Heritage Türkiye

The second season of the BIAA Heritage Türkiye Podcast has been a huge success!
12 episodes with 12 distinguished guests, over 400 minutes of fascinating discussions on culture, heritage, archaeology and research in and beyond Türkiye. A big thank you to everyone who listened, watched, and supported the podcast throughout the season. In this final episode, Dr. Işılay Gürsu and Dr. Peter Cherry look back on the highlights of Season Two, reflect on key themes and memorable conversations, and share a glimpse of what's to come in Season Three.

In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Dr Hakan Tarhan about identity, memory, and the complexities of cultural heritage in the eastern Mediterranean. Drawing on his research in both Türkiye and Greece, Hakan explores how communities engage with Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, what he means by "the other's heritage," and why the concept of dissonant heritage is central to understanding contested pasts. We discuss what it means to "live with Byzantium" in contemporary Türkiye, and the importance of community engagement in heritage practice. The conversation also reflects on Hakan's current research and his vision for the future of cultural heritage at the BIAA, highlighting the role of dialogue in building more inclusive approaches to the past.

In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Dr Elif Neyzi about the rich and complex world of late Byzantine Constantinople. Drawing on her research into imperial monasteries, urban history, and the social transformations of the late Byzantine period, Elif discusses the role of monastic institutions in city life, the relationship between imperial and non-imperial communities, and new directions in Byzantine scholarship. We also explore the reception of Byzantium in popular culture, representations of Byzantine women, the current state of Byzantine studies in Türkiye, and opportunities for early career researchers.

In this episode of Heritage Türkiye, we speak with Professor Hugh Elton, former Director of the British Institute at Ankara and a leading specialist in the archaeology and history of Roman Anatolia. From his pioneering research in the Göksu Valley and Isauria to his work on late Roman emperors, climate change, and archaeological heritage management, Hugh reflects on a career that has connected landscapes, people, and institutions across the ancient Mediterranean.
Together, we explore how studying seemingly peripheral regions can transform our understanding of empire, why interdisciplinary approaches are reshaping archaeological research, and what long-term perspectives from the ancient world can contribute to contemporary debates about environment, governance, and resilience. We also discuss Hugh's years at the British Institute at Ankara and his thoughts on the future of Anatolian archaeology.

In this episode, we speak with Ceren Lord about religion, identity and political change in contemporary Türkiye. Drawing on her research on secularism, Islamist movements, Alevis and transnational politics, Ceren challenges simplified assumptions about the relationship between religion and the state in Türkiye and argues for a more historically grounded and nuanced understanding of secular politics. The conversation explores the arguments behind her book Religious Politics in Turkey: From the Birth of the Republic to the AKP, the role of identity in shaping competing understandings of secularity and how diaspora communities influence politics across borders. We also discuss her current research on secularity across the Middle East and North Africa, her forthcoming monograph Divided We Stand: Identity Strategies in the Wake of Conflict, and how her experience beyond academia has informed her approach to political research. Finally, Ceren reflects on the importance of creating platforms for innovative scholarship through the BIAA–I.B. Tauris Contemporary Turkey Series.