Nurettin Yardımcı (born March 5, 1944, in

Şanlıurfa Urfa, officially called Şanlıurfa (), is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of Şanlıurfa Province. The city was known as Edessa from Hellenistic times and into Christian times. Urfa is situated on a plain about east of the Eup ...

) is a Turkish

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

and high-ranked bureaucrat who has served in the

Ministry of Culture of Turkey The Ministry of Culture and Tourism () is a government ministry of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for culture and tourism affairs in Turkey. Revolving fund management of the ministry is carried by DÖSİMM. On July 9, 2018, the newly electe ...

and under the

Prime Minister of Turkey The prime minister of Turkey, officially the prime minister of the Republic of Turkey (), was the head of government of the Turkey, Republic of Turkey from 1920 to 2018, who led a political coalition in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Tu ...

. He has been leading the

Harran Harran is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 904 km2, and its population is 96,072 (2022). It is approximately southeast of Urfa and from the Syrian border crossing at Akçakale. ...

excavation in

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 ...

since 1983.

Education

Yardımcı graduated from the department of

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

at the

University of Ankara Ankara University () is a public research university in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in Turkey after the formation of the Turkish republic in 1923. History Ankara University was establish ...

in 1968, specializing in

protohistory Protohistory is the period between prehistory and written history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, but other cultures that have developed writing have noted the existence of those pre-literate groups in the ...

and

Near Eastern The Near East () is a transcontinental region around the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the historical Fertile Crescent, the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The term was invented in the 20th ...

archaeology. He received his PhD from the same department in 1982.

Career

He served as the Director of

Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology Bodrum Castle () is a historical fortification located in southwest Turkey in the port city of Bodrum, built from 1402 onwards, by the Knights Hospitaller, Knights of St John (Knights Hospitaller) as the ''Castle of St. Peter'' or ''Petronium''. ...

between 1973 and 1975, and as the Director of Antiquities and Museums in the

between 1979 and 1988, continuing for another period between 1989 and 1991. He was later appointed as a chief adviser to the

in 1997, and as the Director-General of Foundations of Turkey in 1999. While in charge of the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums, he has supervised numerous exhibitions abroad including ''Land of Civilizations: Turkey'' and ''Suleyman the Magnificent''. In addition, he has held several international positions as a Board Member in the Turkish National Committee of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

and Head of the Turkish National Committee of the

International Council of Museums The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1946, ...

. He has also been leading the

excavation since 1983. In 2001, he assumed a new project and started an archaeological survey in the plain of

Suruç Suruç (; ; ''Sruḡ'') is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey. Its area is 744 km2, and its population is 100,961 (2022). It is on a plain near the Syria–Turkey border, Syrian border southwest ...

(near Harran).

Honours

*1988:

Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgiu ...

*1988: President of Italy Award *2008:

Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity The Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity ( ) was founded as a national order by the first President of the Italian Republic, Enrico De Nicola, in 1947, to recognise civilian and military expatriates or foreigners who made an outstanding co ...

Notable works

*Yardimci, Nurettin (2004) ''Harran Ovası Yüzey Araştırması I-II / Archaeological Survey in the Harran Plain I-II'', Istanbul: Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayınları (in Turkish and English) *Yardimci, Nurettin (2006) ''Harran: Mezopotamya'ya Açılan Kapı'', Istanbul: Ege Yayınları (in Turkish) *Yardimci, Nurettin (1973) ''Bodrum (Halikarnassos) ve Müze Rehberi'', Istanbul: TTOK Yayınları

References

*Yardimci, Nurettin (2004) ''Harran Ovası Yüzey Araştırması I-II / Archaeological Survey in the Harran Plain I-II'', Istanbul: Arkeoloji ve Sanat Yayınları, inner cover. {{DEFAULTSORT:Yardimci, Nurettin Turkish archaeologists Living people People from Şanlıurfa 1944 births