75 years of the British Institute at Ankara – and Beyond?

January 2023 marked the 75^th anniversary of the inauguration of the British Institute at Ankara – then British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara – under its first Director John Garstang. Over the last 75 years, the BIAA has undergone a number of changes, most notably expanding from an Institute focused exclusively on Anatolian archaeology to one that conducts and supports research in a wide range of fields across the humanities and social sciences, and throughout Türkiye and the Black Sea region. The BIAA also increasingly collaborates with researchers from other disciplines, and with institutions – including our sister British International Research Institutes – based in other regions.

To mark the 75th Anniversary, the BIAA organised a range of events that reflect this widened disciplinary and geographic focus. These included a panel discussion marking the 100^th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Türkiye, a major interdisciplinary conference on sustainable water management in Istanbul, two walking tours of the Pisidia Heritage Trail (organised in partnership with Equinox Travel), a two-day workshop on Jalal al-Din Rumi (co-organised with the British Institute of Persian Studies), and the launch of the BIAA’s Digital Repository.

In this talk, the BIAA’s current Director Lutgarde Vandeput will briefly discuss the anniversary year and the present work of the BIAA, how this links to the Institute’s past, and look ahead to the Institute’s future as it continues in its role as an instigator and facilitator of research and collaboration between the UK, Türkiye, and the Black Sea region.

The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception at approximately 8pm.

Watch the recording here.