As the first of a series of events, a workshop on “Women of the Ottoman and Early Republican Era in the Light of Biographies,” organized by the Sociology and History departments of Ibn Haldun University (IHU) on March 8, International Women's Day, was held in Başakşehir Campus on Monday, March 9. Assist. Prof. Emine Hoşoğlu Doğan, Dr. Bahar Gökpınar, Havva Yılmaz, Özge Çiçek, Hanife Karasu, Assoc. Prof. Betül İpşirli Argıt and Hüsniye Gülsev Koç participated as speakers to the workshop.
In the first session, headed by Professor Suraiya Faroqhi, from History Department at IHU, each of Havva Yılmaz, “Safiye Erol: Always Alone and Secluded in the Border of Memory,” Özge Çiçek “Biography of an Ottoman Princess from the 19th Century: Cemile Sultan,” Dr. Betül İpşirli Argıt “The place of Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah Valide Sultan (1640-1715) in the Valide Sultanate Institution” gave presentations. On behalf of Hanife Karasu, who was unable to attend the event, Havva Yılmaz read her research entitled “A Research Story About Müeyyet Selim.”
Professor Suraiya Faroqhi, who made a short introduction at the beginning of the 1st session to the late Ottoman era and the early Republican tradition of biography writing and female biography writers, said that literacy was not common even among women belonging to the elite sections of society in the late Ottoman period.
Havva Yılmaz gave a presentation about the writer Safiye Erol, who was born in Edirne in 1902 and died in 1964. Sharing important sections from the writer's life with the audience, Yılmaz stated that Safiye Erol had started her writings with the novel of Kadıköyü which was published in 1938. According to Yılmaz, Safiye Erol has a serious romance effect and philosophical depth in her life and her works. Yılmaz underlined that although Erol’s writings were published in good places, belonging to a well-known environment, and her books gain fame at that time, her writings had been overlooked. Based on the archive documents, Betül İpşirli Argıt shared with the audience the life of Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah Valide Sultan.
Based on the archive documents, Dr. Betül İpşirli Argı shared the highlights of the life of Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah Valide Sultan with the audience. “Rabia Gülnuş Emetullah Valide Sultan is an important part of the strong dynasty women.” She said that the inclusion of women is crucial for a better understanding of history.
In the second session, headed by Assist. Prof. Nursem Keskin Aksay, faculty member of the Department of Sociology at IHU, Hüsniye Gülsev Koç delivered a presentation entitled “Writing Yourself as a Woman in the 19th Century: The Building of the Self in the Diaries of Mrs. Nigar.” Assist. Prof. Emine Hoşoğlu Doğan, faculty member in Department of Comparative Literature at IHU presented, “I am a Real Miserable.” On the other hand, Dr. Bahar Gökpınar gave a presentation entitled “Findings of Biography, The Editing of History: The Possibilities of a Woman Portrayal.”
International Women's Day events organized in cooperation with Sociology and History departments, will continue with readings on “Honeyland” film on Tuesday, March 10 by Dr. Nagihan Haliloğlu, faculty member of Comparative Literature Department at IHU, on Thursday March 12, each of Filiz Dandin, Bediha Kızılkaya, Sema Avcı, İsmail Kapucu, Fehmi Tava and Nihal Gülcan, personnel at IHU, will be participating in talks about their career lives as women and men, booth activities such as Knitting and Our Thoughts on Post-it notes, as well as photography exhibition will continue.
