Firuzan Melike Sümertaş
Dr. Firuzan Melike Sümertaş graduated from METU (Ankara) Department of Architecture and received her M.A degree from the same university, program of Architectural History. She has completed her doctoral studies at Bogaziçi University (İstanbul), Department of History. Her research area is the Urban and Architectural History of Istanbul during Ottoman period. Accordingly, her M.A research focused on Female Patrons of Architecture in Early Modern Istanbul, whereas her doctoral project inquired about the nineteenth century scholarship on ‘Old Istanbul’, particularly in Greek. Within this framework, she has presented papers and published articles in local and international milieus. During her Ph.D research, she was awarded with the Fulbright Cultural Exchange Scholarship and spent an academic year at Princeton University, Department of History. She also participated in the Erasmus Student Exchange Program and studied one semester at University of Crete, Department of History and Archaeology. Additionally, she was awarded with scholarships from significant research institutions such as ARIT – Istanbul, AKMED – Antalya, EFA – Athens, SNF – Athens, Bodossaki Foundation – Athens, and NEC – Bucharest. Her research languages are Ottoman Turkish and Greek. Sümertaş has participated in several research and exhibition projects besides her academic life.
Research Project:
Contested Spaces in Istanbul before and after the Foundation of the Nation-State
Selected publications:
Sümertaş, Firuzan M. (2022): Reşad Ekrem Koçu and his archive of the Encyclopedia of Istanbul. Toplumsal Tarih Journal [Journal of Social History], February 2022.
Sümertaş. F.M. – Theodorelis – Rigas, H.: “Archaeology as Epic: Language, Transmission and Politics in the different editions of Patriarch Konstantios Ι’s Constantiniad (1820).”, in: E. Balta (Ed.) Following the traces of Turkish-speaking Christians. Harvard University, The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of Anatolia Publications, 103–136 (forthcoming).
Sümertaş. F.M. “Dr. Alexandros G. Paspatis’ten Dersaadet Rum Cemiyet-i Edebiyesi’ne: İstanbul’un Kara Surları Hakkında Bir Çalışma.” Toplumsal Tarih, Issue 272, August 2016, The Economic and Social History Foundation Press, İstanbul, pp. 42–50
Kıvılcım Çorakbaş, F. & Sümertaş, F.M “Çifteler Köy Enstitüsü Yerleşkelerinin Mekânsal Süreklilik ve Dönüşümleri”, (The Spatial Continuities and transformation of the Cifteler Village Institute’s Campuses) Mimarlık, Issue 380, November – December 2014, Chamber of Architects Press, Ankara, (Avery Index, Ulrichs Periodical Directory, Arthistoricum.net (Virtuelle Fachbibliothek Kunstgeschichte), Design and Applied Arts Index (DAAI), EBSCOhost)
Sümertaş, F.M. "Tarih-i Ayasofya: An Inquiry on the 19th ct. Historicism on the Imperial Monument", Journal of Turkish Studies, Issue 33, Volume 2, 2009, Harvard University, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Boston, USA, pp: 149–159
Sümertaş, F.M. "Women and Power: Female Patrons of Architecture in 16th and 17th Century Istanbul" Edinburgh Architectural Research Volume 31, 2008, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, pp: 83-89 (Avery Index, Ulrichs Periodical Directory)
Sümertaş, F.M. "Skarlatos Byzantios, Constantinople: A Topographical, Archaeological & Historical Description... Vol. 1: Constantinople intra and circa Muros. Translation and Commentary by Haris Theodorelis-Rigas with a Foreword by Stephanos Pesmazoglou. Istanbul: İstos, 2019 [1851]. xviii+ 856 pages. ISBN: 9786054640652". YILLIK: Annual of Istanbul Studies 1 (2019): 213–215
Sümertaş, F.M., (with Karakaya, H.) "Yeni Cami Hünkar Kasrı Çini Panoları: Bağlam, Restorasyon, Koruma" (The Ceramic Tiles of New Mosque, Sultan’s Lodge: context, restoration, preservation) SERES II. International Ceramic, Glass, Porcelain Enamel, Glaze and Pigment Congress Proceedings, Eskişehir, 2007
Selected Presentations:
“From ‘endurance’ of the remnants, to their ‘agency’: A. Paspates and the Byzantine heritage in the nineteenth century” Architecture and Endurance: European Architectural History Network Thematic Conference, METU, Ankara, TURKEY (Online), 1 October 2021
“From Antiquarianism to Urban Archaeology: ‘Old’ Istanbul in the Nineteenth Century” METU Talks Architectural History Spring 2021, 31 May 2021 (Online)
“From Paspates to Syllogos:’ Heritigization of Byzantine Remnants of Istanbul”, Middle Eastern Studies Association 51st Annual Conference, Washington, DC, USA, 18–21 November 2017
“Reading Istanbul in Greek: 19th ct. Literature on the past and the present of the city” Modern Greek Studies Association Biannual Meeting, Galloway, NJ, USA, 2–5 November 2017
“Reading ‘Old’ Istanbul in “Greek”: An Intellectual Network and its Impact on the Urban Context of 19th ct. Istanbul” BRISMES Conference 2017: Movement and Migration in the Middle East: People and Ideas in Flux, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK, 5–7 July 2017
“The Greek-Orthodox Community at the Making of Urban Istanbul” Modern Greek Studies Association Biannual Meeting, Bloomington, IN, USA, 14–16 November 2013
“Mobility, Investment, Patronage: Agency of Greek Orthodox Bankers on Urban Transformation of Late 19th century Istanbul”, Princeton University, Program in Urban Studies, Dissertation Workshop, Princeton, NJ, USA, June 2013
“Non-Muslims in Context: The Greek Orthodox in the Making of the Ottoman Istanbul”, The Cosmopolitan Metropolis: 6th Biennial Urban History Association Conference, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA, 25–28 October 2012
“Tarih-i Ayasofya: An Inquiry on Ottoman Greek Orthodox Intellectuals through Architectural Historiography” Princeton University, Seeger Center of Hellenic Studies "Third International Graduate Student Conference in Modern Greek Studies: Politics, Religion and Society in Modern Greece", Princeton, NJ, USA, 4 May 2011
“Gender and Power: Female Patrons of Architecture in 16–17th Century İstanbul” AHRA: Architectural Humanities Research Association, 3rd Annual Research Symposium - Edinburgh - Scotland, UK, 6 April 2006