Sedat Alp
Encyclopedia
Professor Sedat Alp was the first archaeologist in Turkey
with a specialization in Hittitology
, and is among the foremost names in the field.
Sedat Alp was born in Karaferye, present-day Veroia in Greece
. His family moved to Turkey
as a result of the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey in 1923. In 1932, he earned a state scholarship opened under the personal auspices of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
and was sent to the University of Leipzig
(he later transferred to the University of Berlin) to study prehistory
, history, Hittitology, Sumerology, Assyriology, ancient Anatolian languages
and cultures, as well as archaeology
in general. Having earned his doctorate in the University of Berlin, he returned to Turkey in 1940 and started to teach Hittitology within Ankara University
's Faculty of Languages, History and Geography (DTCF). He became the dean of the faculty in 1959, continuing at the same time his work in the field. One of his most notable discoveries was the mound of Maşathöyük, which in the quantities of Hittite
cuneiform tablets
was second only to the Hittite capital at Hattusas modern Boğazkale
, near Çorum
.
Outside Turkey, Prof. Alp was awarded the Italian Commandatore of the Order of Merit of the Republic
in 1957, the Order of Merit of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Germany
in 1972, the French
College of France medal in 1980, the German Great Cross of Merit with star
and the Grande Ufficiale Order of Merit
of the Italian Presidency of the Republic in 1991. From 1997 he held an honorary doctorate at the University of Würzburg
, and from the following year was made a member of the British Academy
and, for the contributions he made to the promotion of knowledge on the region's historical treasures, an honorary citizen of the city of Çorum in north-central Anatolia, where the Hittite capital was situated. He died in Ankara.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
with a specialization in Hittitology
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
, and is among the foremost names in the field.
Sedat Alp was born in Karaferye, present-day Veroia in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. His family moved to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
as a result of the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey in 1923. In 1932, he earned a state scholarship opened under the personal auspices of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
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....
and was sent to the University of Leipzig
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
(he later transferred to the University of Berlin) to study prehistory
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
, history, Hittitology, Sumerology, Assyriology, ancient Anatolian languages
Anatolian languages
The Anatolian languages comprise a group of extinct Indo-European languages that were spoken in Asia Minor, the best attested of them being the Hittite language.-Origins:...
and cultures, as well as archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
in general. Having earned his doctorate in the University of Berlin, he returned to Turkey in 1940 and started to teach Hittitology within Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
's Faculty of Languages, History and Geography (DTCF). He became the dean of the faculty in 1959, continuing at the same time his work in the field. One of his most notable discoveries was the mound of Maşathöyük, which in the quantities of Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
cuneiform tablets
Cuneiform script
Cuneiform script )) is one of the earliest known forms of written expression. Emerging in Sumer around the 30th century BC, with predecessors reaching into the late 4th millennium , cuneiform writing began as a system of pictographs...
was second only to the Hittite capital at Hattusas modern Boğazkale
Bogazkale
Boğazkale is a district of Çorum Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is located at 87 km from the city of Çorum. Population of the town is about 1,500. The mayor is Ali Rıza Soysat ....
, near Çorum
Çorum
Çorum is a landlocked northern Anatolian city that is the capital of the Çorum Province of Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey, and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul...
.
Outside Turkey, Prof. Alp was awarded the Italian Commandatore of the Order of Merit of the Republic
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
in 1957, the Order of Merit of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Germany
President of Germany
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
in 1972, the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
College of France medal in 1980, the German Great Cross of Merit with star
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
and the Grande Ufficiale Order of Merit
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
of the Italian Presidency of the Republic in 1991. From 1997 he held an honorary doctorate at the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, and from the following year was made a member of the British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
and, for the contributions he made to the promotion of knowledge on the region's historical treasures, an honorary citizen of the city of Çorum in north-central Anatolia, where the Hittite capital was situated. He died in Ankara.
Some of Prof. Alp's published works
- Untersuchungen zu den Beamtennamen im Hethitischen Festzeremoniell, LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, 1940. - The Hittite Hieroglyphic Inscription of Şırzı, Ankara University, DTCF Dergisi, 1947, p. 153-158. (with Prof. Hans Gustav GüterbockHans Gustav GüterbockHans Gustav Güterbock was a German-American Hittitologist. Born and trained in Germany, his career was ended with the rise of the Nazis because of his Jewish heritage, and he was forced to resettle in Turkey...
) - Military Instructions of the Hittite King Tuthaliya IV (?). Belleten XI, nr. 43, 1947 p. 403-414.
- La désignation du Lituus eiı Hittite, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, I, 1947, p.164-175.
- GIS kalmuš"Lituus" and HUB. BI "Earring in the Hittite Textes, Belleten XII, nr. 46, 1948, p. 320-324.
- Die Soziale Klasse der NAM.RA-Leute und ihre hethitische Bezeichnung, Jahrbuch für Kleinasiatische Forschung I, 1950-51, p.113-135.
- Bemerkungen zu den Hieroglypen des Hethitischen Monuments von İmamkulu, Symbolae Hrozny I, Archiv Orientalni XVIII, 1950, p. 1-8.
- Zur Lesung von manchen Personnennamen auf den hieroglyphenhethitischen Siegeln und Inschriften. Ankara 1950.
- On the Occasion of a new book concerning the Hittites. Ankara University, DTCF Dergisi, X, 1952, p.249-256.
- The N (N)-formations in the Hittite Language, Belleten 18, sayı 72, 1954, p.449-467.
- Die Lage von Šamuha, Anatolia (Anadolu) I, 1956, p. 77-80.
- Zu den Körperteilnamen im Hethitischen, Anatolia (Anadolu) II, 1957 p.1-48
- Eine hethitische Bronzestatuette und andere Funde aus ZaraZara-Places:*Zara, Turkey, district in the Turkish province of Sivas Province *Zara, Italian, Venetian, German and Hungarian name of the Adriatic port city of Zadar , former capital of Dalmatia, today in Croatia*Zara, Tibet, village in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China*Zara ,...
bei AmasyaAmasya- History :Its location in this steep valley makes the city a mountain stronghold, easy to defend, and thus Amasya has had a long and prominent history.-Antiquity:...
, Anatolia (Anadolu) VI, 1961/1962, p. 217-243. - Kaniš= Aniša = Niša = NysaNysa- People :*Nysa , daughter of Laodice IV and Antiochus, wife of Pharnaces I of Pontus* Nysa of Cappadocia, daughter of Pharnaces I of Pontus and Nysa, wife of Ariarathes V of Cappadocia and mother Ariarathes VI of Cappadocia...
, Erken Hitit Çağının bir Başkenti, Belleten 27, nr. 107, 1963, p. 366-376. - Kaniš =Aniša = Niša Eine Hauptstadt der frühhethitischen Periode, Belleten 27, nr. 107, 1963, p. 376-386.
- Frühbronzezeitliche Marmoridole aus Südwestanatolien, Belleten 29, nr. 113, 1965, p.9-14.
- Eine goldene Gesichtmaske vom zweiten Vorchristlichen Jahrtausend aus "Anatolien", Belleten 29, nr. 113, 1965, p. 19-23.
- Die Libationsgefässe "Schnabelkanne" und "Armförmiges Gerât" und Ihre Hethitischen Bezeichnungen, Belleten 31, nr. 124, 1967, p. 531-549.
- Zylinder-und Stempelsiegel aus Karahöyük bei KonyaKonyaKonya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
, Ankara 1968. T.T.K. Yayınları: Dizi-V, No. 26, XVI + 310 s. 276 Abbildungen im Texte, 254 Tafeln. - Ein hethitisches Stempelsiegel aus der Umgebung von AfyonkarahisarAfyonkarahisarAfyonkarahisar is a city in western Turkey, the capital of Afyon Province. Afyon is in mountainous countryside inland from the Aegean coast, south-west of Ankara along the Akarçay River. Elevation...
und ein Knopfsiegel aus Yazırhöyük bei NevşehirNevsehirNevşehir, formerly Muşkara, , is a city and the capital district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. According to the 2010 census, population of the district is 117,890 of which 85,634 631 live in the city of Nevşehir...
, Festschrift P. Meriggi, 1970, p. 1-6. - Eine weitere Hieroglypheninschrift aus EmirgaziEmirgaziEmirgazi is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 14,698 of which 5,562 live in the town of Emirgazi.-External links:* * *...
und ein Rollsiegel mit Hieroglyphenlegenden aus dem Gebiet von AdıyamanAdiyamanAdıyaman is city in southeastern Turkey, capital of the Adıyaman Province. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Turkey...
, südöstlich von MalatyaMalatyaMalatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
, Festschrift Heinrich Otten, 1973 p. 11-15, 1975. - Ištar auf dem Karahöyük, presented to Prof. Mansel, 1974, p.703-707.
- Eine neue hieroglyphenhethitische Inschrift der Gruppe Kızıldağ-KaradağKaradag-Places:* Montenegro, European country* Karadag, Karaman, extinct volcano in Turkey* Karadagly, Agdam, Azerbaijan* Qaradağ, Agsu, Azerbaijan* Qaradağ, Baku, Azerbaijan* Qaradağ, Gadabay, Azerbaijan...
aus der Nähe von AksarayAksarayAksaray is a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey and the capital district of Aksaray Province. According to 2009 census, population of the province is 376 907 of which 171,423 live in the city of Aksaray. The district covers an area of , and the average elevation is , with the highest...
und die früher publizierten Inschriften derselben Gruppe, Anatolian Studies Presented to Hans Gustav Güterbock on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday, 1974, p. 17-27. - Die Hethiter in Anatolien, Das Parliament 1976,
- Remarques sur la géographie de la région du Haut-YeşilırmakYesilirmakYeşilırmak may refer to:*Limnitis , village in Cyprus*Yeşil River in northern Turkey...
d'après les tablettes hittites de Maşathöyük, Florilegium Anatolicum, Mélanges offerts à Emmanuel LarocheEmmanuel LarocheEmmanuel Laroche was an expert of ancient Anatolian languages . He was professor of Anatolian studies at the Collège de France, 1973–1985.-Works:*Dictionnaire de la langue louvite, 1959...
, Paris, 1979 p.29-35. - Die Lage der Kultstadt Hanhana, Festschrift Elmar Edel, BambergBambergBamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
1979, p. 13-16. - Das hethitische Wort für "Palast", Studia Mediterranea I, Piero Meriggi dicata I, 1979, p. 17-25.
- Die hethitischen Tontafelentdeckungen auf dem Maşat-Höyük, Belleten 44, nr. 173, 1980, p. 254-59.
- Beiträge zur Erforschung des hethitischen Tempels, Kultanlagen im Lichte der Keilschrifttexte, Ankara 1983. Turkish Historical SocietyTurkish Historical SocietyThe Turkish Historical Society also known as Turkish Historical Association or Turkish History Foundation is a research society studying the history of Turkey and the Turkish people, founded in 1931 by the initiative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with headquarters in Ankara, Turkey.-Presidents:The...
Publication: Serie - VI, Nr. 23 XXXIV + 382 s. - Zum Wesen der kultischen Reinigungssubstanz tuhhueššar, Festschrift A. Kammenhuber.
- Die Lage der hethitischen Kultstadt Karahna, Festschrift Kurt Bittel
- E. Neufeld, The Hittite Laws, Journal of Cuneiform Studies VI, 1952, s.93-98.
- B. Rosenkranz, Beiträge zur Erforschung des Luwischen, Bibliotheca Orientalis XI, 1954, s.208-209.
- Th. Beran, Die hethitische Glyptik von Boğazköy I, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung 66, 1971, s. 362-364.