The Institute of History director in a working visit to Istanbul
In the period from 17 to 24 August 2020, Dr. Sedad Bešlija, Institute of History at the University of Sarajevo director of was in Istanbul. The aim of the trip was to organize working visits to certain scientific and educational centers, a meeting with prominent academic workers in the field of history and a research visit to the Ottoman Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey.
During the working visit to Istanbul, Dr. Bešlija also visited Prof. emeritus Mehmet Ipshirli in his office at the University of Medipol, doyen of Ottoman research in Turkey, one of the most prolific Turkish Ottoman historians whose work is recognized in the world historiographical context. His works are indispensable literature for Ottomans around the world, including the Balkans. Dr. Ipshirli is also a member of the Turkish Historical Institute (Türk Tarih Kurumu), as well as an emeritus lecturer at several universities in Turkey (Istanbul University, Fatih University, Medipol University, etc.). In a conversation with prof. Ipshirli, the director of the Institute introduced Ipshirli to the work and results of the Institute in recent times, conveyed experiences in the field of historiography as well as the goals and work program facing the Institute in the coming period. Dr. In the conversation, Ipširli recalled his visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina and a number of historians of the older generation, and expressed readiness for cooperation and support for institutional cooperation between the Institute and related institutions in the Republic of Turkey.
During his working stay in Istanbul, Dr. Bešlija also visited the Ottoman archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey in Istanbul, which contains about 95 million individual documents from the time of the Ottoman state and about 400 thousand defters (cadastral censuses). In addition to the research part of the work on archival material, dr. Bešlija also got acquainted with the work and results of the Archives in the last few years, especially within the publishing business.
