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Heritage Türkiye: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Işılay Gürsu, Peter Cherry
Heritage Türkiye is British Institute at Ankara's new podcast! Join Dr. Işılay Gürsu and Dr. Peter Cherry to hear about the BIAA's work across a range of fields: archaeology, cultural heritage management, history, sociology, literature, culture, and a lot more!
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago29 min
Living with Byzantium: Heritage of the "Other" with Dr Hakan Tarhan
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Dr Hakan Tarhan about identity, memory, and the complexities of cultural heritage in the eastern Mediterranean. Drawing on his research in both Türkiye and Greece, Hakan explores how communities engage with Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, what he means by "the other's heritage," and why the concept of dissonant heritage is central to understanding contested pasts. We discuss what it means to "live with Byzantium" in contemporary Türkiye, and the importance of community engagement in heritage practice. The conversation also reflects on Hakan's current research and his vision for the future of cultural heritage at the BIAA, highlighting the role of dialogue in building more inclusive approaches to the past.
- 4 weeks ago35 min
Exploring Late Byzantine Constantinople with Dr Elif Neyzi
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Dr Elif Neyzi about the rich and complex world of late Byzantine Constantinople. Drawing on her research into imperial monasteries, urban history, and the social transformations of the late Byzantine period, Elif discusses the role of monastic institutions in city life, the relationship between imperial and non-imperial communities, and new directions in Byzantine scholarship. We also explore the reception of Byzantium in popular culture, representations of Byzantine women, the current state of Byzantine studies in Türkiye, and opportunities for early career researchers.
- Jun 11, 202642 min
At the Edges of Empire: Landscapes, Power, and the Roman World with Hugh Elton
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Professor Hugh Elton, former Director of the British Institute at Ankara and a leading specialist in the archaeology and history of Roman Anatolia. From his pioneering research in the Göksu Valley and Isauria to his work on late Roman emperors, climate change, and archaeological heritage management, Hugh reflects on a career that has connected landscapes, people, and institutions across the ancient Mediterranean. Together, we explore how studying seemingly peripheral regions can transform our understanding of empire, why interdisciplinary approaches are reshaping archaeological research, and what long-term perspectives from the ancient world can contribute to contemporary debates about environment, governance, and resilience. We also discuss Hugh's years at the British Institute at Ankara and his thoughts on the future of Anatolian archaeology.
- May 21, 202632 min
Rethinking Secularism and Identity in Contemporary Türkiye with Dr Ceren Lord
In this episode, we speak with Ceren Lord about religion, identity and political change in contemporary Türkiye. Drawing on her research on secularism, Islamist movements, Alevis and transnational politics, Ceren challenges simplified assumptions about the relationship between religion and the state in Türkiye and argues for a more historically grounded and nuanced understanding of secular politics. The conversation explores the arguments behind her book Religious Politics in Turkey: From the Birth of the Republic to the AKP, the role of identity in shaping competing understandings of secularity and how diaspora communities influence politics across borders. We also discuss her current research on secularity across the Middle East and North Africa, her forthcoming monograph Divided We Stand: Identity Strategies in the Wake of Conflict, and how her experience beyond academia has informed her approach to political research. Finally, Ceren reflects on the importance of creating platforms for innovative scholarship through the BIAA–I.B. Tauris Contemporary Turkey Series.
- Apr 30, 202648 min
Mobility, Markets and the Making of Late Ottoman Istanbul, with Dr Ayşe Ozil
In this episode, Dr Ayşe Ozil, Associate Professor of History at Sabancı University and a member of the Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions Advisory Board, discusses the social and economic worlds of the late Ottoman Empire through the lens of mobility, community and urban life. Dr Ozil reflects on her academic journey into Ottoman history and talks about her research on Greek Orthodox communities, shedding new light on ethno-religious relations beyond familiar narratives of nationalism and conflict. The conversation moves into the streets and commercial spaces of Istanbul, examining the city as both an imperial capital and a global port shaped by trade, migration, and everyday interactions. From the overlooked histories embedded in neighbourhoods like Tarlabaşı to the rich archival possibilities of commercial buildings such as hans, this episode reveals how alternative sources can transform our understanding of the past. We also consider questions of gender, asking how women's mobility and economic presence can be traced in spaces often assumed to be male-dominated. Finally, the discussion turns to the broader implications of mobility for Ottoman history today, highlighting new directions and challenges in the field.
- Apr 10, 202628 min
The Politics of Collecting and Heritage in the Ottoman Mediterranean with Dr. Batuhan Özdemir
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Dr Batuhan Özdemir, the 2025–26 BIAA–Bilkent Postdoctoral Fellow, about his research on the history of collecting and the politics of cultural heritage in the Ottoman Mediterranean. Focusing on Lycian material culture and Charles Fellows's collection at the British Museum, he explores how objects were framed within 19th-century imperial discourse. We discuss his shift from field archaeology to archival research, the distinctive character of Lycia, and what material culture can reveal beyond written sources. The conversation also touches on power, mobility, and asymmetry in the circulation of heritage, as well as current debates on decolonisation. Finally, Batuhan reflects on his postdoctoral project and his experience at the BIAA.
- Mar 17, 202636 min
Language, Desire and the Mobility of Ottoman Literary Culture, with Dr Selim Sırrı Kuru
In this first episode of a new Heritage Türkiye three-part miniseries, part of the Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions Project—a British Academy–funded initiative bringing together the network of British International Research Institutes—we speak with Dr Selim Sırrı Kuru. Dr Kuru, who also serves on the Advisory Board of the Ottoman Mobilities and Interactions project, is Associate Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of Washington. Dr Kuru's research focuses on Ottoman and Anatolian Turkish literature from the Early Modern Period, in particular the formulation of gender and sexuality and exchange between Persian and Ottoman cultural contexts. In this conversation, he reflects on how the idea of mobility reshapes our understanding of Ottoman literary culture, not only through the movement of people, but through the circulation of languages, manuscripts, poetic forms and ideas. From the emergence of Western Anatolian Turkish as a written language to the travels of manuscripts and poetic traditions across Arabic, Persian and Turkish worlds, the episode reveals the Ottoman literary sphere as a richly interconnected and mobile cultural landscape.
- Feb 11, 202639 min
Music, Identity and Popular Culture in Türkiye with Professor Martin Stokes
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Professor Martin Stokes, King Edward Professor of Music at King's College London, a leading ethnomusicologist of Turkish and West Asian music and a council member of the British Institute at Ankara (BIAA). Beginning with the story of his appearance on Turkish television playing bağlama as a PhD student, the conversation reflects on his wide-ranging and influential scholarship, including the "arabesk debate", the development of musical genres in the region, the politics of popular culture and the towering figure of Zeki Müren. He also reflects on the changes and continuities he has observed since first working in Türkiye in 1981, making a compelling case for the importance of studying music and cultural production to better understand the region. The episode concludes with his ERC/UKRI-funded project, Beyond 1932, which explores the sonic legacies of the 1932 Cairo Congress of Arab Music, attended by a delegation from Türkiye.
About Heritage Türkiye
Heritage Türkiye is British Institute at Ankara's new podcast! Join Dr. Işılay Gürsu and Dr. Peter Cherry to hear about the BIAA's work across a range of fields: archaeology, cultural heritage management, history, sociology, literature, culture, and a lot more!
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