1146) (The History of the County of Edessa 1118-1146) in April 1981 and a professor in 1988. In 1994, she was appointed as the Head of the Department of Medieval History and she remained in this position until 2005. Demirkent, who was a member of academic institutions such as Turkish Historical Society, The Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East, is an academic known not only in our country but also around the world. During her office in the Department of Medieval History at the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, she gave lectures at undergraduate and graduate level titled The Crusades, Crusader States, Byzantine History, Turkish-Byzantine Relations and Medieval History. Demirkent passed away on Friday, February 3, 2006 at the age of 68, leaving behind many academic works such as the History of Crusades. She was buried in Aşiyan Cemetery.

Prof. Dr. Ramazan Şeşen

Professor Ramazan Şeşen completed his academic studies in at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. He completed his doctoral dissertation titled Imâdeddin el-Katip el-Isfahânî'nin el-Bark el-Şâmî’sinin Beşinci Cildi (The Fifth Volume of el-Bark el-Şâmî by Imâdeddin el-Katip el-Isfahânî) in 1969. In April 1978, he presented his associate professorship dissertation on Salâhaddin Devrinde Eyyûbiler Devleti (Ayyubid Empire in the Reign of Saladin). This work has still been an important reference source both in our country and abroad. Ramazan Şeşen has had the opportunity to carry out his works at the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) since October 1982. He was appointed as a professor of Medieval History at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of History in May 1989. In this faculty, he served as the head of the Department of Medieval History from the date of his appointment until his retirement. He also served as the head of the Department of History from 1995 until his retirement. Although Şeşen retired from the university on 15 August 2004, he pursues his academic studies at IRCICA. His works titled Müslümanlarda Tarih-Coğrafya Yazıcılığı (Historiography and Geography Writing in Muslims), İslam Coğrafyacılarına Göre Türkler ve Türk Ülkeleri (Turks and Turkish States According to Islamic Geographers) ve Selahaddin Eyyubi ve Devri (Saladin and His Era) are important.

Prof. Dr. Erdoğan Merçil

Born in Istanbul in 1938, Professor Erdoğan Merçil graduated from the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History with his dissertation titled Amr b. el-As in 1961. He started to work as an assistant in the Department of Medieval History in 1963. He completed his doctoral dissertation titled Ahmed b. Mahmud’un Selçuknamesi’nin Kaynakları (The Sources of the Selçukname by Ahmed b. Mahmud) in 1969. He became an associate professor with his work on Fars Atabegleri Salgurlular (Persian Atebegs Salghurids). In 1978, he received the title of professor with his work on Kirman Selçukluları (Kerman Seljuk Sultanate). Being a principal member of the Turkish Historical Society from 1983 to 2001, Merçil was also the Head of the Department of Medieval History from 1984 to 2005, when he retired due to age limit. Merçil has many books, articles, encyclopaedia articles, translations and presentations. Among them, Müslüman Türk Devletleri Tarihi (The History of Muslim Turkish States) and Selçuklu Devletleri Tarihi, Siyaset, Teşkilat, Kültür (The History of Seljuk States, Politics, Organization, Culture, which he prepared with Ali Sevim are important.



Prof. Dr. Fahameddin Başar

He was born on 9 October 1960 in Artvin. He graduated from the Istanbul University, Department of History in 1980. He started to work as an assistant in the Department of Medieval History. He received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Osmanlı Kaynaklarına Göre Osmanlı-Bizans Münasebetleri, 1299-1451 (Ottoman-Byzantine Relations According to Ottoman Sources, 1299-1451) completed at Istanbul University, Institute of Social Sciences in 1991. He served as an assistant professor between 1992 and 1999, an associate professor between 1999 and 2006 and a professor between 2006 and 2011. He retired in 2011. His works focus on the Ottoman History during the foundation era, the History of Anatolian Beyliks, Ottoman-Byzantine Relations. He is now working as the vice rector at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University.

Prof. Dr. Fatma Zerrin Günal

Born on 17 March 1960 in Istanbul, she graduated from the Istanbul University, Department of History in 1981. She served as a research assistant in 1984, an assistant professor in 1992 and an associate professor in 1996 at the Department of Medieval History. She later moved to the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Department of History and was promoted professorship in 2002. She is now working at the Cyprus West University.

DEPARTMENT OF EARLY MODERN HISTORY

Prof. Dr. Mehmed Münir Aktepe 

Münir Aktepe was born on September 7th, 1917 in Izmir. After completing his primary, secondary, and high school education in Izmir, he taught history, geography, and civics at Karataş Secondary School from 1936 to 1937. After that, he started working at the Izmir Post, Telephone, and Telegraph Administration, where he met the Governor of Izmir Fazlı Güleç, and the President of the People's House, Mrs. Şehime Yunus, who offered him a four-year scholarship for higher education. Thus, he enrolled in the History Department of Istanbul University in 1937. He graduated in 1942 with his thesis "The Rize Ayan Tuzcuoğulları Rebellion in the Mahmud II Period". After completing his military service, Aktepe was appointed as a library officer to the faculty's translation staff in 1944. In 1945, he was appointed as an assistant and officially started his scientific career. In 1949, Aktepe completed his doctoral thesis, "The Settlement of Ottoman Turks in Rumelia", passed the required exams, and was awarded the degree of doctor. During these years, he published articles titled "Naima Tarihi’nin Yazma Nüshaları Hakkında" and "Osmanlıların Rumeli'de İlk Fethettikleri Çimbi Kal'ası". In 1952, he was appointed as the assistant director of the Institute of Turkology, and in 1954 he completed his thesis on “Patrona İsyanı (Patrona's Rebellion)” and became an associate professor. During the revolution in 1960, Aktepe was dismissed from his position at the university without giving a reason, and at the time he was serving as the President of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Letters and the Second President of the Union of Teachers of Turkey. In 1960, he was chosen as a member of the Constituent Assembly, representing the Union of Teachers of Turkey, and participated in the work of the constituent assembly in Ankara. At the same time, he gave history lectures at the Istanbul Çapa Education Institute from 1961 to 1962. In the meantime, he was reinstated at the university and given his position back in 1962. Having reached the final stage of his academic career, Aktepe became a professor in 1964 and was appointed to the position vacated by Prof. Dr. Cavit Baysun in 1968. In addition to all these administrative and scholarly activities, he pioneered the establishment of the Institute of Historical Studies within the faculty in order to benefit historical research. Again with his efforts, the Journal of the Institute of History, which is the publication organ of the Institute, started to be published in October 1970. He was also elected as a member of the Turkish Supreme Council of Antiquities and Monuments in 1964 and as a full member of the Turkish Historical Society in 1967. In 1970, Aktepe was also elected Dean of the Faculty of Letters, a position he left shortly afterward and retired in 1983 on his own accord. He died in 1996 and published many books, articles and encyclopedia articles such as 1720-1724 Osmanlı-İran Münasebetleri ve Silahşör Kemani Mustafa Ağa’nın Revan Fetih-Namesi, Mehmed Emni Beyefendi (Paşa)'nin Rusya Sefareti ve Sefaretnamesi, Girid Meselesi: 1866-1889, Mehmed Salahi, Şem’dânî-zâde Fındıklılı Süleyman Efendi Tarihi: Mür'i't-tevarih, Fındıklılı Şemdanizade Süleyman Efendi, 1193/1779, Patrona isyanı: 1730 and Vak'anüvis Ahmed Lütfi Efendi Tarihi.

Prof. Dr. Mehmed Cenab Şehâbeddin Tekindağ 

Şehabeddin Tekindağ who was born on January 20, 1918, in the Kabataş district of Istanbul, started his higher education at the History Department of Istanbul University and graduated in 1942 after completing his primary and secondary education in his hometown. After working as an assistant to the assistant and lector, Tekindağ was appointed as the assistant of Mükrimin Halil Yinanç, professor of medieval history, in 1944. In the meantime, he was preparing his doctoral thesis on the Karamanids and writing articles for the Encyclopedia of Islam. Tekindağ fulfilled his military service between 1945-1947 and returned to his duties at the university; in November 1947, he completed his thesis, “Karaman Beyliği:13.-15. Asırda Cenubi Anadolu Tarihine Ait Bir Tetkik (Karaman Principality: An Investigation on the History of Central Anatolia in the 13th-15th Centuries)”, succeeded in the required exams, and received the title of doctor in 1949. He completed his habilitation thesis, which was named “Sultan Berkuk ve Zamanı (Sultan Berkuk and His Time)” in 1952 and was appointed associate professor in 1954. Tekindağ, who prepared his doctoral and associate professorship theses in the Department of Medieval History, was transferred to the Department of Early Modern History in 1956 upon his request. In 1963, he was promoted to the rank of professor and, upon the death of Ord. Prof. Dr. Cavid Baysun, given the position of professor in the Department of Early Modern History. During the reorganization of universities with the Law of the Council of Higher Education, this title was changed to Head of the Department of Early Modern History, and he held this position up until his passing. Tekindağ published a large number of books, articles, and encyclopedia entries throughout his lifetime, and most of his research is related to the period from Mehmed the Conqueror through Suleiman the Magnificent’s rule. In addition, there are also studies that provide scholarly explanations for popular topics of the period. Şehabettin Tekindağ, who gave great importance to scientific meetings, contributed to many conferences and congresses. During his busy working life, he also struggled with illnesses and died on August 12, 1983, as a result of the aggravation of his illnesses.

Prof. Dr. İsmet Miroğlu

Prof. Dr. İsmet Miroğlu, who is known for his works on the Classical Period of Ottoman History and especially on regional studies, was born in 1944 in Kalecik village in Bayburt. He completed his primary and secondary school in his hometown and high school in Erzincan. In 1965, he enrolled at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History. İsmet Miroğlu, who chose the Department of Early Modern History as his main certificate, took courses from professors including Cavit Baysun, the department's founder, Münir Aktepe, Şehabettin Tekindağ, Cengiz Orhonlu, and Bekir Kütükoğlu. In 1969, he graduated with a thesis titled “Osmanlı-Karaman Münasebetleri (Fatih Devrinde) (Ottoman-Karaman Relations (Reign of Mehmed II)". His academic career began on January 28, 1970, not long after he had his diploma, when he was hired as a candidate assistant by the Department of Early Modern History. In 1971, he changed his last name from Miral, which he had used until then, to Miroğlu. İsmet Miroğlu, who published his first scientific article in the Journal of the Institute of History with the encouragement of Cengiz Orhonlu, completed his thesis, “XVI. Yüzyılda Bayburt Sancağı (Sanjak of Bayburt in the XVIth Century)" in 1974 and received the title of doctor. His associate professorship thesis, “XVI. Asırda Kemah Sancağı (Kemah Sanjak in the XVIth Century)”, which he had finished in 1981, was published by the Turkish Historical Society in 1990 under the title Kemah Sancağı ve Erzincan Kazası (Kemah Sanjak and Erzincan District). His daily newspaper writings were collected in 1984 under the heading “A Leaf from History”. On May 13, 1987, a new chapter in his life began with his appointment as the Director General of the Prime Ministry Archives. In 1989, after receiving the title of professor, İsmet Miroğlu left his position at the archives on December 31, 1990, and returned to his position at the university, and on July 24, 1991, he was appointed as the Head of the Department of Early Modern History, filling the position left open by the passing of Prof. Dr. Bekir Kütükoğlu. Prof. Dr. İsmet Miroğlu, who published many articles in addition to his works titled 90 Numaralı Mühimme Defteri (Mühimme Register Numbered 90), Mir'at-ı Hakikat: Tarihi Hakikatların Aynası (Mir'at-ı Hakikat: The Mirror of Historical Truths), Çorluluzade Mahmud Celaleddin Paşa, Girit Hatıraları (Memories of Crete), Tahmiscizade Mehmed Macid, XVI. Yüzyılda Bayburt Sancağı (Sanjak of Bayburt in the XVIth Century), passed away on October 23, 1997 with the aggravation of his illness.

Ord. Prof. Mehmed Cavid Baysun 

Distinguished Professor Cavid Baysun was born in Beşiktaş on August 15, 1899. After completing his primary education in Beşiktaş and his secondary education in Adana and Nişantaşı High Schools, he started his higher education at the Istanbul University Faculty of Law. He graduated from there in 1926 but opted not to pursue this profession. Instead, he embarked on his professional journey as a history teacher at Istanbul, Kandilli, and Galatasaray High Schools. On December 17, 1937, Baysun started to teach the Medieval Western History in the Faculty of Letters and was working as an assistant professor at the same time. In 1939, he submitted his thesis on Bogomils and was promoted to full professor. Baysun, who taught in various fields including Early Modern, Medieval and Byzantine History, was earned the title of professor in the History of Turkey and Early Modern Europe at the Department of the History of Turkey in 1945. That same year, he was elected as a full member of the Turkish Historical Society. In the meantime, he was also instructing the History of the Turkish Revolution at Yıldız Technical University.

Baysun, who was also engaged in administrative affairs, became the director of the Institute of Turkology in 1950 and the director of the Encyclopedia of Islam in 1955, where he had previously served as a consultant. In 1960, with a new decision, he was promoted to distinguished professorship. He published articles in a variety of journals, especially the Journal of History and Journal of Turkology, which he took charge. He also wrote numerous entries for the Encyclopedia of Islam, of which he was the director. These entries are predominantly about city histories, biographies, great wars, and historical terms. Text editions also occupy an important place in his works. Among such works, Mustafa Reşîd Paşa'nın Siyasî Yazıları (The Political Writings of Mustafa Reşit Pasha), Cevdet Pasha’s Tezakir, and Mustafa Ali of Gallipoli’s Meva'idü'n-nefa'is fi Kava'idi'l-mecalis can be mentioned. Cavid Baysun, who had many other works besides these, passed away on November 19, 1968.



Prof. Dr. Bekir Sıtkı Kütükoğlu 

Prof. Dr. Bekir Kütükoğlu, born in 1926 in Ürgüp, completed his primary education in Ürgüp and his secondary education in Kayseri. After graduating from the Science Department of Kayseri High School in 1944, he entered the higher teacher education school and simultaneously attended the History Department of the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University. Prof. Kütükoğlu, who started his professional life as a teacher at the Village Institute, attracted the attention of Prof. Dr. Zeki Velidi Togan during his duty at the Congress of Undersecretaries held in Istanbul and was offered an assistant position. As a matter of fact, he became an assistant at the Department of General Turkish History in 1953. However, Prof. Dr. Cavit Baysun desired Kütükoğlu to be appointed to the Department of Early Modern History. Therefore, in 1954, he was initially appointed him as deputy director of the Institute of Turkology, of which Baysun served as the director, and subsequently as an assistant in the Department of Early Modern History. In 1957, Kütükoğlu completed his thesis on “Osmanlı-Safevi Münasebetleri (1578-1590) (Ottoman-Safavid Relations (1578-1590)” and received his doctoral degree. In 1965, he completed his associate professorship thesis on the same subject covering the years 1590-1612. In 1966, he was appointed as an associate professor in the Department of Early Modern History. In 1970, he went abroad for a while to conduct research. Upon his return, he commenced teaching History of the Revolution at the Faculty of Science. In 1974, he achieved the rank of professor with his work titled Kâtib Çelebi Fezlekesi’nin Kaynakları (The Sources of Katib Chelebi’s Fezleke). From 1976 onward, he lectured on History of Revolution at the Faculty of Letters for several years. In 1983, he was promoted to the position of Head of the Department of Early Modern History. In the same year, he was appointed as the Director of the Islamic Research Center at the Faculty of Letters. In 1990, he was appointed Head of the Department of History which he held until his death. He was also elected as a full member of the Turkish Historical Society in 1983 and the Turkish Culture Research Institute in 1985.
His research focused on Ottoman-Iranian relations, and he prepared his doctoral and associate professorship theses on this topic. However, the central theme of his research is Ottoman historiography and text editions. His first work on this subject was an article titled “Müverrih Vasıf’ın Kaynaklarında Hâkim Tarihi (The History of Hâkim Efendi in the Sources of Chronicler Vasıf)”. At the same time, he identified the differences in copies of Mustafa Âli of Gallipoli’s work, Mevaidü'n-nefais fi Kavaidü'l-majalis, which was prepared by members of the Department of Early Modern History. Subsequently, he analyzed and edited Cesmi-zade Mustafa Efendi’s History and published it. The article “Vekayi'nüvis” he wrote for the Encyclopedia of Islam is also worth mentioning among his works. In addition to all these works, Prof. Bekir Kütükoğlu also took part in scholarly publication and research committees. He served as a member and director of the Encyclopedia of Islam, for which he contributed numerous entries. He was also involved in the preparatory work of the Encyclopedia of Islam published by the Turkish Religious Foundation. Furthermore, he contributed to the publication of the "1001 Basic Works" series of books released by the newspaper "Tercüman". In the meantime, he was appointed as the chairman of the commission established by the Atatürk Culture, Language and History Supreme Council for the publication of Evliya Çelebi's Travel Account. Kütükoğlu, who took care to participate in numerous conferences, congresses and seminars held both in Turkey and abroad in the midst of his demanding schedule, passed away on June 28, 1990, leaving behind a wealth of valuable works. Among his published works Katib Çelebi Fezleke'sinin Kaynakları (The Sources of Katib Çelebi’s Fezleke), Osmanlı- İran Siyasi Münasebetleri: 1578-1590 (Ottoman-Iranian Political Relations: 1578-1590), Vekayinüvis Makaleler (Vekayinüvis Articles) can be mentioned.

Prof. Dr. Feridun Mustafa Emecen

Prof. Dr. Feridun M. Emecen was born in Bulancak, Giresun, in 1958. He graduated from Samsun Çarşamba High School in 1975 and enrolled in Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of History for his post-secondary studies. He worked at the Library of the Institute of History during his studies. In 1979, he graduated from the Department of Early Modern History and started working as an assistant in 1981. In 1985, he earned his doctoral degree with a thesis titled “Manisa Kazası in the XVIth Century”, supervised by Prof. Dr. Bekir Kütükoğlu. He was appointed as an assistant professor in 1987, and in 1989, he was granted the title of associate professor with a thesis titled “Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Devri (The Period of Suleiman the Magnificent)”. In 1995, he was appointed as a professor in the Department of Early Modern History with his presentation thesis titled “Unutulmuş Bir Cemaat: Manisa Yahudileri (A Forgotten Community: Manisa Jews)”. Prof. Emecen, who held various administrative positions, served as the Vice Dean of the Faculty of Literature between 1994 and 2000 and as the Director of the Eurasia Institute between 2006 and 2007. He also served as the deputy director of the Research Institute of Turkology. He became a member of the Turkish Historical Society in 1995 and a full member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences in 2012. Prof. Emecen, who also served as the Head of the Department of Early Modern History, retired in 2012. In the same year, he began working as the dean of the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul 29 Mayis University.

Emecen's scholarly studies have focused on Classical Age Ottoman History from the foundation period onwards. In particular, his work, “İlk Osmanlılar ve Batı Anadolu Beylikler Dünyası (The Early Ottomans and the World of Western Anatolian Principalities)” is important in terms of offering a new perspective on the debates surrounding the foundation of the Ottoman Empire. Additionally, he has numerous works on Ottoman bureaucracy, dynasty, urban history, social structure, political tendencies, war history, and Ottoman-European relations. Among these, the following works can be listed: “XVI. Asırda Manisa Kazası, Unutulmuş Bir Cemaat: Manisa Yahudileri (Manisa District in the XVIth Century, A Forgotten Community: The Jews of Manisa”, “Osmanlılarda Divân-Bürokrasi-Ahkâm: II. Bâyezid Dönemine Ait 906/1501 Tarihli Ahkâm Defteri (Imperial Council-Bureaucracy-Laws of the Ottomans: Bayezid II’s Ahkâm Register dated 906/1501, with İlhan Şahin)”,”Osmanlı Klasik Çağında Hanedan, Devlet ve Toplum (Dynasty, State, and Society in the Ottoman Classical Age)”, “Osmanlı Klasik Çağında Siyaset (Politics in the Ottoman Classical Age)”, “Osmanlı Klasik Çağında Savaş (War in the Ottoman Classical Age)”, “Zamanın İskenderi Şarkın Fatihi Yavuz Sultan Selim (The Conqueror of the Orient: Selim I)”, “İmparatorluk Çağının Osmanlı Sultanları (Ottoman Sultans of the Imperial Age)”, “Fetih ve Kıyamet: 1453-İstanbul’un Fethi ve Kıyamet Senaryoları (Conquest and Apocalypse: 1453- Conquest of Istanbul and Apocalyptic Scenarios)”, “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun Kuruluş ve Yükseliş Tarihi: 1300-1600 (History of the Foundation and Rise of the Ottoman Empire: 1300-1600)” and “Kanuni Sultan Süleyman ve Zamanı (Suleiman the Magnificent and His Time)”.



Prof. Dr. Cengiz Orhonlu 

Professor Dr. Cengiz Orhonlu, who passed away at a young age, was born in Tokat on July 17, 1927. In 1945, after graduating from İstanbul Erkek Lisesi (Istanbul High School for Boys), he enrolled in Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters, Department of History, and successfully completed his studies in 1951 with a thesis titled “Kabataş, Fındıklı, Salıpazarı, Tophane, Ayazpaşa Neighborhoods” in the field of Early Modern History. Orhonlu worked at the General Directorate of Archives of the Prime Ministry between 1953 and 1954. Subsequently, in 1955, he was appointed as a research assistant, and in 1958, he attained his doctoral degree, based on his thesis titled “The Attempt to Settle the Tribes in the Ottoman Empire, 1691-1696. Orhonlu travelled to Montreal with a scholarship granted by the Canada Council between 1959 and 1960, and while working as a researcher at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University, he also continued to take courses related to his field. Orhonlu travelled to Montreal with a scholarship granted by the Canada Council from 1959 to 1960, and while working as a researcher at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University, he also continued to take courses in his field. In 1964, he received the title of associate professor with his thesis titled “Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Derbend Teşkilatı (Derbend Organisation in the Ottoman Empire)”; in 1965, he became a staff member and started his teaching activities. Cengiz Orhonlu, who became a professor in 1971 with his book Osmanlı ve Habeşistan (Ottoman and Abyssinia), played an active role in the Institutes of Turkish Cultural Studies and South-East European Studies. He also made great efforts in the preparation of the Journal of the Institute of South-East European Studies (Güney-Doğu Avrupa Tetkikleri Enstitüsü Dergisi) and the Turkish World Handbook (Türk Dünyası El Kitabı). Prof. Dr. Cengiz Orhonlu, who had published a book entitled Telhisler, various encyclopedia entries and articles in addition to his research on urbanism and transportation in the Ottoman Empire, died on 11 June 1976 due to heart failure.

The following works can be mentioned among his published books: Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nda Aşiretleri İskân Teşebbüsü: 1691-1696 (Attempts to Settle the Tribal Populations in the Ottoman Empire: 1691-1696), Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nda Derbend Teşkilatı (Derbend Organisation in the Ottoman Empire), Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Şehircilik ve Ulaşım Üzerine Araştırmalar (Studies on Urbanisation and Transport in the Ottoman Empire), Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun Güney Siyaseti: Habeş Eyaleti (Ottoman Empire’s Southern Politics: The State of Abyssinia), Osmanlı Tarihine Aid Belgeler: Telhisler (1597-1607) [Documents on Ottoman History: Telhisler (1597-1607)].

Prof. Dr. Mücteba İlgürel

Prof. Dr. Mücteba İlgürel was born on October 15, 1936, in Balıkesir. After completing his primary and secondary education in Balıkesir, İlgürel passed the Faculty of Forestry exams under the influence of his friends. However, in order to pursue the profession he was interested in, he enrolled at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1959. İlgürel, who was a thesis student at the Department of Early Modern History, also passed the exams of the Çapa Higher Teacher Training School, whose jury included Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kafesoğlu, Çağatay Uluçay and Niyazi Akşit. As a result, he graduated simultaneously from both schools and received two diplomas. In 1964, his first article entitled " Türk Kıbrıs’ın Kısa Tarihi (A Short History of Turkish Cyprus)" was published in Genç Öğretmen journal. In 1964-65, İlgürel became a research assistant at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History, and after suspending his assistantship for a period and working as a compulsory teacher at Akşehir High School, he returned to his position at the university in 1965. In 1970, he completed his work on Mehâsinü'l-Asâr ve Hakā'iku'l-Ahbâr, a work of Ahmet Vâsıf Efendi, one of the Ottoman chroniclers, from his first period as chronicler, and was awarded the title of Ph.D. İlgürel, who became an associate professor in 1976 with his thesis titled “Abaza Hasan Paşa İsyanı/The Rebellion of Abaza Hasan Pasha”, in addition to the Ottoman Turkish and Early Modern History Bibliography courses he taught, he was also responsible for the publication of the Journal of History (Tarih Dergisi) and the Journal of the Institute of History (Tarih Enstitüsü Dergisi) published by the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University, together with Prof. Dr. Münir Aktepe. In 1984, he was appointed as a professor at Marmara University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences and became the head of the Department of History. İlgürel, who gave lectures in the department he founded, became the director of Marmara University's Institute of Turkish Studies on 10 October 2005 and held this position until his retirement on 15 October 2006. For 19 years, Prof. Dr. Mücteba İlgürel, who contributed a great deal to the History Department of Marmara University, has published many articles in addition to his books titled Mehâsinü'l-Asâr ve Hakā'iku'l-Ahbâr of Ahmet Vâsıf Efendi and Milli Mücadele’de Balıkesir Kongreleri (Balıkesir Congresses in the National Struggle).

Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halaçoğlu

Prof. Dr. Yusuf Halaçoğlu was born in 1949 in the Kozan district of Adana. After graduating from high school in 1967, he graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History, Chair of Early Modern History in 1971 with his undergraduate thesis titled "Fırka-i İslâhiye ve Kozan". In 1974, he became a research assistant in the Department of Early Modern History at the same university, and in 1978, he received his Ph.D. with a thesis entitled "The Settlement Policy of the Ottoman Empire in the XVIIIth Century". In 1982, Halaçoğlu became an assistant professor and in 1983, he completed his thesis titled "Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Menzil Teşkilatı ve Yol Sistemi" and received the title of associate professor. On 20 March 1989, Halaçoğlu was promoted to professor with his thesis entitled "Some Ottoman Cities in the Balkans from Social, Economic and Demographic Perspectives in the XVIth Century" and was elected as a full member of the Turkish Historical Society on the same date. In 1989, he was appointed as the Head of the Ottoman Archives Department of the Prime Ministry General Directorate of State Archives and on 17 December 1990 he was appointed as the Deputy General Director. He was appointed as Vice Rector in August 1992, Acting Rector in October 1992 and Vice Rector again in November 1992. On 21 September 1993, Halaçoğlu became the President of the Turkish Historical Society (TTK) and resigned from this position in July 2008.
He has written many books and articles in addition to his works titled XIV-XVII. Yüzyıllarda Osmanlı Devlet Teşkilatı ve Sosyal Yapı (XIV-XVIIth Centuries Ottoman State Organisation and Social Structure), Osmanlılarda Ulaşım ve Haberleşme (Transportation and Communication in the Ottomans), Türk Tarihinde Ermeniler (Armenians in Turkish History), Anadolu’da Aşiretler, Cemaatler, Oymaklar (1453-1650) [Tribes, Communities, and Clans in Anatolia (1453-1650)], Ermeni Tehciri ve Gerçekler (1914-1918)[Armenian Deportation and Realities (1914-1918)], Sürgünden Soykırıma Ermeni İddiaları (Armenian Claims from Exile to Genocide), Ma’ruzat/Ahmed Cevdet Paşa (Ma'ruzat/Ahmed Cevdet Pasha), 1312/1895.

DEPARTMENT OF THE HISTORY OF THE LATE MODERN ERA

Ord. Prof. Hamit Ongunsu 

Before coming to Istanbul with his family, Hamit Ongunsu spent his childhood and primary education in Chania and completed his education in Istanbul where he created his scientific and cultural identity. In 1924 when he was a lecturer in Mekteb-i Mülkiye (Faculty of Political Science), he was appointed to the Faculty of Letters as the lecturer of Kurun-ı Cedide (History of Early Modern Period). During the reform process of 1933, he lectured the course titled the History of New Eras. In 1939, he was assigned as the Dean of the Faculty of Letters with the title of Distinguished Professor. He was appointed as the head of the Department of Early Modern and Modern Periods in 1940 and the head of the Department of History in 1949. He retired in 1955. He made a critical contribution in publishing Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı İslam Ansiklopedisi (Turkish Ministry of Education Encyclopaedia of Islam). He was among the first members of the Turkish Historical Society. Among his works are Kurun-ı Cedide ve Napolyon’nun Sukutuna Kadar Asr-ı Hâzır Mebâdisi (The History of Early and Late Modern Period until the Fall of Napoleon), Avrupa Diplomasi Tarihi (1815’ten itibaren) (The History of European Diplomacy) (Since 1815).

Fuad Ezgü

Joining the academic staff of the Faculty of Letters in 1938, Fuat Ezgü came into prominence with his works on the American history. In 1949, he received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Osmanlı İmparatorluğu ile ABD Arasındaki İktisâdî ve Kültürel Münasebetlerin Kuruluşu ve Gelişimi (The Foundation and the Development of the Economic and Cultural Relationships between the Ottoman Empire and the USA). After being unsuccessful with his associate professorship dissertation titled Selim III Zamanında Osmanlı Devleti Harp Sanayinin Durumu (The War Industry of the Ottoman Empire during the Reign of Sultan Selim III) in the jury assessment, Dr. Ezgü’s assistantship was terminated in 1955.

Prof. Dr. Cemal Tukin 

Born in Skopje, Cemal Tukin completed his undergraduate education and doctoral studies at Hamburg University in Germany. After he returned to Türkiye in 1936, he became a lecturer at the Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography until 1940. He worked as a lecturer and the head of the Department of the History of the Late Modern Era in Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History from 1940 to his death. He assumed the vice presidency of the Turkish Historical Society for many years. Apart from his book titled Boğazlar Meselesi (Straits Question), Professor Tukin has articles and reviews published in several historical journals.

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Eren

He was born in Erzurum. Between 1930 and 1938, he completed his doctoral dissertation titled Türklerde Milli Hislerin Menşeden Cumhuriyet Devrine Kadar İnkişafı (Developments of Nationalistic Sentiments in Turks from Origin to the Republican Era) in Germany. In 1938, he was assigned as a research assistant of the History of the Early Modernand the Late Modern Era in our faculty. In his first assignment, he worked with Professor İsmail Hakkı Uzunçarşılı. In 1940 when Professor Ongunsu became the head of Department, which included nearly 500 students, he assisted students in their seminar studies and graduation dissertations and gave the lectures titled Renaissance and History of Discoveries, The History of Japan in the Late Modern Period, Reformation and Renaissance. He became an associate professor with his work titled II. Mahmut Zamanında Bosna-Hersek (Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Reign of Mahmut II) in 1956 and a professor of the Department of the History of the Late Era. Professor Ahmet Cevat Eren passed away in 1976 while he was the head of the department.

Mithat Sertoğlu 

He graduated from the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Departments of Turkology, Arabic and Persian Philology and History of Philosophy in 1940. He worked as a literature teacher and joined the Directorate General of the Prime Ministerial Archives in 1944. In 1960, he became the general director. He became a senior research associate at the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters on 27 November 1961. He gave lectures as a senior research associate at the Departments of History of the Late Era and History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization between 1961 and 1970.

Prof. Dr. Ercüment Kuran 

Born in Üsküdar, Istanbul in 1920, Ercüment Kuran started his primary education at Izmir Lycee Saint-Joseph and moved to Istanbul Kadıköy Saint-Joseph a year later. He completed high school in 1940. Having graduated from the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History, he joined our department as an assistant in 1949. He received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Cezayir’in Fransızlar tarafından İşgali Karşısında Osmanlı Siyaseti (Ottoman Politics in the Face of the French Occupation of Algeria) in 1954 and became an associate professor with his dissertation on Avrupa İkamet Elçiliklerinin Kuruluşu ve İlk Mukim Elçilerin Siyasî Faaliyetleri (1793-1812) (Establishment of European Residence Embassies and Political Activities of the First Resident Ambassadors (1793-1812) in 1957. On 29 April 1959, he resigned and disaffiliate his relations with our department. Becoming a professor in 1970, Kuran established Hacettepe University, Department of History in 1971 and Hacettepe University, Atatürk Institute in the post-1980 period. Having retired in 1983, Kuran passed away because of a road accident in 2009.

Prof. Dr. Ali İhsan Gencer 

Ali İhsan Gencer was born in 1946 in Bartın and studied History at the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters between 1965 and 1969. After graduation, he was appointed to the Department of the History of the Late Era as an assistant in 1970. In 1976, he received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Bahriyede Yapılan Islahat Hareketleri ve Bahriye Nezaretinin Kuruluşu (Reforms in the Navy and the Establishment of the Ministry of Marine). He was sent to France by the university in 1981. He became an assistant professor in 1982 and was promoted to associate professorship in 1985. He was accepted to the National Security College in 1990 and became a professor in 1991. In addition to his scientific articles on several topics, his works regarding our maritime history drew attention. He gave presentations mostly on Turkish Maritime History by participating in national and international research congresses on history. He passed away in the hospital as a result of an illness in 2008 while he was the head of Department of History and the History of the Late Modern Period at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters.

Prof. Dr. Kemal Beydilli

Born in Istanbul in 1942, Kemal Beydilli started his higher education at Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics. He completed his education on history at the Faculty of Letters of the same university between 1964 and 1968 and at the University of Munich where he graduated with a doctoral degree between 1970 and 1975. He worked with Professor J. Kissling, successor of Professor Franz Babinger, during his doctoral dissertation on Polish-Ottoman relationships during the sixteenth century. In 1976, he started to work as an assistant in the Department of the Late Modern Era at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History. He became an associate professor in 1982 and a professor in 1987. He carried out research based on Ottoman archival documents discussing various subjects, institutions and affairs of Ottoman history. He gave lectures at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History and worked as the Head of the Department of the Late Modern Era.

Prof. Dr. Cevdet Küçük

He was born in Manisa in 1946. Having graduated from the Department of the Late Modern Era at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1969, he started to work as an assistant in the same department in 1970. He became entitled to receive the title of doctor with his dissertation on Tanzimat Devrinde Erzurum (Erzurum during the Tanzimat Era) in 1975, the title of associate professor with his work on Anadolu Islahatı ve İngiltere (Anatolian Reformation and Britain) in 1983 and the title of professor in 1989 with his work on Kuveyt Üzerinde Osmanlı-İngiliz Nüfuz Mücadelesi (Ottoman-British Power Struggle over Kuwait). He conducted research in Germany in 1976 and in Britain in 1981. He was transferred to Marmara University from Istanbul University in 1986. With his book titled Osmanlı Diplomasisinde Ermeni Meselesinin Ortaya Çıkışı 1878-1897 (The Emergence of Armenian Question in Ottoman Diplomacy 1878-1897), he won the “Turkish National Culture Foundation Award”.

Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Tufan 

He was born in Gostivar, Macedonia in 1936. After completing his primary and secondary education in his birthplace, he went to Skopje where he completed the teacher’s training school and his higher education. He completed his doctoral studies in sociology in France in 1978. In January 1987, he came to Ankara at the invitation of Hacettepe University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Sociology. After giving lectures to undergraduate and graduate students as a non-tenured lecturer for six years, he moved to Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters at the beginning of 1993. He worked here for twelve years, teaching the History of the Late Modern Era. Retiring in 2003, Professor Turan passed away in 2011.

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Saray

Mehmet Saray was born in 1942 in the Dinar district of Afyon. He completed his secondary education in Çivril and Isparta. In 1966, he graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History. Between 1968-1978, he pursued his doctoral studies in England and became a Doctor with his thesis titled "The Turkmens in the Age of Imperialism". Starting in 1978, Mehmet Saray began teaching at the university where he graduated. He became an Associate Professor with his thesis titled "Political Relations between the Ottoman Empire and Turkistan Khanates during the Russian Occupation (1775-1875)" in 1983 and a Professor with his thesis titled "Afghanistan and Turks" in 1988. He founded the Department of History of the Turkish Republic at Istanbul University, Department of History. Mehmet Saray, who was elected as a Member of the Atatürk Research Center Science Board on November 8, 1995, served as Chief Advisor for Turkish Republics at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1992-1996. During this period, he conducted the "Common Turkic Literature", "Common Turkic History", "Common Turkic Dictionary" and "Common Turkic Alphabet" projects. He served as the Chairman of the Atatürk Research Center between 2004-2006. Mehmet Saray, who speaks English and Russian, has more than 20 published books in Turkish and English and over 150 scientific articles. He retired from Istanbul University Department of History in 2007.

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Budak

Mustafa Budak is the child of a family originally from Trabzon (Beşikdüzü) and born on December 12, 1962 in Tunçbilek (Kütahya). He completed his education at Kayseri Mimar Sinan Teacher Training High School in 1980 and Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1985. In 1987, he completed his master's degree with a thesis entitled "Ottoman-Uzbek Political Relations (1510-1740)". That same year, he was appointed as a research assistant at the Department of Late Modern History at Istanbul University Faculty of Letters. In 1991, he moved to the Department of History of the Turkish Republic. Between September 1991 and February 1992, he studied foreign languages and archives in England. In December 1993, he earned his doctorate with a thesis entitled "The Caucasus Front in the Crimean War (1853-1856)". In April 1999, he became an assistant professor, and in November 1999, he became an associate professor in the Department of History of the Turkish Republic. In May 2001, Mustafa Budak was appointed as an associate professor at the Department of History of the Turkish Republic in the Faculty of Letters at Istanbul University. He was appointed as the Deputy General Director of State Archives on May 25, 2004. On May 27, 2015, Budak became a professor at Istanbul University and started working as a professor at the Institute of Atatürk Principles and Revolution History at Istanbul University on June 29, 2015 after resigning from his position as Deputy General Director of State Archives. He continues his research on the history of the Caucasus region in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Turkish War of Independence, and the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey. Mustafa Budak has published a book and numerous scientific articles and he is proficient in English.

DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL TURKISH HISTORY

Prof. Dr. İbrahim Kafesoğlu 

Born in Tefenni district of Burdur in January 1914, Halil İbrahim Kafesoğlu is one of the doyens of Turkish Historiography and especially Pre-Islamic Turkish History. His father was Recep Bey from the Kafesler family, who was martyred on the Erzurum front in the First World War, and his mother was Hatice Hanım. Having completed his primary education at Tefenni, İbrahim Kafesoğlu, together with his mother, settled in İzmir where his grandfather Hacı Mehmet Ağa was based, and enrolled in the Teacher Training Institution, which he would graduate in 1932. He worked as a teacher in Afyon and started his higher education at the Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography in 1936. He successfully graduated from the Departments of Hungarian Studies, Medieval History and Turkish Language in 1940. In 1943, he was sent to the University of Budapest for his doctoral research on Asian Turkish History and culture. Here he attended lectures on Turkology given by A. Alfoldi, Gyula Nemeth and Lajos Ligeti. However, he had to return to Türkiye in April 1945 before he could finish his doctoral studies due to the intensification of World War II and the entry of Russian forces into Budapest. After working at the Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography, from which he graduated, for a while, he started work as an assistant at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Medieval History. In 1949, he received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Büyük Selçuklu Sultanı Melikşah (Melikşah, Sultan of Great Seljuk Empire), prepared under the supervision of Mükrimin Halil Yinanç. He became an associate professor with his work titled Harezmşahlar Devleti Tarihi (History of the State of the Khwarezmshahs) in 1953. He served as the head of the Department of History until 1955 and worked as a visiting professor at Erzurum Atatürk University established in 1957. Kafesoğlu returned to Istanbul University in 1962 and started to work with Zeki Velidi Togan in the Department of General Turkish History. He was the head of this department until his retirement in January 1983. İbrahim Kafesoğlu visited England, France and Denmark in 1958, 1965, 1968 and 1972 to participate various conferences and to conduct research on General Turkish History. Being a member of the advisory board at the Prime Ministry Undersecretariat of Culture and the Ministry of Culture, Kafesoğlu was also commissioned in the delegation of "1000 Fundamental Works". Between 1961-1967 and 1977-1981, he worked in the editorial board of the Encyclopaedia of Islam. He was the director of the Istanbul Higher Teacher Training School in 1967 and 1968 and also served as a member of the Institutes of Turkish Studies, Islamic Studies, Oriental Studies, History Studies and Turkish Culture Research Institute and the Turkish Historical Society. In addition, he published many articles on both pre-Islamic Turkish culture and nationalism in Encyclopaedia of Islam and journals titled Türkiyat Mecmuası, Tarih Enstitüsü Dergisi, Belleten, Bilgi, Türk Yurdu, Istanbul and Türk Kültürü. The most important work of İbrahim Kafesoğlu, who has seventeen books and nearly 300 articles, is undoubtedly Türk Milli Kültürü (Turkish National Culture), published in Ankara in 1977. In this work, Kafesoğlu presented the most up-to-date and detailed accounts on culture, civilization, nomadism, the meaning of Turk, the homeland of the Turks and the area they expanded, based on the determination that the Turkish nation has a history of 4000 years. In addition to his scientific studies, his social and cultural activities are also important. He served as the chairman of the Türkiye Teachers Union between 1956 and 1957, the general chairman of the Nationalist Teachers Union between 1964 and 1968, and the chairman of the Istanbul Nationalist Teachers Union between 1964 and 1970. He was also the founder of the Aydınlar Ocağı Association and the Turkish Literature Foundation. With his work titled Turkish National Culture, he was granted the award of the Turkish National Culture Foundation titled the “great gift” in 1978. He also received the “outstanding service award” of the Aydınlar Ocağı Association in 1982, the “great culture award” of the Boğaziçi Publishing Company in 1984 and the “honorary award for service to Turkish national culture” of the National Culture Foundation. Professor İbrahim Kafesoğlu, the architect of the Turkish-Islamic synthesis and one of the doyens of Turkish History, passed away in Istanbul on August 18, 1984 and was buried in the Edirnekapı Martyrs' Cemetery.

Ord. Prof. Ahmet Zeki Velidi Togan 

Ahmet Zeki Velidi Togan, a turcologist, historian and politician, was born on 10 December 1890, in the village of Küzen in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan. He used the surname Validov while he lived in Russia, and took the surname Togan, which means "falcon" after coming to Türkiye. In 1902, he went to his uncle Habib Neccar in Ötek and enrolled in the Ötek Madrasa. During his education there, he improved his grammar by taking Arabic lessons. In 1908, he escaped from his village and entered Kazan University. He attended lessons from Katamov and Ashmarin, the famous scholars of the period. Teaching Arabic Literature and Turkish History in Kasımiye and Osmaniye Madrasahs in 1909, Togan started to be acknowledged for his work titled Türk ve Tatar Tarihi (Turkish and Tatar History) published in 1911. He was selected as a member of the Society of Archaeology and History at Kazan University in 1912. Togan was sent to Fergana in 1913 and Bukhara in 1914 for research and found a manuscript copy of Kutadgu Bilig by Yusuf Has Hacib. Both this copy and the report containing his research in the region were published in the archaeology journals in Petersburg, Kazan and Tashkent. In 1916, he was elected to the Duma in Petersburg as the representative of the Muslims of Ufa as a result of the constitutional movements in Tsarist Russia. However, he started to work in order to gain independence to the Turkish communities by taking advantage of the disorder that occurred after the end of the constitutional wind blowing in Russia by the Bolsheviks on 17 October 1917. Although he became the President of the Bashkortostan State in 1920, this situation did not last long, and the Bolsheviks re-invaded the Turkish lands and put an end to the Turkestan Autonomy. Retreating to Turkestan after these developments, Zeki Velidi Togan founded the Turkestan National Union and joined the Basmachi movement. However, he did not get the result he expected from this struggle because of the power imbalance between the parties and the silence of the international community and first went to Paris and then to Berlin. Zeki Velidi Togan had the opportunity to advance his academic career and scientific studies during his time in Europe. He received invitations from Türkiye upon the advice and initiatives of Fuat Köprülü, Rıza Nur and Yusuf Akçura, notably Hamdullah Suphi, the Minister of National Education. Coming to Türkiye on 20 May 1925, Togan was appointed to the Ministry of Education, Board of Education but due to various negativities in Ankara, he was appointed as a professor of General Turkish History at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters in 1927. As he criticized Reşat Galip’s paper on the Sea in Inner Asia and some of the other theses acknowledged during the First Congress of Turkish History held in 1932, he was dismissed from his office in the same year. Between 1935 and 1939, he gave lectures on Islamic Sciences at the University of Bonn and University of Göttingen in Germany. Upon the invitation of the Ministry of National Education, Zeki Velidi Togan came to Türkiye again in 1939 and established the Department of General Turkish History at Istanbul University. In 1944, an investigation was launched against him on the allegation that he would establish a state in accordance with his views on Turanism. Although he was sentenced to 10 years in prison as a result of the lawsuit, this decision was overturned by the Court-Martial and Zeki Velidi Togan was acquitted. Togan returned to Istanbul University after being acquitted and presided at the 21st International Congress of the Orientalists held in Istanbul in 1951. In 1953, he established the Institute of Islamic Studies at Istanbul University. He bought the library of Professor Nikolay Katanov, whom he met in Kazakhstan, in 1962, brought it to Türkiye and donated to the Research Institute of Turkology. Being granted an honorary doctorate by Manchester University in 1967, Zeki Velidi Togan passed away on 26 July 1970 in Istanbul. His son Subidey Togan was the head of the Department of Economics at Bilkent University and the Middle East Technical University. His daughter İsenbike Togan is a professor of history at the Middle East Technical University and his grandson Emre Togan is a faculty member at Harvard University. His other granddaughter, Aslı Togan Eğrican, works at the World Bank.

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kafalı

Born in Konya in 1934, Professor Mustafa Kafalı graduated from the Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography, Department of History. He started to serve as an assistant to the Department of General Turkish History at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters in 1960. He received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Ötemiş Hacı’ya Göre Cuci Ulusu’nun Tarihi (The History of the Ulus of Jochi According to Ötemiş Hacı) in 1965. In 1971, he went to London to carry out research until 1972. He became an associate professor in 1973 with his work on Altın Orda Hanlığı’nda Sayın Han Sülalesi Devri (The Era of Sayın Han Dynasty in the Golden Horde Khanate). In 1975, he worked as an invited lecturer at the University of Baghdad, Faculty of Letters and returned to Türkiye in 1977. In 1982, he received the title of professor with his conferment dissertation titled Çağatay Hanlığı 1227-1345 (Chagatai Khanate 1227-1345). He pursued his academic career at the Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography. He was a member of the Turkish Historical Society.



Prof. Dr. Gülçin Çandarlıoğlu

Gülçin Çandarlıoğlu was born in Eskişehir on 29 March 1942. Her father is Muharrem Seyfettin Çandarlıoğlu from Antalya and her mother is Zekiye Artam from Romania. She completed her primary and secondary education at Dumlupınar Primary School in 1954, Eskişehir Secondary School for girls in 1957 and Üsküdar Girls’ High School in 1960. She graduated from the Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1964 and became an assistant at the Department of General Turkish History in the same year. She received the title of doctor in 1967 with her thesis titled Sarı Uygurlar ve Kansu Bölgesi Kabileleri (Yugurs and Gansu Region Tribes). She expanded her scientific knowledge by working with Distinguished Professor Zeki Velidi Togan, Professor İbrahim Kafesoğlu and Professor Bahaeddin Ögel. During her research in Formosa in the academic year of 1968-69 and in Japan in the academic year of 1969-70, she had the opportunity to work with Professor Masao Mori. She conducted research in the British Museum Library in 1971 and received the title of associate professor in 1973 with her dissertation titled Ötüken Bölgesindeki Büyük Uygur Kağanlığı (The Great Uyghur Khaganate in the Ötüken Region). In 1975, 1980 and 1981, she conducted research in Germany with short intervals. She became a professor in 1982 with his conferment thesis titled Orta Asya’da Timuriler, Çin’de Ming Münasebetleri (Ch’en Ch’eng Elçilik Raporu) (The Timurids in Central Asia, Ming Relations in China (Ch'en Ch'eng Embassy Report). Leaving Istanbul University in October 1986, she established the Department of History at Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where she gave lectures such as Methodology of History, Pre-Islamic Turkish History, Pre-Islamic Turkish Cultural History and History of Contemporary Turkish World. She participated in Central Asia research and study trips in 1992, 1993 and 1994. In June 1995, Çandarlıoğlu was appointed as the vice-rector of the Ahmet Yesevi University. In December of the same year, she established the Department of the History of Turkish States in there. The regulations she prepared were accepted and approved by the University Senate. Carrying out many projects during her time at Ahmet Yesevi University, she also coordinated the works for the Türk Dünyası Ortak Terimler Sözlüğü (The Dictionary of Common Terms in Turkish World) and participated in the archaeological excavations in the region. Gülçin Çandarlıoğlu left her position at Ahmet Yesevi University in 1999, returned to Türkiye and continued her office at Mimar Sinan University. In the same year, she initiated the project titled Çağdaş Türk Dünyası Tarihi (History of the Contemporary Turkic World) and was commissioned to establish the Centre for Central Asian Studies and the Institute of Social Sciences for Manas University in Kyrgyzstan. She undertook the task of organizing The Congress of Turkish Civilization during the third millennium BC held at Manas University in 2000 and was appointed as the head of the Department of History at the Faculty of Arts and Science in Mimar Sinan University in 2004. She was retired on 29 March 2009. Professor Gülçin Çandarlıoğlu still gives lectures at postgraduate level and participates in studies at the Turkic World Research Foundation and the Eurasian Research Institute. She speaks English, Russian, German, Japanese, Chinese, Persian and can use various Turkish dialects.

Prof. Dr. Muammer Kemal Özergin 

Born in Istanbul in 1930, Muammer Kemal Özergin graduated from the Faculty of Letters, Departments of History and Turkology at Istanbul University in 1955. He was admitted as an assistant to the Department of Medieval History in the same year. He received the title of doctor with his dissertation titled Anadolu Selçukluları Çağında Anadolu Yolları (Anatolian Roads during the Era of Rum Seljuks) in 1959 and became an associate professor with his dissertation titled Dımaşk Melikliği ve Dımaşk Atabeği Zahir el-Din Toğtekin (The Kingdom of Damascus and Damascus Atabeg Zahir el-Din Toğtekin) in 1968. He was transferred to the Faculty of Letters, Department of History at the Erzurum Atatürk University in 1971 and to the Faculty of Basic Sciences at the Karadeniz Technical University in 1973. Becoming a professor in 1974, Özergin served in the High Islamic Institute and retired from there. Having works on inscriptions, coins and particularly literary sources of history, Özergin passed away in 1986.

DEPARTMENT OF HİSTORY OF OTTOMAN INSTİTUTİONS AND CİVİLİZATİON

Prof. Dr. Tayyib Gökbilgin 

He was born in Ordu in 1907. His grandfathers belonged to a family known as “Hocazâdeler” in the region because they worked as kadi and mudarris in Çarşamba district of Samsun. His father was Hacı Mehmed Emin Efendi. He completed his primary education in Çarşamba, then attended a madrasah for a while and took calligraphy lessons from his father. He completed his education, which he had interrupted during the War of Independence in Samsun, Erzurum, and Trabzon teacher training schools, and started his professional career in the Aşkale village school in 1929. After working as a teacher in Tercan, Aşkale, Kân, and Salaçur villages of İspir and Çarşamba until 1936, he entered the Department of Hungarology at Ankara University, Faculty of Language and History-Geography. As a minor discipline, he took courses in Latin, French, and German, as well as the Early and Late Modern Periods courses in the History Department. In 1936-1939, with the encouragement of his teacher, László Rásonyi, he attended Keszthely and Debrecen summer universities in Hungary and received certificates; he also did an internship at the Hungarian National Archives. He graduated from the faculty in 1940 with his thesis titled “Osmanlı Tarihi’nin Macarca Kaynakları (Hungarian Sources of Ottoman History)”. In the same year, he was appointed as an assistant translator at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters and Institute of Turkology, and he was hired as an assistant in the Department of History in February 1942. While serving as a reserve officer, he was promoted to associate professor in November 1942 with his thesis titled “Rumeli’de Yürükler ve Tatarlar (Yoruks and Tatars in Rumelia)”. After completing his military service, he started to work as an associate professor at the Department of Early Modern and Late Modern History on March 1, 1943. In 1955, he became a professor and transferred to the Department of the Medieval History, where he taught courses on the Ottoman Empire’s founding era. On November 14, 1961, Prof. Dr. Gökbilgin founded the Department of the History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization, which he held for 16 years until his retirement on July 13, 1977. After Zeki Velidi Togan’s retirement, he became the director of the Institute of Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Letters and served in this position in addition to his chairmanship. On June 2, 1981, he continued his scholarly work until his death. In addition to history, Gökbilgin was also interested in archival research, Ottoman diplomacy, and librarianship. After he became the head of the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization, paleography and diplomatic courses were taught in this department for the first time in Turkey. Among his works are XV-XVI. Asırlarda Edirne ve Paşa Livası, Vakıflar-Mülkler-Mukataalar, Rumeli'de Yürükler, Tatarlar ve Evlâd-ı Fatihan, and Osmanlı İmparatorluğu Medeniyet Tarihi Çerçevesinde Osmanlı Paleografya ve Diplomatik İlmi. In addition to these books, M. Tayyip Gökbilgin wrote an extensive introduction to the facsimile edition of the book entitled Kavânîn-i Âl-i Osmân der Hulâsa-i Mezâmîn-i Defter-i Dîvân by Ayn Ali Efendi. Gökbilgin, whose scholarly articles were published in the Turkish Historical Society’s (In Turkish: Türk Tarih Kurumu, TTK) journal (Belleten), the Journal of History, the Journal of the Institute of History, the Journal of the Institute of Islamic Studies, the Journal of Foundations, Oriente Moderno, and some other international journals, also authored numerous encyclopedia articles. Some of his entries published in the Encyclopedia of Islam are the length of a book.

Prof. Dr. Nejat Göyünç 

He was born in Istanbul on December 4, 1925. He graduated from Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1948. Until 1957, he worked as a history teacher. He was sent to Germany by the Ministry of National Education to pursue a doctorate. Nejat Göyünç completed his doctorate at Georg-August Universität Göttingen in Germany on February 28, 1962, with his doctoral thesis titled Das sogenannte Ğāme‘ol-Ḥesāb das ‘Emād as-Sarāwī, in which the explanation, German translation, and critical edition of an important manuscript belonging to Anatolian sources of the XIVth century were made, and he started to work as a Dr. Assistant at the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization in September 1962. Until 1966, Göyünç, who continued his academic studies while giving lectures in the department, was given the title of associate professor on November 17, 1966, with his associate professorship thesis, XVI. Yüzyılda Mardin Sancağı (Mardin Sanjak in the XVIth Century.) After this date, Göyünç continued to work at the department as an associate professor. In November 1971, he left his position at the department and was transferred to Hacettepe University, Faculty of Social and Administrative Sciences, Department of History, where he was promoted to professor in 1973. Between 1979 and 1980, he served as the Director General of the Prime Ministry’s Ottoman Archives. Since 1980, he has been a lecturer at Istanbul, Boğaziçi, Hacettepe, İnönü, Selçuk, Balıkesir, and Uludağ universities. He was a visiting professor in Munich and Bamberg from 1986 to 1987. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Ottoman Studies between 1980 and 2001. He died on July 1st, 2001.

Prof. Dr. Salih Özbaran

Salih Özbaran, born in Turgutlu in 1940, graduated from the History Department of Istanbul University in 1963. In 1969, he completed his doctoral thesis, “The Ottoman Turcs and Portugals in the Persian Golf (1534-1581)” at the University of London and was awarded the title of doctor. Özbaran started to work as a Dr. Assistant at the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization on February 28, 1970. In 1977, he presented his dissertation, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu ve Hindistan Yolu: Onaltıncı Yüzyılda Ticaret Yolları Üzerinde Türk-Portekiz Rekabet ve İlişkileri (The Ottoman Empire and the Indian Road: Turkish-Portuguese Rivalry and Relations on Trade Routes in the Sixteenth Century), which he submitted in 1977. On July 1, 1977, Özbaran was appointed to the position of associate professor in the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization, and he resigned from the department on March 31, 1979, requesting a transfer to an open associate professorship at Ege University Faculty of Social Sciences. Özbaran, who served as the head of the Department of History at Ege University Faculty of Letters between 1980 and 1986, became a professor in 1982. Professor Salih Özbaran, who is familiar with the Portuguese archives thanks to his mastery of Portuguese, has also benefited from Portuguese sources in his works. In addition to his works such as Yemen’den Basra’ya Sınırdaki Osmanlı and İran, Türkiye, Irak, Suriye ve Mısır Yollarında Portekizli Seyyahlar, he also wrote Tarih, Tarihçi ve Toplum and Tarihin Amacı in which he discussed historiography and history teaching.

Prof. Dr. Mübahat S. Kütükoğlu

Mübahat Solmaz Kütükoğlu, born in Izmir in 1932, completed her primary and secondary education there and then started her higher education at Istanbul University, Faculty of Letters, Department of History in 1951. After graduating in February 1956 with a thesis titled Osmanlı-İngiliz Münâsebâtı (Başlangıcından XVII. Asrın Sonuna Kadar) (Ottoman-British Relations (From the Beginning to the End of the XVIIth Century), which she submitted to the Early Modern History Department, Ms. Kütükoğlu started her academic career as an assistant at the Economic History Department of the Faculty of Economics at Istanbul University in May of the same year. In March 1963, she completed her doctoral dissertation, Başlangıcından Tanzimat’a Kadar Osmanlı-İngiliz İktisadî Münasebetleri [Ottoman-British Economic Relations from the Beginning to Tanzimat (1838-1850)], which was directed by the Early Modern History Department of the Faculty of Letters. In November 1972, she was awarded the title of associate professor with her dissertation, Osmanlı-İngiliz İktisadî Münasebetleri (1838-1850) (Ottoman-British Economic Relations (1838-1850) ), which she submitted to the History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization Department of the History Department of the Faculty of Letters. On January 31, 1973, Kütükoğlu started to work as an associate professor in the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization and was promoted to professor in 1979, the same year she went to London for her studies. She served as the head of the department for 21 years, between 1977 and 1998, and as the director of the Research Center for History from 1984 to 1998. During her tenure as the director of the Research Center for History, she initiated the Seminar series, which is still ongoing. Professor Kütükoğlu retired from the department in October 1998. Osmanlı Belgelerinin Dili (Diplomatik), Tarih Araştırmalarında Usûl, and, 1830 Sayımına Göre Menteşe Sancağı Nüfusu are just a few of her significant works.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet İpşirli

Mehmet İpşirli, born in Kayseri in 1944, graduated from the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization in 1970. After completing his doctorate at the University of Edinburgh in 1976 with a thesis titled Mustafa Selaniki’s History of the Ottomans, he started to work as a Dr. Assistant at the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization in the same year. In 1982, İpşirli became an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor on April 14, 1983, with his thesis titled XVII. Asrın Başlarına Kadar Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Kadıaskerlik Müessesesi (Kadıaskerlik Institution in the Ottoman Empire Until the Beginning of the XVIIth Century) and to professor in 1988 with his work titled Mahzar from a Diplomatic Perspective. Mehmet İpşirli was appointed as the Head of the Department of Archiving, which was established within the Faculty of Letters in 1987. He retired in 1999 and is currently employed at Medipol University. Among the works of Prof. Dr. Mehmet İpşirli, who made notable chronicle editions, are Tarih-i Selânikî and Tarih-i Na‘imâ.

Prof. Dr. Abdülkadir Özcan

Abdülkadir Özcan, who was born in 1948, graduated from Istanbul University, Departments of History and Arabic, Persian Languages and Literatures in 1972. On January 18, 1978, he started working as an assistant in the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization. After completing his doctorate in April 1980 with a thesis titled Defterdar Sarı Mehmed Paşa, Zübde-i Vekayiat, Tahlil ve Metin (Defterdar Sarı Mehmed Pasha, Zübde-i Vekayiat, Tahlil and Metin), he became an assistant professor in the same department in October 1983. In July 1987, he left the department by transferring to Marmara University’s Atatürk Faculty of Education, Department of History, as an assistant professor. He became an associate professor in the same year and started to work as a professor at Mimar Sinan University in 1993. He is currently employed at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakıf University. Fatih Sultan Mehmed, Kanunnâme-i Âl-i Osman, Eyyubî Efendi Kanunnâmesi, and Şakaik-i Nu‘maniye ve Zeyilleri are among his significant works.

Prof. Dr. Ş. Nezihi Aykut

He was born in 1942 in Ankara. After completing his primary education in Ankara and his secondary education in Istanbul, he enrolled in the Department of History at the Faculty of Letters of Istanbul University in 1960 and graduated in 1966. In 1969, Prof. Aykut began working at the Historical Coins Service of the Cultural Consultancy of Yapı Kredi Bank, and on June 19, 1980, he completed his thesis titled Hasan Beyzade Tarihi’nin Tahlil, Kaynak, Tenkid ve Edition Critique’i (Analysis, Source, Criticism, and Edition Critique of History of Hasan Beyzade) and received the title of doctor. On May 14, 1981, he was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization and was promoted to assistant professor on October 19, 1983. On July 7, 1989, he was appointed an associate professor at the Department of Archiving, Faculty of Literature. On June 28, 1994, Nezihi Aykut became a professor in the Department of Institutional Archives in the Department of Archivism and continued to teach Ottoman Numismatics and the History of Money in the Department of the History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization until his retirement in 2009. He has published his works on the history of money under the titles Osmanlı Devleti’nden Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’ne Devredilen Kaimeler ve Osmanlı Bankası Banknotları and Türkiye Selçuklu Sikkeleri I. Mesud’dan I. Keykubat’a Kadar (510-616/1116-1220).

Prof. Dr. İlhan Şahin

İlhan Şahin completed his doctoral dissertation, Yeni-il Kazası ve Yeni-il Türkmenleri (1548-1653), at the Department of History, Early Modern History, Faculty of Letters, Istanbul University, and was awarded the degree of doctor in 1980. While working as an associate professor at Marmara University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of History, he started to work as an associate professor at the Department of History of Ottoman Institutions and Civilization on June 5, 1995. He was promoted to professor in July 1997 and served as the head of the department since October 16, 1998, and as the director of the Research Center for History at the Faculty of Letters between 1998 and 2002. He published his research on the tribes and communities in Ottoman geography in the works titled Osmanlı Döneminde Konar – Göçerler and XVI. yüzyılda Osmanlı Anadolusu Göçebeleri.