Prof. Dr. Zeynep AHUNBAY

CURRICULUM VITAE

Zeynep Ahunbay is professor of Architectural History and Preservation at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Faculty of Architecture, Department of Restoration.

She received a Ph.D. in Architectural History from ITU in 1976 with a thesis on 17 th Century Ottoman Architecture. She attended the Diploma Course on Conservation Studies at University of York in 1977/1978, receiving a degree with a dissertation on "Archaeology and Conservation in the Ancient City of Side". Her habilitation thesis was on " Ottoman Madrasas in Istanbul and their Conservation Problems". She became a full professor in 1988 , with a thesis on "Educational Buildings of Architect Sinan".

She teaches historic preservation and directs conservation studio at undergraduate and graduate levels. A specialist in Ottoman architecture and historic preservation, Zeynep Ahunbay has assumed responsibility for the conservation of numerous sites of many periods: Ancient (Temple of Apollo in Side, Ancient Colonnaded Street in Tarsus), Byzantine (Theoskepastos Monastery in Trabzon, Land Wall of Istanbul, Haghia Sophia and Zeyrek Camii- Church of Christ Pantocrator in Istanbul) and Ottoman (Tarsus historic center; Uzunkemer, a 16 th century aqueduct by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan, 19 th century Ministry of Agriculture Building in Istanbul, Nezir Aga Mosque in Mostar). Her numerous publications derive primarily from these and other conservation problems in Turkey.

At present she is the president of ICOMOS Turkey. Currently she is working on a conservation project for the Haghia Sophia in Istanbul and rescue work for Hasankeyf, a medieval site in southeast Turkey under the risk of being inundated by Ilisu dam construction.