Published 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!
Listen on Apple Podcasts29 min
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.
35 min
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.
42 min
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.
32 min
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.
48 min
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.
28 min
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.
36 min
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.
39 min
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.
36 min
In this episode of the Heritage Türkiye Podcast, archaeologist and architectural historian Dr. Stuart Blaylock reflects on more than forty years of work in Türkiye. From his early excavations at Tille Höyük to later rescue projects at Gre Amer, Dr. Blaylock discusses what rescue archaeology reveals about the Iron Age in northern Mesopotamia, the challenges of excavating sites threatened by dam construction, and what happens to both landscapes and communities when heritage is submerged. The conversation also explores archival memory, displacement, and Dr. Blaylock's long-standing relationship with the British Institute at Ankara, offering a reflective look at archaeology, loss, and continuity.
35 min
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Dr. Gül Pulhan, an archaeologist and heritage professional whose work spans salvage excavations, museum practice, and cultural heritage protection in Türkiye and beyond. From salvage excavations at Gre Amer, Batman during the Ilısu Dam campaigns to directing the SARAT (Safeguarding Archaeological Assets of Turkey, 2017–2020) project at the British Institute at Ankara, Dr. Pulhan reflects on the challenges of managing archaeological heritage in times of rapid change. Drawing on long-term experience across academia, museums, and civil society, the conversation explores education, policy, and practice, and asks what responsible heritage protection looks like today — and what lessons SARAT leaves for the future for institutions, professionals, and communities alike.
36 min
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we stroll through Istanbul's Sultanahmet neighbourhood with Dr. Janine Su, a social anthropologist whose work explores socio-spatial mobility and contemporary masculinities in Türkiye. Drawing on over a decade of ethnographic engagement in Istanbul's Old City, Dr. Su reflects on the early experiences that first brought her to Istanbul and how Sultanahmet became the heart of her doctoral research at UCL. Dr. Su takes us behind the scenes of her fieldwork, sharing how she builds relationships, navigates changing urban dynamics, and follows the everyday lives of the young men who became central to her research. We discuss how her focus on masculinities emerged, the current conversations shaping this rapidly growing interdisciplinary field, and how concepts such as sıla, gurbet, and garip help illuminate questions of belonging, displacement, and identity in Turkey today.
43 min
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Professor Andrew Fairbairn from the University of Queensland, a leading archaeologist and archaeobotanist whose work has transformed our understanding of early farming societies in the ancient Near East. Drawing on his long-term research in Türkiye, including major excavations at Boncuklu Höyük in Central Anatolia, Professor Fairbairn reflects on what ancient plant remains can reveal about the origins of agriculture and human adaptation to changing environments. The conversation also explores the BIAA's central role in advancing archaeobotanical research in Anatolia, including the development of the "Ankara method" and the Institute's temperature-controlled herbarium, which preserves valuable seed and plant specimens. Fairbairn reflects on the importance of institutional support, mentorship, and collaboration across borders, and shares his hopes for the BIAA's continued contribution to the study and protection of Türkiye's archaeological heritage.
41 min
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we welcome Dr. Leonidas Karakatsanis, Assistant Professor at the University of Macedonia and former Assistant Director of the BIAA. Drawing on his extensive research into nationalism, reconciliation and the politics of culture and emotion, Dr. Karakatsanis discusses the role of civil society in Turkish–Greek relations, the challenges and rewards of multi-disciplinary research and the meaning of "cultural extimacy" beyond debates over shared cuisines. We also explore how discourse analysis functions in a post-truth era, the politics of hope and the shifting perspectives he has gained from teaching and researching across Türkiye, Greece and the UK.
33 min
Season Two of Heritage Türkiye launches with a compelling new episode featuring award-winning historian, broadcaster and BIAA patron Bettany Hughes. Renowned for her deep connection to Türkiye's past, especially Istanbul, Bettany joins Dr. Işılay Gürsu and Dr. Peter Cherry to discuss life on and off camera, how she communicates research to the general public and her passion for bringing the ancient past to life through television and writing. The multilayered history of Istanbul is a central part of the conversation, revealing why the city continues to inspire her work and imagination. As Patron of the British Institute at Ankara, Bettany also reflects on the institute's vital role in supporting and enriching her research. Works Cited in the Podcast: Bettany Hughes, The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2024. Bettany Hughes, Venus & Aphrodite: History of a Goddess. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2019. Bettany Hughes, A Tale of Three Cities: Istanbul. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2017. Bettany Hughes, Helen of Troy. Pimlico, 2006.
13 min
The BIAA Heritage Türkiye Podcast has been a huge success: 13 episodes, 2 hosts, 12 guest speakers, and over 400 minutes of fascinating discussion. Thanks to everyone who tuned in! In this final episode, Dr. Işılay Gürsu and Dr. Peter Cherry reflect on the season and share key takeaways and look forward to season two.
33 min
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Natalie Martin — a former BBC journalist and now Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham — about the current state of journalism and politics in Türkiye and beyond. Our conversation explored Turkey–EU and UK relations, the impact of Brexit on the Turkish-British relationship and the emergence of new media forms reshaping the journalism landscape. We also delve into the concepts of misinformation, disinformationand malinformation, and explore how they are affecting the health of democracy today. Finally, as a former BIAA Council member, Dr. Martin reflects on the evolving role of the British Institute at Ankara in fostering academic collaboration between the UK and Türkiye.
32 min
In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, Mark Jackson (Professor of Byzantine Archaeology at Newcastle University and Honorary Secretary at the British Institute at Ankara) joins us to explore the enduring legacy of explorer, writer, archaeologist and diplomat Gertrude Bell and his role in the project to digitalise Bell's extensive archive, recently added to the UNESCO International Memory of the World register, which draws on her travels across Türkiye and West Asia. We also delve into the evolving role of digital archiving in historical research, examining how technology is transforming access to and interpretation of the past. The conversation also takes us into Professor Jackson's work in the field of Byzantine archaeology. Dr Mark Jackson is Professor of Byzantine Archaeology at Newcastle University and honorary secretary of the BIAA. Dr. Jackson is also co-curator of the Gertrude Bell Photographic Archive, a UNESCO International Memory of the World archive, which includes over 8000 images mostly taken by Gertrude Bell during her travels across the Ottoman Empire as a writer, archaeologist, and colonial diplomat before World War I.
35 min
In this episode, former BIAA Assistant Director Dr Daniel Joseph MacArthur Seal (now postdoctoral research fellow at the Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Napoli) talks us through his research on every day life and night life in Istanbul during the early to mid twentieth century. Tune in to hear a wide ranging conversation in which Daniel talks about his work on the British occupation of Istanbul from 1918-1923, the From Enemies to Allies project which traced the evolving relationship between the UK and Türkiye from World War I to NATO allies, and his recent work on histories of the opium trade and sex work in early to mid-twentieth century Istanbul.
35 min
In this episode, Dr. Benjamin Irvine (former BIAA Postdoctoral fellow and now Assistant Professor at Bilkent University) discusses his research on bones and what bones can tell us about how people lived in the past. The conversation takes surprising and fascinating turns drawing on irregular burials, dietary habits and whether bones can tell us about instances of murder. Dr. Irvine also makes a case for how archaeologists can be useful in crime investigations.
28 min
In this episode, we are joined by Bert Smith, Emeritus Lincoln Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art at the University of Oxford, Visiting Professor of Archaeology at Bilkent University, and director of the New York University managed and BIAA-sponsored excavations at Aphrodisias: a site in southwestern Türkiye. Famous for its marble workshops in anquity, Aphrodisias and its quarries were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017. Professor Smith talks about what makes the ruinscape of Aphrodisias special and outlines everyday life in this site, both in antiquity and in recent past. Professor Smith also discusses the celebrated photographer Ara Güler's evocative images of site and how they have shaped archaeological research into the site.