A Life Devoted to the History of Architecture

Toplumsal Tarih (Social History) magazine has prepared a special file in memory of Prof. Doğan Kuban, a distinguished faculty member of ITU and one of the legendary names in the Republican architectural history.

Our distinguished faculty member Prof. Doğan Kuban, who carried out important works in the field of architecture and architectural history in Turkey and in the international arena, passed away in 2021 at the age of 95.

On April 8, the birthday of our esteemed faculty member Prof. Doğan Kuban, a commemorative meeting was organized by his colleagues, friends and students. Those who witnessed firsthand Prof. Doğan Kuban’s significant contributions to the world of science and the importance of his work in academic fields such as architecture, architectural history and the preservation of the historical environment, and faculty members whose paths crossed with Kuban throughout his academic career told about our professor. This meeting became the source for the “Prof. Doğan Kuban” file in the September issue of Toplumsal Tarih magazine.

The magazine also included articles on Kuban’s academic career, which began with his education at ITU and his interest in the history of architecture, the content of the master’s and doctoral theses he supervised, and his contributions to the development of METU. Within the framework of the articles in the file, the importance and value Prof. Doğan Kuban attached to Istanbul, his works in libraries around the world, the radical change and transformation he has brought about in the historiography of Turkish architecture, his versatile personality and his interdisciplinary approach have been widely covered. Edirne Selimiye Complex, Kalenderhane Mosque, Divriği Great Mosque, as well as the restoration and conservation works he participated in many parts of the world were also emphasized in the magazine as highlights that emphasize Kuban’s universal contributions to the field of architecture.

In the interview titled “Being a Technical University Member from the Past to the Present” that we held before his passing away with our late professor, who is a 1949 graduate of Istanbul Technical University Faculty of Architecture, an architectural historian and the winner of the 2019 Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award, Prof. Kuban told us about the privileges of being a “Technical University Member” and its importance in his life.