BY NİL TEKGÜL (HIST/PhD) & ALP RODOPLU (HIST/MA)
Festschrift (a celebratory collection of articles) has been published in honor of Prof. Özer Ergenç of the Department of History, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the study of Ottoman history, especially Ottoman urban history. Entitled “Essays in Honor of Özer Ergenç,” the Festschrift was prepared for publication under the editorship of Dr. Ümit Ekin of Sakarya University. The volume was presented to Prof. Ergenç on October 9 with a ceremony and reception at the Rectorate House. Among the many who attended were Vice Rector Prof. Kürşat Aydoğan, deans Prof. Talat Halman and Prof. Dilek Önkal, Prof. Halil İnalcık (founder of the Department of History and Prof. Ergenç’s “doktorvater” and mentor), faculty members and students of the Department of History, and Prof. Ergenç’s friends, family, colleagues and former students.
After opening remarks by Department of History Chair Mehmet Kalpaklı, Dr. Ekin related how the volume became a reality, delighting Prof. Ergenç’s many students, current and past, to see their guide and mentor so deservedly honored and celebrated. Next, one of his current PhD students, Nil Tekgül, offered insights about his teaching style, which has been shaped by the mentor-apprentice method. Such insights were most appropriate, as it was Prof. Ergenç’s mentor, Prof. İnalcık, who spoke last before presenting to Prof. Ergenç the volume put together in his honor. Prof. İnalcık, who has been Prof. Ergenç’s mentor, colleague and friend for more than half a century, reminded all who were present of the invaluable contribution Prof. Ergenç has made to Ottoman studies. The event continued with a reception where Prof. Ergenç and his former and present students had a chance to recall their experiences together.
The volume prepared in Prof. Ergenç’s honor contains essays written by a number of his colleagues and students who were invited to contribute. The volume starts with an essay by Prof. İnalcık; the other authors are Hasan Yüksel, Seçil Karal Akgün, Ali Akyıldız, A. Latif Armağan, Yasemin Beyazıt, Berrak Burçak, Bülent Çelik, M. Bilal Çelik, Mehtap Çelik, Cafer Çiftçi, Dritan Egro, İbrahim Erdoğdu, Mehmet Kalpaklı, Gürer Karagedikli, Yunus Koç, Sabahattin Küçük, Yuzo Nagata, Yusuf Oğuzoğlu, Jülide Akyüz Orat, Mehmet Öz, Mustafa Öztürk, Yücel Öztürk, İklil Selçuk, Mehmet Seyitdanlıoğlu, İlhan Tekeli, Nil Tekgül, Mustafa Nuri Türkmen, Evgenia Kermeli Ünal, Ali Yaycıoğlu and Fehmi Yılmaz.