Halet Çambel
Encyclopedia
Halet Çambel was a Turkish fencer
and renowned archaeologist.
Çambel was born in Berlin. Her father, Hasan Cemil Çambel, was closely associated with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
, founder of the Turkish republic. Her mother, Remziye Hanim, was the daughter of the Turkish ambassador to Germany. (It was as a result of Ataturk's promotion of women's sports that she took up fencing.) She received undergraduate training in archaeology at the Sorbonne University in Paris and received a doctorate in 1940 at the University of Istanbul.
She competed in the women's individual foil
event at the 1936 Summer Olympics
. Although invited by a "female German official" to meet Hitler, Çambel refused on political grounds.
On returning to Istanbul after the Olympics, she began her association with Nail Çakırhan
, a Communist poet who became a celebrated architect. They were married for 70 years until his death in October 2008.
After World War II she began studying with German professor Helmuth Bossert. She played a key role in the understanding of Hittite hieroglyphics by discovering a tablet with the Phoenician alphabet, which permitted philologists to decipher the inscription. In 1947 she and professor Bossert began excavating Karatepe
, the walled city of 12th century BCE late Hittite king Azatiwadda, located in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey.
Çambel has also been active in promoting the preservation of Turkey's cultural heritage. In the 1950s she resisted the government's attempt to move the artifacts from Karatepe to a museum. The government eventually agreed and in 1960 established an outdoor museum (with some buildings designed by her husband) on the site. She also fought efforts to dam the Ceyhan River, which would have flooded many archaeological sites. She was able to have the proposed water level reduced sufficiently to save the sites.
In 2004 Çambel was one of the recipients of the Prince Claus Awards
. The jury report cited her "for conducting rescue excavations of endangered heritage sites, introducing stone restoration and ensuring proper conservation of significant cultural heritage in Turkey," for founding a chair of prehistoric archaeology at Istanbul University, and "for her dedicated scholarship and for her unique role in expanding the possibilities for interaction between people and their cultural heritage."
She currently lives in her historic, red wood villa on the Bosporus waterfront in Istanbul.
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
and renowned archaeologist.
Çambel was born in Berlin. Her father, Hasan Cemil Çambel, was closely associated with Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
, founder of the Turkish republic. Her mother, Remziye Hanim, was the daughter of the Turkish ambassador to Germany. (It was as a result of Ataturk's promotion of women's sports that she took up fencing.) She received undergraduate training in archaeology at the Sorbonne University in Paris and received a doctorate in 1940 at the University of Istanbul.
She competed in the women's individual foil
Foil (fencing)
A foil is a type of weapon used in fencing. It is the most common weapon in terms of usage in competition, and is usually the choice for elementary classes for fencing in general.- Components:...
event at the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
. Although invited by a "female German official" to meet Hitler, Çambel refused on political grounds.
On returning to Istanbul after the Olympics, she began her association with Nail Çakırhan
Nail Çakırhan
Nail Çakırhan was a Turkish poet and journalist in his career in the beginning, and later a self-taught and award-winning architect and restorer who left his print particularly in the architecture of the coastal township of Akyaka in southwestern Turkey through old houses he had had repaired and...
, a Communist poet who became a celebrated architect. They were married for 70 years until his death in October 2008.
After World War II she began studying with German professor Helmuth Bossert. She played a key role in the understanding of Hittite hieroglyphics by discovering a tablet with the Phoenician alphabet, which permitted philologists to decipher the inscription. In 1947 she and professor Bossert began excavating Karatepe
Karatepe
Karatepe is a late Hittite fortress and open air museum in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey lying at a distance of about 23 km from the district center of Kadirli. It is sited in the Taurus Mountains, on the right bank of the Ceyhan River...
, the walled city of 12th century BCE late Hittite king Azatiwadda, located in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey.
Çambel has also been active in promoting the preservation of Turkey's cultural heritage. In the 1950s she resisted the government's attempt to move the artifacts from Karatepe to a museum. The government eventually agreed and in 1960 established an outdoor museum (with some buildings designed by her husband) on the site. She also fought efforts to dam the Ceyhan River, which would have flooded many archaeological sites. She was able to have the proposed water level reduced sufficiently to save the sites.
In 2004 Çambel was one of the recipients of the Prince Claus Awards
Prince Claus Awards
The Prince Claus Fund was inaugurated in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of The Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
. The jury report cited her "for conducting rescue excavations of endangered heritage sites, introducing stone restoration and ensuring proper conservation of significant cultural heritage in Turkey," for founding a chair of prehistoric archaeology at Istanbul University, and "for her dedicated scholarship and for her unique role in expanding the possibilities for interaction between people and their cultural heritage."
She currently lives in her historic, red wood villa on the Bosporus waterfront in Istanbul.