Prof. İlber Ortaylı

Born in 1947 in a refugee camp in Bregenz, Austria, to a Crimean Tatar family, İlber Ortaylı is one of Turkey’s leading historians, renowned for making history accessible and appealing to a wide audience, particularly the younger generation. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences and the Department of History within the Faculty of Language, History and Geography at Ankara University. He furthered his academic training by completing a master’s degree under Halil İnalcık at the University of Chicago. He completed his PhD at Ankara University with a thesis titled “Local Administrations After the Tanzimat”; in 1979, he was awarded the title of associate professor with a thesis titled “German Influence in the Ottoman Empire”, and in 1989, he was promoted to professor.

İlber Ortaylı has served as a visiting lecturer at prominent European universities such as the University of Vienna, Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Oxford. He also served as Head of the Department of Legal History at Galatasaray University; between 2005 and 2012, he held the position of Director of the Topkapı Palace Museum.

Ortaylı was presented with the High Human Values Award as part of the 2nd High Human Values Awards organised by Üsküdar University in 2017.

İlber Ortaylı is a prominent historian who has distinguished himself through his work in the fields of Ottoman bureaucracy, urban history and diplomacy, and who, thanks to his multilingual intellectual background, represents Turkish historiography on international academic platforms. His clear, systematic and analytical style of presentation, combined with his broad general knowledge, has contributed to ensuring that historical knowledge is not confined solely to academic circles but is conveyed to wider audiences, particularly younger generations. In addition to his academic output, Ortaylı attracted attention for the students he mentored and his public profile; in this respect, he has been described as a ‘living library’.

Ortaylı, who passed away on 13 March 2026 at the age of 78, was laid to rest in the cemetery of Fatih Mosque following the funeral service.

You can watch İlber Ortaylı’s speech at the awards ceremony here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBkfRQIyXSM