History and Heritage

HISTORY

The academic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey in the area of history are manyfold. Based on the belief that relations between people, countries and peoples can be strengthened by knowing more of each other’s history, even if this involves knowledge of the less attractive parts of it, is sufficient reason for NIHA to be involved in various initiatives in this area and make history one of it’s Focus Area’s.

EUROCLIO , the European organisation for history education has received financial support for its involvement in the improvement process of history education in Turkey. During the preparation phase of this project, NIHA was host to an important exploratory workshop involving Secondary Education Teachers from the Netherlands and Turkey, as well as experts in history teaching from Turkish Universities. A continuation and intensification of the discussions took place during the NIHA Conference between 13-16 January 2008 in Kızılcahamam, Ankara. During this conference the funding request of the EUROCLIO projectteam was also confirmed.
Over the past decade, the IISG (International Institute for Social History) in Amsterdam has acquired a vast and content-wise a very interesting and important Turkey-collection (including the Turkish population in the Netherlands). The existence of this collection has intensified the relations between Turkey and the Netherlands in the area of history. A further deepening and strengthening of these relations is to be expected following appointment of the internationally famed Professor Erik-Jan Zurcher as the new Director of the IISG per 1 April 2008. Zurcher, who is also the Chairman of the NIHA Scientific Advisory Board, will retain his position at the Leiden University on a part-time basis. Around him and his colleague Professor Turaj Atabaki from Leiden University, various projects with NIHA-involvement have been and will be organised. This mainly involves lectures, exchange of students and teaching staff, as well as a special programme for students from the Caucasus and Central-Asia, including research projects involving Dutch and Turkish participation, which will be executed by the University of Leiden in cooperation with Bilkent University. The latter initiative is mainly a study of the response of the constitutional revolution (meşrutiyet) of 1908 in the former Ottoman area, involving Turkish academics from Bilgi University in Istanbul and Bilkent University from Ankara.
NIHA has received permission from the editors of Entoennu to translate the Canon of the History of the Netherlands into Turkish and to publish it as a supplement (that can also be attained separately) of the Netherlands-special of the Turkish social sciences periodical KEBİKEÇ. Joke van der Leeuw-Roord, the Director of EUROCLIO, contributed to this special edition by way of delivering a commentary on the Canon, its origins and import.
Furthermore, within the cooperative framework of Dutch institutes around the Mediterranean Sea, efforts are made to set up a project in which archive material involving the Netherlands within the countries around this area are to be mapped out.
HERITAGE

As of January 1st 2011, NIHA has included to the Dutch Scientific Institutes Abroad (NWIB).

What is heritage?

Not all the things of the past are considered as heritage. The heritage is considered according to its reflection and its usage in present.

On the other hand, heritage can encompass more than we think and both physical structures (archeological findings, architectural structures etc.) and non-physical concepts (ideas, ideologies, traditions, life-styles etc.) can be considered as heritage. Because of this reason, heritage is generally composed of inter-disciplinary projects.  (such as architecture, history, archeology, social and political sciences, geography etc.)

Some examples for heritage is as follows:

  • City Heritage: Architecture, history and the sociology of the city, city lifestyle, the difference between past and present of the city… How the city heritage is managed? Who determines what as heritage and why?
  • Archeological Heritage: How are the archeological sites and the findings at those sites managed? How are they preserved? How can the past be shown to the society and how the local population can be integrated to the projects? How can the bas be integrated to the educational system?
  • Idea and traditional heritage: the traditions and ideas that are changed and sustained in ages. What are the current reflections of the ideas and traditions that come from the past? How are the ideas and traditions of the past are recognized today? Are any of them has changed? Who preserved which ideas and traditions and why?
  • Rural Heritage: The heritage related with rural areas, landscapes, memory of the landscape, the changes in ages, the structures in the rural areas…
  • Art & Museums
  • Digitalization Projects: The old documents, visuals and writings that are digitalized and opened for public.
  • Archieves: The archiving of old dates or the research of archieves.

NIHA contributes in various heritage projects that the vocational schools and higher education institutes actively participates. As our institute located in Ankara, our projects are generally focused in Ankara and mid-Anatolia region. At our heritage projects, NIHA primary cooperates with NIT (www.nit-istanbul.org), which is located in Istanbul, and also collaborates with the distric and city governorships, municipalities, ministries, vocational schools and some institutes like VEKAM and Babayan Culture House located in mid-Anatolia region.

Some of the heritage projects that NIHA actively participates are:

  • The project of developing the communication between Safranbolu, Amsterdam and the Beemster Region which are listed at the UNESCO World Heritage List. NİHA is coordinating the project which, will be performed in March and April in Holland, with the Safranbolu Tourism Enterpreneurs Association, which is the project owner. Karabuk University, several vocational schools, Safranbolu district governors ad the Safranbolu municipality is also participating the project.
  • NIHA has prepared a project for the restoration of the old greenhouse that is located in Ankara Botanic Park by the vocational schools in the Netherlands and Turkey. Following the restoration, the project, suggest a sustainable internship project in cooperation with Turkey and Netherlands. The project was presented to the Ankara Municipality in mid-2011.
  • NIHA, participates in the process of ecology and awareness of the Cappadocia and the urban areas around which is expand every year with new subjects. The educational institutes (Erciyes University, Bozok University, Cappadocia Vocational School), cultural sector (such as Babayan Culture House, Mustafapaşa Festival, independent artists, KozaVisual) and formal establishments (such as Governorships of Nevşehir and Ürgüp, Ürgüp Municipality, Yerköy Municipality, Boğazlıyan Municipality) are actively participating this process.
  • NIHA is currently working with VEKAM to revive the old professions of Ankara. 

NIHAnkara
Koza Sokak No:111 06700 G.O.P. Ankara-Türkiye Tel: +90.312.437.33.47 - Fax: +90.312.437.33.42 - E-mail: info@nihankara.org

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