15:00-16:00 Wednesday 14th April 2021

Online via Zoom, Open to All, Free Lecture

About the Talk: Traces of British Industrial Entrepreneurs in the late Ottoman Empire

Followed by the trade agreement of 1838, British entrepreneurs in the 19th century played an important role in industrialization of the Ottoman Empire. The first railway lines in the Ottoman Lands were built by the British in different port cities (Alexandria, Smyrna, Constanta, Varna and Constantinople). Several notable families settled around these stations and were engaged with industrial production or agriculture. They have not only contributed to the cultural landscape of those areas but also brought their social amenities with them and shaped the urban environment. The talk will focus on the railway building and demonstrate the British industrial contribution in the 19th century. It will then look at this valuable heritage from present day and try to relocate the presence of British in Istanbul. It will use some historical accounts from witnesses such as The Times and Ottoman archival documents.

About the Speaker: Yonca Erkan

Yonca Erkan received her PhD from Istanbul Technical University in 2007, thesis title being “Architecture Developed Around the Anatolian Railway and Its Protection”. She got her S.M.Arch.S. degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1998 and she received M.Arch. degree in architectural conservation in 1996 and B.Arch. degree in 1993 from Yıldız Technical University. Currently, she is the UNESCO Chair on the Management and Promotion of World Heritage Sites: New Media and Community Involvement and PhD Coordinator of the Graduate Program on the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. She is a jury member of European Union Cultural Heritage – EUROPA NOSTRA Awards in Education, Training and Awareness Raising (Category IV) since 2015. In 2018, she worked as senior consultant at the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, as the HUL/World Heritage Cities Programme Coordinator. Dr. Erkan was a member of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO between 2010-2014. Her research interests include management of world heritage sites, urban conservation, industrial heritage and community involvement.

About Europa Nostra:

We are the leading citizens' movement to protect and celebrate Europe's cultural and natural heritage. We are the voice of all who believe that cultural heritage is vital for our economy, our society, our culture, our environment, our well-being and for the future of Europe. If you are interested in finding out more, please view our UK website: www.europanostra.org.uk