Research Interests

Byzantine History, Medieval Historiography, Rural Society, Northern Anatolia, Regional Identities and Culture, Medieval Europe & Near East.

Research Description

During my MA I studied the Byzantine peasantry as a social formation through literary sources of the Middle Byzantine Period. At SFU, I built upon this through several papers and conference presentations to gain a better understanding of the function of the peasantry as a literary topos within such sources. Issues analyzed thus range from reconciling outlooks on upwards social mobility to underlining the political significance of the often-dismissed peasant masses. For my PhD work I have decided to zoom into a more regional study: Paphlagonia. This was a Roman/Byzantine province of Northern Anatolia which I argue represented a “marginal core” from a cultural and political perspective. My research here attempts to builds into the recent “Identity” debates within the Byzantine historical field by analyzing Paphlagonia through written and material sources to understand issues such as the blend of regional and Roman identities and their political significance. My research also extends into the cultural perception of the province as seen from outside of it, and also the crafting of a World-Systems Analysis (WSA) approach for Paphlagonia to separate the province from its scholarly subjugation by Constantinople-based narratives. This study is in the early stages of its formation currently (December 2020).

Biography

I was born into a bilingual British-Turkish family in the bustling and beautiful city of Istanbul where I lived and studied my whole life until I departed for my doctoral studies at SFU. No doubt the rich historical background present in Istanbul helped carve my interest in history and mythologies from an early age. Growing up in Turkey, combined with my European heritage, I believe helped instill in me a more nuanced worldview on many social and political issues which plague the globe today. Initially I began my academic journey in what is still my second passion, physics, probably influenced by both my parents being professors of physics. After completing my bachelor’s degree on physics (with honors) in Bogazici University I decided to finally pursue my passion for history in an academic sense. One of the most enjoyable aspects of academics for me is the process of interacting with and teaching undergraduate students, and especially when I am able to instill into them a fascination with history. The collection of teaching experience I have developed over my MA and PhD years has definitely been one of the most rewarding “side effects” of pursuing a career in academics, and I hope to build upon this pedagogic foundation in my future endeavors. Aside from this, the enjoyment that is the fascination of history never ceases within me, and I believe a life-long partnership with this field may do little to remedy that.

Publications

• (2021) - (Forthcoming) Chapter titled; “Imagining Peasant Identity in Middle Byzantine Narrative Sources”, in the Handbook of Identity in Byzantium, Routledge (Editors: D. Parnell, M. Stewart and C. Whately).
• (2020) - “An Analysis of the Socio-economic Viewpoints within the Writings of Patriarchs Athanasios I and Philotheos Kokkinos” Past Imperfect, Vol. 22 No. 1 (2020), pp. 33-48.
• (2018) – “An Analysis of the Byzantine Peasantry through Eleventh- and Twelfth-Century Narrative Sources.”, MA Thesis (Bogazici University, Supervisor: Nevra Necipoglu).

Presentations:

• (Oct 24 2020) – 46th Annual Byzantine Studies Conference (BSC) 2020 – Virtual Paper presentation titled: “The Protection and Exploitation of the Peasantry as Literary Topoi within Middle Byzantine Historical Sources”
• (June 1 2020) – Athens Institute for Education and Research - 3rd Annual International Conference on Classical and Byzantine Studies Paper presentation titled: “Peasant Identity and Social Boundaries in Middle Byzantine Narratives”
• (March 10 2019) – University of British Columbia - 19th Annual Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference, Vancouver, B.C. Paper presentation titled: “Social Boundaries in Middle Byzantine Narratives: The Case of the Peasantry”
• (February 23 2019) – The Oxford University Byzantine Society’s 21st International Graduate Conference - Oxford, U.K. Paper presentation titled: “Discursive Topoi on the Byzantine Peasantry: The Approaches of Middle Byzantine Historians”
• (October 5 2018) – 44th Annual Byzantine Studies Conference (BSC) 2018 - San Antonio, Texas Paper presentation titled: “The Conditions and Perception of the Byzantine Peasantry in Narrative Accounts from the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries”

Awards:

• (2018 – 2022) Graduate Dean’s Entrance Scholarship (GDES) - Simon Fraser University
• (2018 – 2022) Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies Research Award
• (2018 – 2019) Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies Graduate Travel Award
• (2017 – 2018) Andrew W. Mellon Byzantine Studies Graduate Scholarship - Bogazici University
• (August 2017) U.K. Classical Association Scholarship (For I.B.G.S.S. Trinity College, Dublin)
• (September 2015) Undergraduate Honours Certificate/Award - Bogazici University
• (27 Oct 2008) A.P. (Advanced Placement) Scholar with Distinction Award

Teaching Assistantships:

• (Spring 2021) – Hist 225: 20th Century Europe / Simon Fraser University Dept.
• (Fall 2020) – Hist 106: The Making of Modern Europe / Simon Fraser University Dept.
• (Fall 2019) – Hist 130: Introduction to Global History / Simon Fraser University History Dept.
• (Spring 2019) – Hist 102: Canada since Confederation / Simon Fraser University History Dept.
• (Fall 2018) – HS 201: Rome: From Republic to Empire / Simon Fraser University Hellenic Studies Dept.
• (Fall 2017) – Hist 105: Making of the Modern World I / Bogazici University History Dept.
• (Spring 2017) – Hist 106: Making of the Modern World II / Bogazici University History Dept.
• (Fall 2016) – Hist 105: Making of the Modern World I / Bogazici University History Dept.