The Istanbul Department is dedicated to archaeological research in
modern Turkey, with one focus on Byzantium. The Greek settlement founded in the
7th century BC became the Roman city of Constantinople in the 4th century AD
and is now known as the Turkish metropolis Istanbul. As a second research
focus, the Istanbul Department manages monument excavations in West Turkey
(Pergamum, Milet, Didyma). Hittite culture and the Hittite capital
Hattusa-Bogazköy in central Anatolia constitute another key research interest.
The department’s research activities cover prehistory and ancient history,
beginning in the 10th millennium BC and continuing through the Ottoman era into
the 20th century.
DAI’s activities in Turkey open perspectives
on key stages in the history of humankind. Following an approach across
disciplines and eras, the Istanbul Department searches for continuities and
discontinuities in the development of the cultural landscape Anatolia and its
relationships with neighbouring regions. The relations between humans and
environment as well as aspects of landscape and geo-archaeology are becoming
increasingly relevant in these research endeavors. The investigation of the
Neolithic beginnings of settlements on Göbekli Tepe, currently carried out in
cooperation with the DAI Orient Department, goes back as far as 10,000 BC. The
Hittite capital Hattusa-Bogazköy represents the development of Bronze Age
empires in the 2nd millennium BC. Research on the well-known excavation sites
Pergamum, Milet, and Didyma focuses on the organisation and urban structure of
Greek poleis and surrounding regions from late antiquity. Of special interest
in this context are the transformation processes from the archaic era to late
antiquity.
These long-term research commitments of the department
reflect typical stages in Anatolia’s development.
Pre-historic excavations traditionally play a
major role in the department’s research activities. Another important focus is
on the documentation of building remains from the Byzantine and early Ottoman
eras, research on historical urban topography, and the documentation of 19th-
and early 20th-century woodhouse architecture in Istanbul, which is
increasingly endangered.
The Istanbul Department’s range of methodology
corresponds with this complex array of findings and projects. Not surprisingly,
the department's staff of researchers and consultants includes archaeologists,
historians and building historians, as well as scholars of ancient oriental
studies, Byzantine studies, and oriental studies.
In addition, the Istanbul Department
coordinates and manages restoration and monument preservation projects,
including safeguarding and preservation measures for construction findings as
well as the restoration or partial restoration of monuments for educational
purposes and the construction of protective buildings. In cooperation with
Turkish authorities, the Istanbul Department develops master plans for the
protection and touristic use of archaeological sites. The reconstruction and
restoration measures in the Red Basilica in Bergama (Pergamum) are just the
latest example for such joint efforts.
The Istanbul Department organizes conferences
and maintains an international network of scholars. As part of the DAI research
cluster, the network especially aims to involve young scholars and scientists.
Department members and external guests present their latest research during two
lecture series in the fall/winter of each year.