Emrah Safa Gürkan (born 16 January 1981) is a Turkish historian who works in

Ottoman studies Ottoman studies is an interdisciplinary branch of the humanities that addresses the history, culture, costumes, religion, art, such as literature and music, science, economy, and politics of the Ottoman Empire. It is a sub-category of Oriental stu ...

Early life and education

Emrah Safa Gürkan was born on January 16, 1981, in Değirmendere, Kocaeli,

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. He graduated with a B.A. in

International Affairs International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

from

Bilkent University Bilkent University () is a private non-profit research university located in Ankara, Turkey. It was founded by İhsan Doğramacı, the first president of the Council of Higher Education and the head of the prominent Doğramacı family, with th ...

in 2003. He continued his studies at Bilkent, earning a Master's degree in History in 2006 under the supervision of Ottoman historian

Halil İnalcık Halil İnalcık (7 September 1916 – 25 July 2016) was a Turkish historian. His highly influential research centered on social and economic approaches to the Ottoman Empire. His academic career started at Ankara University, where he completed h ...

. His Master's thesis was titled ''Ottoman Corsairs in the Western Mediterranean and Their Place in the Ottoman-Habsburg Rivalry, 1505–1535''. He then attended

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

, where he completed his

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

in 2012 with a dissertation on early modern espionage'', Espionage in the 16th Century Mediterranean: Secret Diplomacy, Mediterranean Go-Betweens and the Ottoman-Habsburg Rivalry''. Gürkan's research focuses on the early modern Mediterranean, covering topics such as espionage, piracy, slavery, religious conversion, naval technology, and the relationship between the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and the West. He has published articles in multiple languages, including English, Turkish, Italian, Spanish, and German. He has also authored two scientific monographs, the first of which received an award ''Scientific Monograph of the Year Award'' from the

Turkish Academy of Sciences The Turkish Academy of Sciences ( – TÜBA) is an autonomous scholarly association aimed at promoting scientific activities in Turkey. Although it is attached to the office of the Presidency and is largely funded by the government, it maintains f ...

(TÜBA). Gürkan also received an award ''Outstanding Young Scientist Award'' from the same institution and another award ''Promising Scientist Award'' at the 14th ''Kadir Has Awards''. Gürkan served as a historical consultant for the TV series ''

Fatih Fatih () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 15 km2, and its population is 368,227 (2022). It is home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the mayor's office, police headquarters, metro ...

'' and '' Rise of Empires: Ottoman''. In 2011, he co-founded the Ottoman History Podcast with Chris Gratien. The website features more than 400 interviews in four languages with various researchers.

Awards

, ''Outstanding Young Scientist Award'' (2018) * 14th Kadir Has Awards,
Promising Scientist Award
' (2018) *

, ''Scientific Monograph of the Year'' (2018) – Sultanın Casusları

Selected works

* ''Cumhuriyetin 100 İsmi: Büyük Devrimin Portreleri'' (The 100 Names of the Republic: The Portraits of the Great Revolution, İstanbul: Kronik, 2023) * ''Cumhuriyet'in 100 Günü: İnkılabın Ayak Sesleri'' (The 100 Days of the Republic: The Footsteps of the Revolution, İstanbul: Kronik, 2023) * ''Ezbere Yaşayanlar: Vazgeçemediğimiz Alışkanlıkların Kökenleri'' (The Parrot-fashion Lives: The Origins of our Compelling Habits, İstanbul: Kronik, 2022) * ''Bunu Herkes Bilir: Tarihteki Yanlış Sorulara Doğru Cevaplar'' (Everybody Knows It: The Right Answers to the Wrong Questions in History, İstanbul: Kronik, 2020) * ''Sultanın Korsanları: Osmanlı Akdenizi’nde Gazâ, Yağma ve Esaret, 1500 – 1700'' (The Pirates of the Sultan: Holy War, Booty and Slavery in the Ottoman Mediterranean, 1500 – 1700, İstanbul: Kronik, 2018) * ''Sultanın Casusları: 16. Yüzyılda İstihbarat, Sabotaj ve Rüşvet Ağları'' (The Spies of the Sultan: Intelligence, Sabotage and Bribery in the 16th century, İstanbul: Kronik, 2017) * ''Osmanlı İstanbulu: Uluslararası Osmanlı İstanbulu Sempozyumu Bildirileri'' (Istanbul: İstanbul 29 Mayıs University Publishing, 2014–2018), 5 vol., with Feridun Emecen and Ali Akyıldız.

References

External links

Academia.edu profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurkan, Emrah Safa 21st-century Turkish historians 1981 births Living people Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences alumni Bilkent University alumni Members of the Turkish Academy of Sciences