Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Turkish Journal of History, sa.81, ss.287-307, 2023 (ESCI)
Byzantine history studies in Türkiye began in the late 19th century but only became systematic many years later during the Republic period and Istanbul University played a pioneering role in this field. The Byzantine Empire is an important part of modern Türkiye’s cultural heritage. When considering the significance of the Byzantine legacy the Republic of Türkiye inherited and its historical connection to Turkish history, the delayed start and subsequent acceleration of research in this field were notable shortcomings. The prejudices and challenges associated with conducting academic work in this field had caused Byzantine history studies to lag in Türkiye for many years. The tradition of teaching Byzantine history within medieval studies continued for the first 20 years of the Republic, with independent courses being offered at Istanbul University starting in 1943. During this period, a certain tradition and expertise in Byzantine history had been established at the institution and has since been carried on by subsequent generations. Until the 1990s, these studies were primarily conducted at Istanbul and Ankara Universities in Türkiye. While Byzantine history studies were mainly pursued within the Department of Medieval History, the study of Byzantine art history became institutionalized and established as a separate department at Istanbul University. This article focuses on the role and importance of Istanbul University in the development of Byzantine history studies in Türkiye from 1923 to 2023.