One of Turkey's and the Turkic world's brightest minds, the distinguished historian Professor İlber Ortaylı has passed away at the age of 79. After the scholar's death, his will regarding his burial place, which he mentioned in a past interview, has come to the fore again.
According to Milli.Az, İlber Ortaylı, during a program he attended while alive, responded to the question "Do you have a wish regarding your grave?" as follows:
"Probably Gallipoli. I don't want it here (in Istanbul). I don't like crowds."
These words indicate that the great historian wished to be laid to rest away from noise, in a historical place.
The professor had been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit at Koç University Hospital for some time and was connected to a ventilator. Despite all the doctors' efforts, it was not possible to save his life. The farewell ceremony for İlber Ortaylı will be held on Monday in Istanbul, and he will be sent off to his final resting place.
Born in Austria in 1947, İlber Ortaylı was one of the most important figures in the science of world history.
He studied at Ankara, Vienna, and Chicago universities. He was a student of the great historian Halil İnalcık.
He worked as the director of the Topkapi Palace Museum and gave lectures at the world's most prestigious universities (Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton, etc.).
He was known for his phenomenal memory and language skills. He mastered more than 15 languages, including Turkish, Ottoman, Crimean Tatar, Arabic, Persian, German, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, Russian, and several Slavic languages.